To check whether someone is in custody at the Calaveras County Jail tonight, use VINELink, which the Sheriff's Office says works 24 hours a day, or call the jail at (209) 754-6499 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The jail, at 1045 Jeff Tuttle Drive in San Andreas, books arrests from every agency in the county.
How do I find out if someone is in custody at the Calaveras County Jail?
A call to the jail on a weekday, or VINELink at any hour, tells you whether someone is in custody; the Sheriff's Office lists both.
- Call the Adult Detention Facility at (209) 754-6499 and give the person's complete legal name and, if you know it, date of birth.
- VINELink runs around the clock as a backup option. The Sheriff's Office VINE page describes VINELink as reachable 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the most reliable custody-status and case information it offers.
- The Sheriff also posts a custody list online. Its Citizen RIMS site has an Incarcerated People list; the Sheriff does not guarantee it is complete or current, so confirm with the jail.
- A state prison sentence is a different system entirely. If the person may already be serving time with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation rather than sitting in county custody, search its own inmate locator instead.
- Keep the exact spelling of the name and any booking number staff give you; you will need it again for bail or the court date.
If the arrest happened in a different California county, our guide to every county's jail and courthouse covers the rest of the state.
Where does Calaveras County hold people after an arrest?
San Andreas is home to the county's only jail, the Adult Detention Facility, the single intake point for every agency that makes an arrest in Calaveras County.
| Facility | Address | Public phone |
|---|---|---|
| Calaveras County Adult Detention Facility | 1045 Jeff Tuttle Drive, San Andreas, CA 95249 | (209) 754-6499 |
The jail's listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed weekends and holidays. The office that decides whether to file charges, the Calaveras County District Attorney, keeps its own address at 891 Mountain Ranch Road, Building G, San Andreas, CA 95249, reachable at (209) 754-6330.
How does release work before trial in Calaveras County?
A misdemeanor arrest usually ends with a signed promise to appear rather than a trip before a judge, and Calaveras County Probation performs pretrial risk assessments for the court.
Under Penal Code section 853.6, an officer who arrests someone for a misdemeanor must, in most cases, release that person on a written notice to appear rather than bringing them before a magistrate; the statute lists exceptions, among them an outstanding warrant and a documented reason to think the person will skip court, and an officer may still book the person at the scene or station before releasing them. Calaveras County Probation, which performs pretrial assessments and gives them to the court, says it uses the Public Safety Assessment tool in compliance with Senate Bill 36, and own recognizance release stays available by asking the judge at the first appearance, covered below. For how release is unfolding in one specific case, call the jail directly at (209) 754-6499.
How do I post bail for someone at the Calaveras County Jail?
A number on the court's printed bail schedule is only a starting point; a judge can set a different figure before the case is over.
Jail staff, an assigned deputy or officer, and the clerk of the Superior Court can all accept bail in the posted amount, in cash or as a bond from a licensed surety company, without a judge's involvement (Penal Code section 1269b), and anyone, not only the person arrested, may deposit cash bail with the court clerk (Penal Code section 1295).
That dollar figure starts with Calaveras Superior Court's own Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, adopted under Penal Code section 1269b and California Rule of Court 4.102 and still carrying the November 1, 2016 effective date printed inside the document, the version the court's Fees and Bail Schedules page links. A second PDF on that same page, the Judicial Council's 2026 Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule, covers something else entirely: traffic, boating, fish and wildlife, public utilities, parks and recreation, and business-licensing infractions and misdemeanors, not a general criminal arrest.
Neither document is the last word once a case reaches a judge. The California Supreme Court ruled on April 30, 2026, in In re Kowalczyk, that "bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable" for the person in front of the court, and that outside a capital case, a judge "has the authority to deny bail only as to offenses specified in section 12, subdivisions (b) and (c)" of the California Constitution. That rule builds on In re Humphrey (2021), which requires a judge setting money bail to weigh whether the person can actually pay it, and whether a nonfinancial condition, such as supervision, could instead "reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the arrestee's presence at trial." Before any of that happens, Penal Code section 1269c lets the person arrested, a lawyer, a friend or a relative ask a judge directly for a lower figure or own recognizance release, for every charge except the ones listed in Penal Code section 1270.1. See how California bail amounts are set and surety bond versus cash bail for how this plays out statewide.
When is the first court date after an arrest in Calaveras County?
A state deadline controls how fast an in-custody arrest reaches a judge, and Calaveras County sends every criminal case to its single courthouse in San Andreas.
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."
Reaching a judge is not the same as being charged or released; it is simply the point by which the law requires a court appearance. Should those 48 hours lapse while the court is not in session, Penal Code section 825(a)(2) pushes the deadline through the end of the next court session on the following court day; someone arrested on a Wednesday after court closes must see a judge by Friday, if neither day is a court holiday.
Every case the county files, criminal included, goes to the same single building: Calaveras Superior Court, 400 Government Center Drive, San Andreas, CA 95249, (209) 754-9800. The Calaveras County Courthouse guide covers appearing remotely, looking up a case and interpreters, and the general arraignment process applies here too. Penal Code section 977 sets a statewide floor no local practice can shrink: a felony defendant must be present in person for the arraignment, the plea and the preliminary hearing unless that right is personally waived, no defendant may appear remotely for a jury or court trial, and felony sentencing stays in person except in postconviction relief proceedings or as otherwise provided by law. Anyone who appears for arraignment without a lawyer must be told of the right to one, and Penal Code section 987 obligates the court to appoint counsel once a defendant who cannot afford a lawyer asks for one.
How do I ask about visiting, mail and money at the Calaveras County Jail?
Rules for visits, letters and phone or account funds come from the Sheriff's Office and can shift, so check its own pages, or call, before you go or send anything.
Visits other than non-contact glass visits are scheduled online through Securus, and visitors 16 and older need a valid government-issued photo ID with a current address; someone held in this jail in the last 90 days may not visit. General visiting hours for a specific person are not reprinted here because they can change; the Sheriff's Office Visiting Inmates page, or a call to (209) 754-6499, has the current schedule.
Address letters as the Sheriff's Office shows: Calaveras County Jail, c/o Inmate (full name), 1045 Jeff Tuttle Drive, San Andreas, CA 95249. All mail is checked for contraband, obscene material is refused, and books, magazines and newspapers come only from the publisher, for someone held 30 days or more. The jail's Inmate Commissary page gives three ways to add money to someone's account: online at smartdeposit.com, with cash or a credit card at the lobby kiosk during business hours, or by phone at 1-800-844-6591 for phone funds specifically; each way needs the person's arrest number, and anyone released from this jail within the last 90 days cannot add funds. Calls are billed collect through the Securus system, and jail staff will not relay personal messages, so anything that needs saying goes through the mail or the phone system instead. The Sheriff's Office Mailing Inmates, Phoning Inmates and Inmate Commissary pages have the complete rules.
What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in Calaveras County?
Confirming custody comes first; after that, line up bail help and a lawyer at the same time, and hang onto every paper connected with the arrest.
- Confirm custody with the jail at (209) 754-6499 and ask for the booking details.
- Find out whether bail has already been set. That answer decides whether cash, a bond, or a request to the judge is the next step.
- Choose the method that fits: paying cash, hiring a licensed bail bond agent, or asking the court for a lower figure or own recognizance release.
- Keep every document tied to the arrest. It can help confirm the charge and the court date later.
- Bring in a lawyer as soon as you can, so someone is already watching the arraignment date and the bail question before you are.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an online inmate search for the Calaveras County Jail?
Yes. The Sheriff's Citizen RIMS site has an Incarcerated People list, though the Sheriff does not guarantee it is complete or current. VINELink gives custody-status updates at any hour, and (209) 754-6499 reaches the jail during weekday business hours.
How much is bail in Calaveras County?
The county's Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, still carrying its original November 1, 2016 effective date, sets a starting figure by offense. A judge can set a different amount, and under In re Kowalczyk (2026) money bail must generally be reasonably attainable for that person, even if not easily affordable or convenient.
Can I ask for a lower bail amount before the Calaveras County arraignment?
Yes, under Penal Code section 1269c. The request can come from the arrested person, their lawyer, or a friend or family member, and goes to a judge directly, for every charge except the ones Penal Code section 1270.1 lists, 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 Calaveras County?
Penal Code section 853.6 generally entitles that person to a signed promise to appear instead of a magistrate hearing, though the officer may still book them first. The statute lists exceptions, including an outstanding warrant, a need for medical care, or a documented reason to think the person will not return to court.
Where do I send mail to someone at the Calaveras County Jail?
Address it as the Sheriff's Office shows: Calaveras County Jail, c/o Inmate (full name), 1045 Jeff Tuttle Drive, San Andreas, CA 95249. The jail checks all mail for contraband, refuses obscene material, and takes books, magazines and newspapers only from the publisher.
Which court handles Calaveras County criminal arraignments?
Every case type in the county, including every criminal arraignment, goes to the single Calaveras Superior Court building at 400 Government Center Drive, San Andreas, CA 95249, (209) 754-9800.
Can I get an interpreter for a Calaveras County criminal case?
Yes. The California Constitution gives anyone charged with a crime who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter throughout the case, and Evidence Code section 752(b)(1) makes the cost a charge against the court, not the defendant. Calaveras Superior Court starts the process through its local Request for Interpreter form or a word to the clerk at the counter.
What if the person was arrested somewhere else in Calaveras County, such as Angels Camp or Murphys?
Every arrest in the county books into the same Adult Detention Facility in San Andreas, so (209) 754-6499 is still the right first call; if the jail has no record yet, try the arresting agency.
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 Calaveras 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.