Retrieve San Bernardino County Mugshots for Free

Explore who is currently in custody and see incident details by initiating a free San Bernardino County mugshot search.

The public information access granted by the California Public Records Act (CPRA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) let people look up public records to stay informed about arrested individuals, see personal records, and keep the community safe.

Uncover the process of finding mugshots through official custodians within San Bernardino County, California, and learn how to handle them responsibly in this brief resource.

Where Can Mugshots Be Located Without Fees?

In San Bernardino County, photos taken for identification of detainees are kept by the sheriff’s department, so it’s best to start the search with their office.

However, sometimes it can be challenging to find these photos because of the California Mugshot Law.¹ This law stops offender photos from being shared in social media and although official government websites aren’t covered in this restriction, there are still counties that choose to not display any photos.²

Moving on, you can ask city police departments for help if you’re looking for newer incidents. If you’re seeking prisoners in state and federal custody, you can contact the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, the Department of Justice, or the Federal Bureau of Prisons, respectively.

The upcoming section covers the process of getting mugshots from the sheriff’s department of San Bernardino County, California.

How To Find Free Mugshots in San Bernardino County

Although the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department doesn’t release booking photos on their jail roster, you can still view inmate booking and release information.³

You can search for individuals in custody by their booking number or basic information (name, date of birth/age, and sex). For released individuals, select a release date from the list in the webpage.

The Detention & Corrections Bureau of the sheriff’s department runs four jails under their management— the High Desert, West Valley, and Central detention centers and the Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center.⁴ So, you can inquire more about an inmate’s record at their respective housing facility.

You can check the overview of obtaining public records in San Bernardino County for a compiled contact information of the four facilities. This resource also contains information about other criminal data as well as property and vital records.

You can also get records via written requests—done by accomplishing a Request for Information Form and sending it to the Record Division’s mailing address:

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
Records Division
Post Office Box 569
San Bernardino, California 92402

You can also request a copy of records online or in-person by visiting the Records Division:

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
Records Division
655 E. Third St.
San Bernardino, CA

Phone: (909.888.5916)
Office Hours: 8 AM – 5 PM; Monday – Friday

This method asks for a detailed description of the record to help for the completion of your request. You can choose to enter your contact information (email, name, phone number, address, and company) in the request form.

Before submitting the form, make sure to select ‘Sheriff’s Department’ under the ‘Department’ drop-down menu so that your request will reach the right custodian. However, in cases where the report being requested is made in one of the patrol stations under the sheriff’s office, select ‘Sheriff’s Department – [name of patrol station]’ instead.

Likewise, you should contact the patrol station directly or visit their office for in-person requests.⁵

Although offender photos won’t always show, third-party services like VINELink are also useful in locating custody information.

Support Programs for Incarcerated Individuals

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Detention & Corrections Bureau run the county jails and oversee inmate support and rehabilitation programs.⁴ In partnership with the department, you can extend your support to an incarcerated loved one by paying visits, sending funds, and more.

• Jail Visitation: Visitors must set an appointment one day before the planned visit. You can do this online via the inmate locator or by phone at (909.887.0364); Tuesday through Friday, between 9AM to 3PM.
• Commissary: Inmates can purchase with their fund accounts at the jail commissary system while friends and family can order via iCare Gifts.
• Inmate Mail: An unlimited number of letters can be sent to and from the inmates.
• Inmate Money: You can deposit into an inmate’s fund account via kiosks located at the county jails 24/7. Only cash and cards are accepted forms of payment.
• Bail: You can post bail at any of the county jails. Property and bail bonds, cash, checks, and money orders are accepted. For more details, call (909.350.2476). You can also review the steps for arrest lookups in San Bernardino County for information about the bail process.

Look Up Mugshots via the City Police Departments Within San Bernardino County California

More recent records can be found via police departments within San Bernardino County. Police photographs aren’t always posted by these departments but you can still request for reports.

Below, you’ll find a brief overview of how you can request reports from three of the biggest cities within San Bernardino County.

San Bernardino City: Go to the San Bernardino Police Department and fill out a Report Request Form. For crime reports, the first five pages are free of charge but there’s a 25 cents fee per page after. Accepted forms of payments are money orders, cash, and credit/debit cards.

You can drop by the Records Bureau anytime between 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.⁶

San Bernardino Police Department
Records Bureau
710 N. D Street
San Bernardino, California 92401

Phone: (909.384.5742)

Fontana City: Fill out a Records Request Form before submitting it in person or by mail.⁷ A copy of a criminal incident report costs $18 and can be paid by cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card (check or money order only for mail requests).

The Fontana Police Department is open Monday through Thursday, from 8 AM to 5 PM. You can reach them at the following address:

Fontana Police Department
17005 Upland Ave.,
Fontana, California 92335

Records Unit: (909.356.7103)
Email: [email protected]

Ontario City: Go to the Ontario Police Department in person to request a crime report for $35. You can also call the Records Department at (909.408.1951) for inquiries.⁸ Their front desk is available from 7:00 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Ontario Police Department
2500 South Archibald Ave.,
Ontario, California 91761

If the reports you’d like to have are from another city within the county, consider utilizing any search engine and type in ‘[city name] police department, CA’ or other combinations.

When an incarcerated individual is transferred to a state prison, their mugshot may not appear through repositories managed by county or city agencies. So, we look through state departments, which are laid out in the next section.

How To View California Prison Mugshots (State & Federal)

The California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) holds the state prisoners. You can contact their Identification Unit at (916.445.6713) to ask for information you want to get that isn’t showing up on their California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS).

CIRIS doesn’t display offender images but the CDCR news section sometimes does – although this option is more suited for casual browsers than those seeking a certain person.⁹

The California Department of Justice Megan’s Law Website also displays mugshots. Details of registered sexual offenders in the state are shown through the database maintained by the said department.

Aside from mugshots, the following details will show by entering at least the person’s name in the input field:

• Name
• Sexual Offender Level
• Address

For federal prisoners, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) offers an inmate locator which provides useful inmate details (e.g. demographics, register number, custody status). However, this option doesn’t offer mugshots as well.

Because of the California Public Records Act (CPRA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), respectively, residents like yourself can access state and federal public information.^{11, 12} You can use them for personal or professional purposes, as guided by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

You can use the local and state resources outlined in this article any time you want to start a San Bernardino County mugshot search. Gather the data you need and use them responsibly.