The Arrest Records Unit is responsible for processing bookings for every person booked into the Inmate Receiving Center and our booking facilities located in Ridgecrest and Mojave. We confirm warrants and place holds with other counties and states and disseminate local criminal history information to authorized individuals.
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
Arrest Record:
California Government Code Section 7923.610, dictates we must make available contemporaneous arrest information to the public. Arrest information is considered public if the subject is currently in custody or if the subject’s release date is within the past 60 days.
Court case information is public and may be obtained by going to the court website at www.kern.courts.ca.gov. This page includes date of arrest, charges, and court disposition.
Arrest Record – Arrestee:
If you have been arrested in the State of California and wish to receive a copy of your state-wide criminal history, you must complete a Record Review Live Scan form (BCIA 8016RR) and submit fingerprints electronically to the Department of Justice in Sacramento. Once you have completed the form you may report to any live scan facility to be fingerprinted. There is a $25 state fee and a rolling fee of $10 to $25, depending upon the live scan site used. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Licensing Unit offers this service Mondays & Wednesdays 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Tuesdays & Thrusdays 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a fee of $20, by appointment only.
If you have been arrested by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, you may purchase your own booking photo for a $5 fee by appearing in person with photo ID. Please note: Arrest Records staff is not authorized to release booking photos to the public or the media.
If you have been arrested and need information regarding your arrest(s), Arrest Records will provide you with this information at no charge.
You may petition the court to seal your criminal history by completing a Petition to Seal and Destroy Adult Arrest Records. If no court case was filed (you did not appear in court) the petition must be submitted to the law enforcement agency making the arrest within two (2) years. If you appeared in court and were found factually innocent within the last two years, the petition must be filed with the court of jurisdiction and a copy filed with the District Attorney’s Office.
Warrants:
Warrant information is not released over the phone. The subject of the warrant must appear in person at the Kern County Justice Facility Inmate Receiving Center, located at 17645 Industrial Farm Road, Bakersfield, CA 93308, with photo ID to confirm the existence of an outstanding warrant.
The public (or suspect) may contact the court for warrant information by phone at:
- Felonies – (661) 868-5393, option 4
- Misdemeanors – (661) 868-2482
- Traffic – (661) 868-2382
OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES
Clearance Letters:
Individuals requesting a clearance letter, also known as a “Letter of Good Conduct,” must submit prints electronically to the Department of Justice in Sacramento for a state-wide criminal history check. Once you have completed the Request for Live Scan Service form you may report to any live scan facility to be fingerprinted. There is a $25 state fee and a rolling fee of $10 to $25; depending upon the live scan site used. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Licensing Unit offers this service Mondays & Wednesdays 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. for a fee of $20, by appointment only.
In some instances, such as a foreign adoption and hunting outside of the United States, the live scan response alone may not be sufficient. The requestor may still require a letter from the local law enforcement agency. These “Letters of Good Conduct,” also known as clearance letters, are still available at Arrest Records for a fee of $5 per letter. The person requesting the letter must appear in person with valid photo ID. If you need your letter notarized, you will be required to bring your own Notary.
Question of Identity:
If you feel someone has been arrested using your name and other identifying information such as a social security number or a driver’s license, you can come to Arrest Records with a photo ID to obtain a “Not Same As” letter. Arrest records will capture your fingerprints and the Identification Unit will compare your prints to those of the arrestee, documenting their findings in written form. This service is free of charge.
