How to Find Someone in Jail or Prison (2026 Guide)

The BOP Inmate Locator is the official free tool for finding someone in federal prison. It is available at bop.gov/inmateloc and covers all federal inmates currently incarcerated, as well as those released since 1982.

How to search: Go to bop.gov/inmateloc. You can search by name (first and last name required), BOP Register Number, DCDC Number, FBI Number, or INS Number. The name search is the most common method.

What you will find: The inmate's full name, age, race, sex, register number, release date (projected), and the facility where they are housed including the facility's address and phone number.

Important notes: The BOP locator only covers federal inmates -- people convicted of federal crimes like drug trafficking across state lines, federal fraud, immigration offenses, bank robbery, and federal weapons charges. Most people in prison are in state facilities (about 1.2 million in state prisons vs. 160,000 in federal prisons). If you don't find someone in the federal system, they are likely in a state prison or county jail.

Every state has a Department of Corrections (DOC) with a free online inmate search tool. These cover state prison inmates -- people convicted of state-level felonies like murder, assault, robbery, burglary, state drug offenses, and DUI.

How to search: Go to your state's DOC website and look for "Offender Search," "Inmate Lookup," or "Inmate Locator." Most require the inmate's last name at minimum. Adding a first name and date of birth narrows results.

What you will find: Inmate name, DOC number, age, physical description, current facility, projected release date, custody level, sentence information, and sometimes offense details.

Top state DOC inmate search links: - California (CDCR): inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov - Texas (TDCJ): offender.tdcj.texas.gov - Florida (FDC): fdc.myflorida.com/offendersearch - New York (DOCCS): nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov - Ohio (ODRC): drc.ohio.gov/offender-search - Pennsylvania (DOC): inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov - Georgia (GDC): gdc.ga.gov/GDC/OffenderQuery/jsp/OffQryForm.jsp - Illinois (IDOC): idoc.illinois.gov/offender - Michigan (MDOC): mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2 - Arizona (ADC): corrections.az.gov/public-resources/inmate-datasearch

All 50 states have similar free online tools. Search for "[your state] department of corrections inmate search" to find yours.

County jails hold people who are awaiting trial (pretrial), serving sentences of less than one year (typically misdemeanors), or waiting to be transferred to state prison after sentencing. If someone was recently arrested, this is where to look first.

How to search: Go to the county sheriff's office website for the county where the person was arrested. Look for "Jail Roster," "Inmate Search," "Who's in Jail," or "Current Inmates." Many counties update their jail roster in real-time or within a few hours of booking.

Alternative method: Call the county jail directly. The booking desk can confirm whether someone is currently in custody. You'll need the person's full legal name.

Important: County jail rosters typically only show people currently in custody. Once someone is released, transferred, or sentenced to state prison, they are removed from the county roster. If you can't find someone in the county jail, they may have been released on bail, transferred to state prison, or moved to a different facility.

Largest county jail systems with online search: - Los Angeles County: lasd.org/inmate-information - Cook County (Chicago): cookcountysheriff.org/find-an-inmate - Harris County (Houston): jailroster.harriscountytx.gov - Maricopa County (Phoenix): mcso.org/Mugshot - Miami-Dade County: mdcr.miamidade.gov

VINELink (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a free service that lets you search for inmates across multiple states and sign up for automatic notifications when an inmate's custody status changes.

How it works: Go to vinelink.com and select your state. Search by inmate name or ID. Once you find the inmate, you can register for notifications via phone call, email, or text message when the inmate is released, transferred, escapes, or dies.

Why use VINELink: It is particularly valuable for crime victims, witnesses, and family members who need to know when an inmate's status changes. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7. It covers most state prisons and many county jails.

Coverage: VINELink operates in 48 states (all except Alaska and South Dakota, though coverage varies by county). Not all jails in every state participate. Federal inmates are not covered by VINELink -- use the BOP system for federal notifications.

Registering for notifications: You do not need to be a crime victim to use VINELink. Anyone can search for an inmate and register for custody status notifications. The system is confidential and the inmate is never notified that someone has registered for alerts.

Several third-party websites aggregate inmate data from multiple sources. Here is what you should know about them:

Free aggregators: Some websites pull data from government sources and make it searchable in one place. These can be convenient but may have outdated information since they depend on periodic data imports rather than real-time government databases.

Paid people-search services: Sites like BeenVerified, TruthFinder, and Spokeo offer criminal record and inmate searches as part of paid subscriptions. These can find records across multiple jurisdictions but cost $20-$30 per month. Most of the same information is available for free through government databases.

Recommendation: Always start with free government databases (BOP, state DOC, county jail). They are the most accurate and up-to-date. Only use paid services if you need to search across many states at once or can't find someone through official channels.

Warning: Some websites charge for "inmate search" results that are freely available from government databases. Never pay for a single inmate lookup when the same information is on BOP.gov or your state DOC website for free.

When you find an inmate through an official search, you will typically see the following information:

Basic identification: Full legal name (including aliases), date of birth, sex, race, height, weight, hair color, eye color, and sometimes a booking photo (mugshot).

Custody information: Inmate ID number, current facility name and address, custody level (minimum, medium, maximum), admission date, and projected release date.

Sentence information: Offense(s) convicted of, sentence length, sentencing county and date, parole eligibility date, and good-time credits earned.

Not typically available: Victim names, witness information, case details beyond basic charges, and pre-sentence investigation reports. Juvenile records are generally sealed and not available through inmate search.

Mugshots: Federal BOP does not publish mugshots in its online locator. Many state DOCs include booking photos. County jails frequently publish mugshots on their jail rosters and some share them with third-party mugshot websites.

If someone was just arrested (within the last few hours or days), here is the fastest way to find them:

1. Call the local jail. The booking process takes 2-8 hours. Call the county jail in the jurisdiction where the arrest happened and ask the booking desk if the person is in custody.

2. Check the county jail roster online. Many jails update their roster within a few hours of booking. Search the county sheriff's website.

3. Check court records. If the person has been arraigned, court records will show the charges, bail amount, and next court date. Many courts have online case search tools.

4. Call local police. The police department that made the arrest can tell you where the person was taken.

5. Check bond/bail information. If the person was arrested but you can't find them in jail, they may have been released on bail or OR (own recognizance). Check with the court clerk.

Timeline: After arrest, booking takes 2-8 hours. Arraignment happens within 24-72 hours. If the person posts bail, they can be released within hours. If held without bail or unable to post bail, they stay in county jail until trial or plea. After sentencing to state prison, transfer from county jail to state prison can take 2-8 weeks.

Important things to understand about inmate search privacy:

Inmate records are public: In the United States, incarceration records are generally considered public information. Anyone can search for an inmate using government databases. The inmate is not notified when someone searches for them.

Juvenile records: Juvenile detention records are generally sealed and not available through standard inmate search tools. You cannot search for someone who was incarcerated as a juvenile through adult systems.

Federal privacy: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) governs access to federal inmate records. Basic information (name, facility, release date) is publicly available. Detailed records like pre-sentence reports require a FOIA request and are often redacted.

Sealed and expunged records: If someone's record has been expunged or sealed, it should not appear in inmate search databases. However, some third-party websites may still display old cached data even after expungement.

Using information appropriately: It is illegal to use inmate search information for harassment, stalking, or discrimination. Employers who use criminal records in hiring decisions must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and state ban-the-box laws.

Mugshot removal: Some states have passed laws requiring websites to remove mugshots upon request, especially after charges are dropped or records are expunged. If your mugshot appears online after expungement, consult an attorney about removal options.