California Busted Mugshots is a private reference service, not a government office. It cannot confirm custody or release, provide or remove a booking photo, post bond, or retrieve an official record. Only the agency or court that holds the file can answer those requests.
Where California Records Are Held
The correct contact depends on the record type and the event. A county sheriff or arresting police department handles local booking records; the Superior Court keeps the case record; CDCR answers state-prison custody and identification-photo questions. A recent county arrest does not become a CDCR record just because the person may later serve a state sentence.
Use the statewide route that matches your question:
- Local arrest or booking: choose the county in the County Directory. The local site identifies its sheriff, city police sources, roster, and records-request path.
- Booking record or county photo: the statewide records page explains what to request and why a photo may be withheld even when arrest details are public.
- State-prison custody: search CDCR CIRIS. The Identification Unit number shown by the locator is 916-445-6713, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
- CDCR identification photo: the department’s media policy directs requests for people serving or formerly serving state prison to `opec@cdcr.ca.gov` and lists 916-445-4950. Include a full name and date of birth or CDCR number. Safety and investigation exceptions apply.
- Court outcome: California Courts directs users to the Superior Court where the case was filed. Not every court record is online, and the Judicial Council does not keep each county’s local criminal file.
A CDCR photo inquiry can receive a reply expectation of two business days under the posted policy. That is not a promise that a photo will be released. For other CDCR records, use its public-records portal; a CPRA determination window is not a guaranteed delivery date.
For federal custody, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator. It covers federal inmates from 1982 onward, is updated daily, and does not show public booking photos. For someone currently held or recently transferred into immigration custody, the ICE detainee locator has separate search requirements and does not provide a public photo gallery. Neither tool replaces a county booking record or a court disposition.
If a page has a broken link or a source has changed, a useful report identifies the exact page URL, the source URL, and what appears wrong. For a case outcome, cite the court or agency record that supports the correction. Do not send a full court file or unnecessary personal identifiers when a short reference will do. This site does not promise to publish a report, change a record, or remove an outside copy. A correction to an official booking file must go to the agency that created it. A court disposition belongs with the court, and an operator’s copied image may require a separate free request under its own stated policy.