California has 58 counties, and every one of them elects a sheriff. That makes the county sheriff the most widespread law enforcement office in the state, from the dense neighborhoods of Los Angeles County to the high desert and mountain valleys of Mono and Siskiyou. This page helps you find the right office for your errand, whether that means a jail visit, a records request, a court paper, or a permit. Our database holds 237 sheriff listings across California, and the duties behind them differ more from county to county than most people expect. A little background can save you a trip to the wrong counter.

How California Organizes Its 58 County Sheriffs

The sheriff is a county officer created by state law. The California Government Code names the sheriff among the officials chosen by county voters, and each sheriff serves a four-year term. Unlike a city police chief, who is hired by a council or city manager, a sheriff answers directly to the voters. The board of supervisors approves the budget, but it does not direct day-to-day law enforcement decisions.

State law gives every sheriff the same core duties: keeping the peace, making arrests, running the county jail, serving civil court papers, and providing courthouse security. California also makes the sheriff responsible for search and rescue in the county, which matters a great deal in places with mountains, deserts, and long stretches of coastline.

Statewide supervision is lighter than many people assume. No single state agency runs the sheriffs. The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) sets training standards for deputies. The Board of State and Community Corrections sets minimum standards for local jails and inspects them. The Department of Justice maintains criminal records and fingerprint systems, and the Legislature writes the statutes every sheriff must follow. The California State Sheriffs' Association is a voluntary professional group, not a regulator.

Titles and combined roles vary. The Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department, on West Santa Ana Boulevard in Santa Ana, investigates deaths as well as handling patrol and jails. Other counties keep the coroner separate, so you may see coroner offices, such as the Tehama County Coroner in Red Bluff, mixed in with sheriff listings. San Francisco is a combined city and county, so its sheriff's department focuses on jails, court security, and civil process, while the city's police department handles patrol.

Metro Sheriffs and Rural Offices: Los Angeles to Siskiyou

Size changes everything. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is among the largest local law enforcement agencies in the country. It patrols unincorporated communities, and many cities in Los Angeles County contract with it instead of running their own police departments. Our listing gives 323-526-5000 as the main number. With 30 listings, the county has more sheriff entries than any other in California, because stations, jails, and specialized units appear separately.

Southern California counties follow a similar pattern at different scales. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office lists a mailing address at PO Box 939062 and a phone number of 858-974-2240, so check which station or unit serves your address before you drive anywhere. San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, which means a deputy may cover desert terrain far from the nearest station.

In the Central Valley, Kern County shows how substations spread service. The Kern County Sheriffs Office - Rosedale Substation at 10814 Rosedale Highway in Bakersfield, phone 661-868-6434, is one of many Kern locations, so confirm the right one before you visit. Sacramento County has 11 listings, including the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department at 711 G Street, phone 916-874-5115. Other Valley offices include the Merced County Sheriff's Office at 2222 M Street, phone 209-385-7690, and the Madera County Sheriffs Department at 14143 Road 28, phone 559-675-7769.

Rural counties work differently. The Mono County Sheriffs Department at 100 Bryant Street in Bridgeport, phone 760-932-7549, runs patrol and the county jail from one base. The Plumas County Sheriff's Office on Main Street in Quincy and the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office on Jeff Tuttle Road in San Andreas serve large, thinly populated areas where the sheriff is often the only law enforcement agency for many miles. In those counties, expect shorter counter hours, longer response times, and staff who wear several hats. Call ahead.

Everyday Sheriff Services Californians Request

Most visits to a sheriff's office fall into a handful of categories. Services differ by county, but these are the ones people ask about most:

Picking the Right Door in California: Sheriff, City Police, or CHP

For an emergency, call 911. In California, calls from cell phones are often answered first by a California Highway Patrol dispatcher, so state the city and county right away. The CHP patrols freeways and state highways. Inside an incorporated city that has its own police department, city officers take most calls. In unincorporated areas, deputies respond. In contract cities, deputies also respond under an agreement, even though the city has no police department of its own.

Before you go in person, take three steps. Confirm the address and hours by phone. Bring photo ID and any case or booking number. Ask whether the service needs an appointment or an online form first. Those steps matter most at rural substations, where one clerk may cover several functions, and at large urban headquarters, where units sit in different buildings.

Reading the California Sheriff Listings Wisely

Our database counts each station, jail, and unit separately, so one elected sheriff can appear in several entries. That is why Los Angeles County shows 30 listings and San Diego County shows 17. Some entries are specialized units rather than general offices. The Alameda County Sheriffs Office - Airport Police Services at 8980 Earhart Road in Oakland, phone 510-563-2940, is an example. The San Francisco listing at 120 14th Street handles background checks and training administration rather than jail visits. Others are mailing addresses, like the San Diego post office box. Match your errand to the unit before you go. Phone numbers and addresses change, so if a call goes unanswered, check the county's official website or the main switchboard. Then open the county pages in this directory to compare nearby offices.

Sheriff offices in California are independently elected county agencies responsible for law enforcement, jail operations, and civil process service. Each county in California elects its own sheriff, who serves as the chief law enforcement officer for that county's unincorporated areas.

Sheriff locations are available in 194 cities across California. They are spread across 58 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of sheriff office listings include Sacramento, Bakersfield, San Francisco, reflecting the population centers where multiple sub-offices or specialty divisions may be located.

California residents should note that sheriff offices handle civil law enforcement functions — such as serving eviction notices and foreclosure papers — in addition to criminal law enforcement, so the sheriff office is often the correct point of contact for civil legal matters at the county level.

Sheriff by Counties

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
V
Y

If you are a California resident looking to obtain a concealed carry permit, request a background check clearance letter, or serve legal documents through official channels, your county sheriff office is the starting point — contact them directly to confirm required documentation and current processing times.

Browse Sheriff by county across California to find the nearest location.

Finding a Sheriff's Office on the California Coast, in the Valleys and in the Mountains

The right office depends on where you live, because geography decides how each county spreads its services. On the central coast, the Monterey County Sheriffs Office sits at 1414 Natividad Road in Salinas, phone 831-755-3700, while the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office is at 701 Ocean Street, phone 831-471-1121. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Department and county jail share an entry at 1585 Kansas Avenue, phone 805-781-4540.

Around San Francisco Bay, the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department lists its headquarters at 55 West Younger Avenue in San Jose, phone 408-808-4900. Contra Costa County operates from 651 Pine Street in Martinez, phone 925-313-1180, and the Marin County Sheriff Office and jail are at 3501 Civic Center Drive in San Rafael, phone 415-499-7250.

Farther north and inland, distances grow. The Humboldt County Sheriffs Department is at 826 4th Street in Eureka, phone 707-445-7251, and covers a region of coastline and forest where drive times can run long. The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office at 2 South Green Street in Sonora, phone 209-533-6600, serves Sierra foothill communities. In the south, the Imperial County Sheriff's Office on Applestille Road in El Centro, phone 760-339-6302, covers desert farmland near the Mexican border. The Riverside County Sheriff at 4095 Lemon Street in Riverside, phone 951-955-2400, covers a county that stretches from suburbs to desert.

County seats usually hold the headquarters, main jail, and civil division, but patrol stations can be miles away. Ask the main number which unit handles your request, then go to that address.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sheriffs in California

Start with the sheriff's office for the county where the arrest happened, since sheriffs run most county jails in California. Many offices offer an online inmate search, and the jail's main number can confirm a booking by phone. Have the person's full legal name and, if possible, date of birth ready. Newly arrested people may take several hours to appear in the system. Visiting rules, including ID requirements, dress codes, and scheduling, are set by each jail, so read them before you travel. People in state prison are tracked by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, not the sheriff.

Yes. State law allows the sheriff to issue concealed carry licenses to residents of the county, while the police chief of an incorporated city can issue them to city residents. Applicants generally complete a written application, fingerprinting for a background check, and a required training course, and they pay fees. California tightened its licensing standards in 2023 after the U.S. Supreme Court's Bruen decision, and processing times differ widely between counties. Check your sheriff's licensing page or call the unit before paying for training, because each office publishes its own requirements.

Only the sheriff, and only after a court order. A landlord must win a judgment and obtain a writ of possession from the court, then deliver it with the required fee to the sheriff's civil unit. Deputies post a notice to vacate, which usually gives the occupants five days, and then return to complete the lockout. A landlord who changes the locks or removes belongings without that process may be breaking state law. Tenants who need more time should speak with the court clerk or a local legal aid office, because the sheriff cannot pause an eviction on their own.

Under Penal Code section 290, a person required to register must do so within five working days of moving to a new city or county. In an incorporated city, registration is usually with the police department. In unincorporated areas, it is with the sheriff. Bring photo ID and information about where you live, and call first, since some offices register by appointment only. Registrants must also update their registration after changing residence. The Department of Justice maintains the statewide registry, but the local agency handles the in-person paperwork.

A sheriff is elected countywide and runs the jail, serves court papers, provides courthouse security, and patrols unincorporated land. City police departments patrol inside their city limits and answer to a mayor or city manager. The California Highway Patrol is a state agency that enforces traffic law on freeways and state routes, and it often answers 911 calls placed from cell phones. Some cities, particularly in Los Angeles County, contract with the sheriff instead of running their own police. If you are unsure who covers your address, ask the county's non-emergency line.

Start with the records unit of the sheriff's office that took the report. Have the case or incident number, date, and location ready. People involved in an incident, such as victims, can usually obtain a report, though some details are withheld. For other records, the California Public Records Act, found in Government Code section 7920.000 and following, requires an agency to say within ten days whether it will release records. Offices may charge only the direct cost of copying, and they can withhold material tied to open investigations or protected by privacy law. Many sheriffs now accept requests online.