San Luis Obispo County Arrest Records

Law enforcement officers in San Luis Obispo are legally authorized to arrest individuals who are caught or suspected of committing a crime per the California Penal Code.

After an arrest, law enforcement officers take the arrestee to the police department for Booking. During booking, the officers document the arrestee's personal information and physical description, the reason for the arrest, the bail amount, and other information about the arrest. When compiled, these details form an arrest record. San Luis Obispo County arrest records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office and other arresting agencies. They may also be contained within San Luis Obispo County Court Records.

An arrest is usually an individual's first contact with the criminal justice system. Therefore, arrest records are an important part of an individual's criminal history record and general records.

Are Arrest Records Public in San Luis Obispo County?

Yes. Arrest records are public under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). However, the California Government Code exempts some arrest records from public disclosure. They include:

• Information that may endanger the victim, witnesses, and other parties involved in the case
• Information that would compromise an ongoing investigation or deprive the subject of a fair trial
• Information that is restricted due to the victim’s request
• Juvenile records
• Information that may expose the investigating officer's analysis or conclusion
• Medical records of the victim

The above information or records are only released to the record subjects, attorneys, and government agencies upon request.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records are arrest records that can be released to the public upon request. Per the California Government Code, public arrest records must include the following information:

• The arrestee's personal information (name, date of birth and occupation)
• The arrestee's physical description (sex, height, weight, and color of eyes)
• The time, date, and location of the arrest
• The time and date of booking
• The reason for the arrest or charges filed against the arrestee
• The bail amount
• Detention facility where the arrestee is held or the time of release

Although the above information is public per the CPRA, it may be exempted from public disclosure if it would compromise an ongoing investigation or endanger the individuals involved in the case.

San Luis Obispo County Crime Rate

According to the California Department of Justice (DOJ), San Luis Obispo county police departments recorded up to 6,460 reported offenses in 2022. Most of these offenses were property crimes (up to 79%), with larceny theft (3,764 cases) and burglary (949 cases) being the most common.

San Luis Obispo County Arrest Statistics

In 2022, police departments in San Luis Obispo County made 7,813 arrests. Of this number, 6,290 arrests were for misdemeanors like shoplifting and vandalism. The remaining arrests were for felonies like violent offenses (670 arrests) and drug offenses (115 arrests).

Find San Luis Obispo County Arrest Records

Individuals incarcerated by state and federal agencies may be detained in San Luis Obispo Jail or any federal prison in California or the United States. Members of the public may be able to find state inmates via any of the following means:

• Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) portal online to find a federal inmate.
• Approach the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office, which handles state arrest bookings.
• Search the CDCR California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS) portal to find state inmates. The portal would require you to provide the inmate's name or CDCR number for an effective search.
• Make inquiries at the arresting agency or use its inmate locator tool if it is available.

Offenders incarcerated by San Luis Obispo local law enforcement officers are usually detained in San Luis Obispo Jail. To find them or their records, you can contact the County Jail at (805) 781-4600 to inquire about them or to get information on how to find inmate records.

Free Arrest Record Search in San Luis Obispo County

Per the California Public Records Act, arrest records are public in San Luis Obispo County. Anyone can obtain them from the Sheriff's office or the arresting agency. Requests for San Luis Obispo arrest records are completely free.

San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office offers free online tools to enable record seekers to obtain details of arrests and arrestees in the county. One of them is the Sheriff's Office Booking Log. The booking log is a compilation of all arrests made by law enforcement officers in the county. With this tool, you can search for arrestees by their name or date of arrest. You can search the booking log to obtain information like the charges filed against the arrestee and the next court date.

The Sheriff's Who's in Custody portal is another free online tool that you can use to search for arrest records in San Luis Obispo County. On this portal, you can look up inmates in San Luis Obispo police custody. You can also get arrest information like the date of arrest, reasons for arrest, and custody status.

Alternatively, you can contact the Records and Warrants Unit at (805) 781-4140 to request a copy of a crime report. A San Luis Obispo crime report contains information associated with a crime, including the arrestee's information. Requests for these reports are free, and they are processed almost immediately.

Some third-party websites compile arrest records from different San Luis Obispo County law enforcement agencies. Therefore, you can conduct arrest records searches on them. However, you should note that some third-party websites may not have complete arrest records. They may also require you to pay a fee or subscribe before releasing the records.

Get San Luis Obispo County Criminal Records

In San Luis Obispo County, criminal records are called rap sheets. Rap sheets are a compilation of all records generated from contacts with the criminal justice system, including arrest records, inmate records, and court dispositions. They may also include the subject’s personal history before the incidence of a criminal case. Per the California Penal Code, San Luis Obispo rap sheets are not public records. Therefore, they can only be obtained by the record subject, parties with the subject’s consent, government agencies, and authorized employers.

The Sheriff's Records and Warrants Unit maintains a local rap sheet for its citizens and arrestees. To obtain it, you can contact the unit at (805) 781-4140. Notably, a local rap sheet only contains information on arrests made by the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office. They do not contain details of state/federal arrests and court hearings.

State rap sheets contain comprehensive details of local, state, and federal arrests and court dispositions. They are maintained by the California Department of Justice (DOJ), and you can apply to obtain yours. If you are based in California, you must submit Live Scan fingerprints during the application. However, if you live outside California, you are required to submit manual fingerprint cards (Form FD258) before your application will be processed. More information on these fingerprints and how to submit them are available on the DOJ website. Note that the DOJ only accepts applications made by record subjects.

San Luis Obispo County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

There are clear distinctions between the terms “arrest records” and “criminal records”. Arrest records are generated by the arresting agency during booking. They highlight information about specific arrests, including the incident report, the arrestee’s physical description, the date of arrest, the offense(s) or charges, and the arresting officer. Arrest records do not contain details of events that occur after an arrest, like trials and probations. In San Luis Obispo, arrest records are maintained by the arresting agency and the Sheriff’s office.

Criminal history records, or rap sheets, are generated from records provided by different law enforcement agencies and highlight an individual's encounters with the criminal justice system. In simple terms, rap sheets are a compilation of an individual's arrest, inmate, and criminal court records. The California Department of Justice maintains criminal history records in San Luis Obispo.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Infinitely. There is no expiration period for arrest records in San Luis Obispo County. However, criminal history records may be removed from the California Department of Justice system when an individual turns 100 years old.

Expunge San Luis Obispo County Arrest Records

Expungement refers to the total removal of one's records from the justice system, while record sealing involves exempting one's records from public disclosure. Sealed records are still accessible to government agencies.

To expunge San Luis Obispo arrest records, one may have to petition the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo to request expungement. Before submitting a petition, you can check the Dismissal FlowChart to determine if you are eligible for expungement.

Record subjects who did not receive probation or have completed probation for charges of misdemeanors can file a Petition for Dismissal to the Superior Court. Similarly, record subjects who were never given probation or have completed probation for charges of a felony can file a motion for dismissal.

If you were sentenced to a state prison after being convicted of a felony, you can request a Certificate of Rehabilitation from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

You can check the Superior Court's official Superior Court's official website for more information on how to petition for expungement or sealing.

San Luis Obispo County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are official documents that are issued by judges or magistrates to empower law enforcement officers to arrest individuals who are suspected of or caught committing a crime.

Arrest warrants are issued before arrests are made. However, the California Penal Code permits law enforcement officers to make warrantless arrests if there is probable cause to believe that the arrestee is guilty of a crime.

The California Penal Code suggests that an arrest warrant must include the following details:

• The name of the arrestee (the judge can use any name if the subject's name is unknown)
• The time and location of issuance
• The signature and title of the judge/magistrate
• The name of the court or issuing authority

San Luis Obispo County Arrest Warrant Search

The Records and Warrants Unit of the Sheriff's Office documents all active warrants in San Luis Obispo County. To conduct a warrant search, you can contact them at (805) 781-4588.

Alternatively, you can request your rap sheets from the Department of Justice (DOJ). Your rap sheets contain details of all pending arrest warrants. You can also request criminal court records from the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo. Criminal court records will provide information on a court hearing, including issuing an arrest warrant. You can adopt this option if you are involved in an ongoing trial.

Do San Luis Obispo County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, arrest warrants in San Luis Obispo County do not expire until the subject dies, is incarcerated, or the warrant is dismissed. However, you can contact the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo if you have questions about whether a warrant should have been issued.