Placer County Arrest Records

In Placer County, law enforcement officers are authorized to make an arrest when an individual commits a crime or there is good reason to believe an individual is about to commit a crime. They may also make an arrest when an individual is a person of interest in connection with crimes committed by a third party. This happens when the individual does not commit the crime directly but is involved in aiding, abetting, outsourcing, or obstructing justice.

The arresting agency creates a record detailing the arrest's circumstances. This includes the suspect’s name, physical description, charges, bail, bond details, and the arresting officer’s name or the agency in charge of custody. Arrests are typically made by officers of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement partners with jurisdiction within the county may also arrest individuals who break the law.

Arrest records created by these agencies do not necessarily mean the arrestee is guilty. Placer County Court Records — created when a person is prosecuted for an offense, inmate and criminal records give the complete picture of a person’s involvement with the Placer County justice system. To obtain these records, interested persons must contact the appropriate custodian and confirm the records are publicly available.

Are Arrest Records Public in Placer County?

Yes. According to Section 6254(f) of the California Public Records Act (CPRA), Placer County arrest records are public information. This provision empowers the public to contact the custodians of records generated by government agencies and obtain copies of said records. As such, arrest records created by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and its law enforcement partners are available to the public.

However, the broad presumption of access does not extend to all records. Due to state security and individual privacy concerns, the CPRA restricts the disclosure of certain records. For example, juvenile arrest records are not open to the public. Likewise, sealed arrest records, expunged records, and copies of unexecuted arrest warrants are not public. Only authorized persons may access these records. Furthermore, the Public Records Act prohibits the disclosure of intelligence records and documents that would jeopardize an ongoing investigation or the safety of witnesses or personnel.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records detail the charges against the arrestee, personal details, booking, and bail or bond information. Typically, public arrest records include:

• Legal name, aliases, date of birth, gender, race, and physical description of the owner of the record
• Charges against the record owner
• Booking number, mugshots, and fingerprints
• Date, time, and location of arrest
• Name of the arresting agency
• Name or badge number of the arresting officers
• Bail or Bond information
• Name of the detention facility and custody status
• Court date and case number (if applicable).

Placer County Crime Rate

According to a report by the California Department of Justice, in 2023, there was a total of 1,165 violent crimes in Placer County; 146 forcible rape, 162 robberies, 852 aggravated assaults, and five homicides were recorded. On the other hand, there were 4,779 property crimes in the same year, with 813 burglaries, 429 motor vehicle thefts, and 3,531 larceny.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to curate this data. The Placer County Sheriff's Department collects and delivers this information annually, and the data is used to allocate law enforcement resources within the county.

Placer County Arrest Statistics

According to a report from the California Department of Justice (DOJ), in 2023, there were 2,635 arrests concerning felonies in Placer County. Out of this figure, there were 808 arrests for violent offenses, 677 arrests for property offenses, 251 arrests for drug offenses, 52 arrests for sex offenses, and 847 arrests for other offenses. In addition, there were 5,198 arrests in connection with misdemeanors.

Find Placer County Arrest Records

Interested parties may access public arrest records through the Sheriff’s office or police department. There are various methods for filing a request for public arrest records. To obtain arrest records, contact the arresting agency. Local law enforcement agencies do not keep records outside of their jurisdiction.

Requesters may request records in person, via mail, or online. Individuals must visit the Sheriff’s Office during business hours for in-person requests. For postal queries, the requester may write a letter including enough information to identify the arrest record (such as a name or arrest date) and submit it to the appropriate mailing address. Individuals may access the County Sheriff’s website portal for online requests. To make further inquiries, requesters may contact the County Sheriff’s Department at:

Placer County Sheriff's Office
2929 Richardson Dr,
Auburn, CA 95603

While the CPRA grants the public access to arrest records held by law enforcement agencies, some records cannot be accessed by the general public. In cases where an individual requires access to restricted or non-public arrest records, it may be possible to subpoena the record.

A subpoena is a court order that compels an individual to present a document or appear in court as a witness.

Free Arrest Record Search in Placer County

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office provides free access to arrest records. Interested parties may obtain these records by searching online or visiting the Sheriff’s Office during business hours. The online option is more convenient. However, because this source only provides basic arrest information, requestors often choose to visit the Sheriff’s Office and submit an open records request. While this method may provide additional details than what is available online, the requesters may have to cover the cost of retrieving and duplicating the records.

Placer County Sheriff's Office
2929 Richardson Dr,
Auburn, CA 95603

Furthermore, the aforementioned sources only provide access to arrest records maintained by Placer County law enforcement. Arrest records from adjacent counties on that individual are not available. For example, if a person of interest recently moved to Placer County, their arrest records from the previous jurisdiction may not be available unless both law enforcement agencies have an information-sharing agreement.

To overcome this limitation and broaden the availability of arrest records, searchers often choose to query third-party databases. These independent service providers aggregate arrest records from several sources and across jurisdictions, so searching them removes the geographic limitation. However, because third-party service providers are not affiliated with the government, there is no guarantee of record accuracy, completeness, or availability.

Get Placer County Criminal Records

Placer County criminal records, also called criminal history records or rap sheets, refer to legal documents and records that outline the criminal action of a certain individual within the county. They offer details of an arrest, charges, trial, and imprisonment of an individual. These records are only available to the record subjects in Placer County. The California Department of Justice (DOJ) is the custodian of criminal records.

Persons who wish to obtain a copy of their criminal history must first obtain a fingerprint card at an authorized Live Scan site. Usually, this is the Sheriff’s Office or the police department in their municipality. The requestor must also complete the criminal record application (Form BCIA 8016RR). The completed form, fingerprint card, and payment for the services ($25 personal check or money order) will be collected at the Live Scan site to process the request for criminal records.

Placer County Sheriff's Office
2929 Richardson Dr,
Auburn, CA 95603
Phone: (530) 889-7800

Placer County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Even though both are crime-related public documents, criminal records and arrest records are not the same. An arrest record contains information about the circumstances surrounding when law enforcement took an individual into custody. On the other hand, a criminal record is a document containing information about prosecutions and convictions. In other words, an arrest record is essentially a subset of a criminal record.

Furthermore, an arrest record is not definitive proof of guilt—because arrest records seldom contain the outcome of a court ruling. Conversely, criminal records contain details about the subject’s prosecution and conviction of guilt after criminal proceedings.

It is also essential to consider the scope of these records. In Placer County, arrest records contain information about arrests within the County. Records of arrests from other jurisdictions are not available. On the other hand, criminal records are statewide- the document contains information about the subject’s arrests, prosecutions, convictions, and incarcerations from all counties in California.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

There is no set time frame for removing an arrest from a person's record in Placer County. In line with Section 851.93 of the California Penal Code, the Department of Justice reviews the state criminal justice database monthly for arrest records that qualify for automatic expungement. Arrests that qualify under this provision include:

• Misdemeanors where the charges were dismissed
• Misdemeanors where the District Attorney’s Office did not initiate criminal proceedings after a calendar year
• Arrests for misdemeanors where the suspect was not convicted or the court acquitted them of the charges
• Arrests for offenses under Section 1170(h)(1-2) where criminal proceedings were not initiated after three years, and the suspect was not convicted, or the court acquitted them.
• Arrests for offenses where the subject completed a pre-filing diversion program or a pre-trial diversion program

Except for the conditions described above, arrests remain on record in perpetuity unless the subject files and successfully receives arrest relief from the Superior Court. Arrest record relief means the arrest never happened, and related documents are expunged from public repositories.

Expunge Placer County Arrest Records

Persons whose arrests did not qualify for automatic expungement under Section 851.93 of the California Penal Code may file a petition to seal arrest and related records with the Superior Court. The procedures for filing an expungement require that the petition qualify for an expungement under Section 851.91 of the Penal Code.

The individual could either write their own petition, or take advantage of the standardized application form (CR-409). They must also provide personal information about the arrest under consideration. To seal several arrests, individuals must file a separate petition for each arrest. Furthermore, petitions for arrests are filed in the county where the arrest happened.

Upon completing the form, submit the application in person or by mail to the Placer County Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Following submission, the petitioner may expect a notice of court hearing scheduled at least 15 days from the petition date. The actual date for the court hearing will depend on the judiciary caseload.

Placer County Superior Court
Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse
10820 Justice Center Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
Phone: (916) 408-6000

If the petition is successful, the court will grant arrest relief in the interest of justice. In other words, the court will order the removal of the arrest record and related records from the public domain if the arrest qualifies and the record's existence causes hardship. The court may also consider character references and other relevant factors when issuing an order to expunge arrest records.

Placer County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a document issued by a court commanding a law enforcement officer to arrest a suspect for a certain crime. The warrant requires the accused person to be present before the court to answer the charges against them. Any act of intentionally omitting to execute an arrest warrant is considered contempt of court. The standard for issuing arrest warrants is establishing probable cause beyond mere suspicion. In other words, law enforcement must have substantive proof to believe a person committed a crime or is in the act of committing one.

Section 813 of the California Penal Code regulates the procedure for issuing arrest warrants in California counties. An arrest warrant contains the following information:

• Defendant’s name
• Date and time of warrant issue
• City or county of warrant issue
• Signature of the issuing judge or magistrate
• Charges or offense
• Booking, bail, and release conditions.

Placer County Arrest Warrant Search

In Placer County, arrest warrants become public records after execution. Executed arrest warrants may also be removed from the public domain if their disclosure will compromise the success of the criminal justice procedure.

Individuals may check Placer County arrest warrants through the Sheriff’s Office. Generally, warrant information is only available to the subject of the warrant or their legal representative upon verification of their identity. Contact the Records Division to access warrant information from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

2929 Richardson Dr,
Auburn, CA 95603
Phone: (530) 889-7800

Do Placer County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Placer County arrest warrants remain valid until the individual is arrested. Warrants are stored in a national warrant database. If police officers cannot arrest the individual at that moment, they may arrest them based on the data preserved in the database. Anytime the individual comes across law enforcement officers, they will most likely be charged due to the warrant.