The most direct way to find out whether someone is in custody at the Butte County Jail is to call the jail at (530) 552-1600 and give the person's full legal name. The jail is run by the Butte County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division at 7 Gillick Way in Oroville.
How do I find out if someone is in custody at the Butte County Jail?
A phone call is the direct way to check: give the jail the person's full legal name and, if you know it, date of birth at (530) 552-1600.
- Call the Butte County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division at (530) 552-1600 and give the full legal name, and date of birth if you know it, of the person you believe is in custody.
- If staff cannot confirm the person is there, ask whether the arrest happened in Butte County at all. Some arrests start with city police or the California Highway Patrol before the person is transferred into county custody.
- If the person may be serving a state prison sentence rather than sitting in county jail, use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's own inmate locator instead.
- Write down the exact spelling of the name and any booking or case number staff give you. You will need it again to help with bail or to find the court date.
For custody in a different California county, see our courthouse and jail guides by county.
Where does Butte County hold people after an arrest?
The Butte County Jail, run by the Sheriff's Office Corrections Division, is the county's jail facility in Oroville, and its direct line also answers custody questions.
| Facility | Address | Public phone |
|---|---|---|
| Butte County Jail (Corrections Division) | 7 Gillick Way, Oroville, CA 95965 | (530) 552-1600 |
The Butte County District Attorney's Office, which decides what charges to file, is at 25 County Center Drive, Suite 245, Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 552-5500.
How does release work before trial in Butte County?
California law says a person arrested for a misdemeanor must generally be released on a written promise to appear in court, though officers may book the person first.
Penal Code section 853.6 generally requires an officer to release someone arrested for a misdemeanor on a written notice to appear instead of holding them for a magistrate, unless a listed reason applies, such as an outstanding warrant, a need for medical care, or a documented reason to believe the person will not come back to court; the statute itself says nothing prevents an officer from first booking the person at the scene or at the station before release. For someone who is booked into the Butte County Jail, own recognizance release can still be requested from the judge at the first court appearance, described below. Call the jail at (530) 552-1600 to ask how release is handled in a specific case.
How do I post bail for someone at the Butte County Jail?
Butte County Superior Court publishes a jail bail schedule for arrests, but its figures are only a starting point, and a judge can set a different amount.
Butte County Superior Court's 2026 Jail Bail Schedule for Offenses Committed Within the County of Butte, adopted under Penal Code section 1269b(c)(d), took effect January 1, 2026, and covers all felonies and misdemeanors with a listed amount. (The court's separate 2026 Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule, also effective January 1, 2026, sets fines and bail only for traffic, boating, fish and game, forestry, and similar regulatory matters, not a general arrest.) Jail staff, an assigned sheriff's or police employee, or the superior court clerk can accept the scheduled amount in cash or through a bond from a licensed surety company and sign the release order without waiting for a judge (Penal Code section 1269b). Anyone, not only the person arrested, can instead deposit cash bail directly with the court clerk (Penal Code section 1295).
Once a judge sets bail at a court appearance, the judge's figure controls instead of the schedule (Penal Code section 1269b(b)). Before that first appearance, the arrested person, a lawyer, a friend or a family member can ask a judge for lower bail or own recognizance release, except for the charges listed in Penal Code section 1270.1 (Penal Code section 1269c). Two California Supreme Court decisions also shape bail. In re Humphrey (2021) held that keeping someone in jail solely because they cannot afford bail is unconstitutional; where money bail is necessary, the judge must weigh the person's ability to pay and should consider whether nonfinancial release conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's return to court. In re Kowalczyk (April 30, 2026) added that outside capital cases, bail may be denied only for the offenses described in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and that money bail must generally be set at an amount the person can reasonably attain. See how California bail amounts are set for the full rule and how a judge can depart from the schedule.
When is the first court date after an arrest in Butte County?
A person held in custody must be brought before a judge within 48 hours, not counting Sundays and holidays, and Butte County hears criminal arraignments at one courthouse, in Oroville.
Penal Code section 825(a)(1) requires that
"the defendant shall in all cases be taken before the magistrate without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays."
That is a deadline to appear before a judge for someone held in custody, not a deadline for filing charges and not a promise of release. If the 48 hours run out while court is not in session, the deadline extends through the end of whatever session the court holds next, on the following court day (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)). For an arrest on a Wednesday after that day's court session has ended, the deadline is the following Friday, if neither day is a court holiday.
Butte County's Criminal Division sits at the Butte County Courthouse, One Court Street, Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 532-7011, which the court's own website says handles criminal misdemeanor and felony matters "for the entire county." The North Butte County Courthouse in Chico lists phone lines for civil, family law, traffic, probate, jury and mediation matters, but no separate criminal line, which fits with Oroville hearing the county's criminal cases on its own.
The court's remote appearance page says a judge may approve appearing by CourtCall "in select circumstances and in certain proceedings," only after a request on the court's form GR.060 filed at least five court days before the hearing, and it tells anyone with a lawyer to contact that lawyer first. State law sets the outer limits for a defendant (Penal Code section 977): no defendant may appear remotely for a jury or court trial, a felony defendant may not appear remotely at sentencing except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law, and in a felony case the defendant must be physically present at arraignment, plea and the preliminary hearing unless the defendant waives that right. Our Butte County Courthouse guide covers that process, case lookup, and interpreters in more depth, along with what happens at arraignment generally. A defendant who appears for arraignment without a lawyer must be told of the right to counsel, and if the defendant wants a lawyer and cannot afford one, the court must appoint one (Penal Code section 987).
How do I ask about visiting, mail and money at the Butte County Jail?
Visiting, mail and money rules can change, so call the jail at (530) 552-1600 or read the Sheriff's Corrections Division page before visiting or sending anything.
Ask staff for the current visiting schedule, how to address letters, and how to add money to a person's account, or read the Sheriff's Office Corrections Division page.
What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in Butte County?
Confirm custody first, then sort out bail and bring in a lawyer before the first court date, keeping every piece of paperwork from the arrest.
- Call the Corrections Division at (530) 552-1600 to confirm custody and ask for the booking details.
- Ask whether a bail amount has already been set. That determines whether cash, a bond, or a request to the judge is the next practical step.
- Decide how to help with bail, whether that means cash, a licensed bail bond agent of your choosing, or asking the court for a lower amount or own recognizance release.
- Hold on to any paperwork connected to the arrest; it can help confirm the charge and the court date.
- Talk to a lawyer early, so someone is already tracking the arraignment date and the bail question; see the firm's Chico criminal defense lawyer page, or its Chico DUI lawyer page for a DUI arrest.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an online inmate search for the Butte County Jail?
Call the jail directly at (530) 552-1600 and give the person's full legal name to confirm whether someone is in custody.
How much is bail in Butte County?
Butte County Superior Court's 2026 Jail Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, sets a starting amount by offense. A judge can set a different amount at arraignment, and when money bail is needed it must generally be an amount the person can reasonably attain (In re Kowalczyk, 2026).
Can I ask for a lower bail amount before the Butte County arraignment?
Yes. The arrested person, their lawyer, or a friend or family member can ask a judge for a lower amount or own recognizance release under Penal Code section 1269c, except when the charge is listed in Penal Code section 1270.1, such as a serious or violent felony other than residential burglary, domestic battery or stalking.
What happens if someone is arrested for a misdemeanor in Butte County?
Under Penal Code section 853.6 the officer must generally release the person on a signed promise to appear in court, though the person may be booked first. Listed exceptions include an outstanding warrant, a need for medical care, or a specifically stated reason to believe the person will not appear.
Where do I send mail to someone at the Butte County Jail?
Call the jail at (530) 552-1600 before sending anything, and ask whether personal mail goes to the jail's street address or to a separate processing address.
Which court handles Butte County criminal arraignments?
The Criminal Division of the Butte County Courthouse in Oroville, which the court describes as handling misdemeanor and felony matters for the entire county. The Chico courthouse does not list a separate criminal phone line.
Can I get an interpreter for a Butte County criminal case?
Yes. A person charged with a crime who cannot understand English has a right to an interpreter throughout the case (California Constitution, article I, section 14), and in a criminal case the interpreter's pay is a charge against the court (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)). Butte County Superior Court's Request for Interpreter form, Form SS01, goes to the clerk's office.
What if the person was arrested somewhere else in Butte County, such as Chico or Paradise?
Call the Butte County Jail at (530) 552-1600 to ask whether the person has been booked there. If the jail has no record yet, contact the agency that made the arrest, such as the city police department or the California Highway Patrol.
Talk to a lawyer
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, available 24 hours a day, including for a family member calling about someone just arrested in Butte County. Call (800) 755-5174, request a free consultation online, with payment plans available and service in Spanish, or visit our criminal defense lawyer page to learn more.