Where they'll be
If someone was arrested in Sacramento County, they're most likely booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail at 651 I Street in downtown Sacramento, which is run by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. The general line is (916) 874-6752.
Bookings from anywhere in the county end up in the county system — Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Galt, Carmichael, Antelope. The city police department that made the arrest doesn't hold people; the county does.
The Sheriff's Office maintains an online inmate lookup. It can take some hours after an arrest before someone appears in it, which is the source of a lot of anguish in the first evening. If they aren't showing yet, it usually means booking isn't complete rather than that something has gone wrong.
You can ask an attorney to visit them — even if they can't call you
This is worth knowing and almost nobody does.
Under California Penal Code § 825(b), an attorney entitled to practise in California may visit a person in custody at the request of the prisoner or of any relative of the prisoner. An officer with charge of the prisoner who wilfully refuses or neglects to allow that visit faces consequences under the same section.
In plain terms: if you're a relative, you don't have to wait for them to reach you. You can arrange for an attorney to go and see them.
That matters, because the person in custody is frequently the one least able to organise anything, and the early decisions — whether to talk, whether to post bail, what happens before charges are filed — are the ones that count most.
What the first 48 hours look like
Booking first: identity, property inventory, photographs and prints, a warrant and hold check. It takes as long as it takes.
Then California law requires the person be taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay, and within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays (Penal Code § 825). If those 48 hours expire when court isn't sitting, the time extends to the next court session.
Practically: a Friday night arrest usually means Monday or Tuesday. That wait is normal. It isn't a sign anything has gone wrong.
Two things not to do
Don't discuss the case on the jail phone
Jail calls are recorded, and recorded calls get used in prosecutions. Say you love them. Say you're handling it. Don't say anything about what happened. This is genuinely one of the most common ways cases get worse.
Don't rush the bail decision
The instinct is to get them out immediately at any cost, and that's completely understandable. But bail decisions made in a panic are sometimes decisions that didn't need to be made, and that money isn't available afterwards for the defense. A short call before you commit is worth making.
What's useful to have ready
- Their full name and date of birth
- Roughly when and where the arrest happened
- Which agency made it — Elk Grove PD, Sacramento PD, CHP, Sheriff
- What they were told they're being arrested for
- Any booking or case number you've been given
You don't need all of it to call. Have what you have.
Call and we'll tell you what's happening
Most of what families need in the first day isn't legal strategy. It's someone explaining what's going on, what's normal, and what happens next — so the waiting is at least comprehensible.
I treat my clients the way I'd want an attorney to treat my mother, if she met with one. That applies to the person calling on their behalf too.
Call (916) 277-8299. No obligation, and you're talking to an attorney.
Common questions
How do I find out if someone is in Sacramento County jail?
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate lookup, and the jail's general line is (916) 874-6752. Allow some hours after an arrest before someone appears — booking has to complete first.
Can I get an attorney to see them if they haven't called me?
Yes. Under Penal Code 825(b), an attorney may visit a person in custody at the request of the prisoner or any relative of the prisoner.
How long before they see a judge?
Within 48 hours of arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays, under Penal Code 825. If that period expires when court isn't in session it extends to the next session, so weekend arrests take longer.
Should I post bail straight away?
Talk to an attorney first if you can. Bail decisions made under pressure are sometimes ones that didn't need to be made, and the money is then unavailable for the defense.
Are jail phone calls really recorded?
Yes, and they are used in prosecutions. Keep the call to reassurance and logistics. Nothing about the facts of the case.
Last updated
If this is your situation right now, the page that covers it in detail is Sacramento County criminal court. Or call (916) 277-8299 and I will tell you what you are facing.