High Desert Detention Center is a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department jail at 9438 Commerce Way in Adelanto, (760) 530-9300. Confirm that someone is held there with the Sheriff's own Inmate Locator before driving out, since a person arrested anywhere in the county can end up at a different one of the county's four jails.
Who runs High Desert Detention Center, and how do I find someone held there?
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department runs High Desert Detention Center; its Inmate Locator searches all four county jails at once and shows where a person is housed.
- Open the Sheriff's Inmate Locator and search by the person's name, or by booking number if you already have it.
- Check that the result's housing facility reads High Desert Detention Center, and note the booking number. The department's general information page warns that a booking sometimes includes or omits a middle name, so if the first search finds nothing, try other names the person has used.
- If the online tool does not find the person, call High Desert's own Inmate Locator line, (909) 708-8371, or the Sheriff's Public Information line, (909) 350-2476.
Address, phone and who is held at High Desert Detention Center
High Desert Detention Center is at 9438 Commerce Way, Adelanto, CA 92301, and its main line is (760) 530-9300; it holds people awaiting court and people already sentenced.
The facility's own page says it opened in January 2006 as the first Type II facility in the High Desert and provides housing for more than 2,100 inmates. The Sheriff's Corrections Bureau page describes High Desert as one of four main adult jail facilities that each house people during the court process and people already sentenced by the court, so the specific mix at any time depends on who has been booked and who is awaiting trial.
Release and getting property back
Release from High Desert follows posted bail, a court order, own-recognizance release or the end of a sentence, and timing depends on which of those applies.
The Sheriff's Corrections Bureau page states that inmates who have completed a court-ordered sentence are released between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., while someone released the same day on a court order, a citation release, own recognizance or because no case was filed is generally released between 6:00 a.m. and midnight; a release tied to a medical, mental health or structured-living plan can happen at any time, case by case. Personal property that can be picked up or dropped off is limited to clothing, money, prescription medication and legal documents; the inmate must sign a property withdrawal slip authorizing its release, and the person picking it up needs identification. For anything else about property, the Sheriff's page says to contact the jail facility.
Bail at High Desert Detention Center
Cash bail and bail bonds are accepted at any San Bernardino County jail facility 24 hours a day; a property bond goes through the Superior Court instead.
The amounts start from the court's Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 and revised June 4, 2026, and a judge can set a different amount. Cash must cover the full bail for each charge; before paying with a cashier's check, call the Bail Information Line, (909) 350-2476, to learn who to make it out to. The firm's San Bernardino County jail guide covers bail across the county; see also the firm's how California bail amounts are set and cash bail versus a surety bond answers.
Visiting, mail, money and commissary
Visiting at High Desert follows the same countywide rules posted for all four San Bernardino County jails, and online scheduling opens the day before a visit.
The Sheriff's Corrections Bureau page states that, under rules effective March 1, 2022, visits at all four county jails run Wednesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with each inmate limited to two visits a week, one hour in total, until further notice, and each visit limited to two visitors, generally one adult and one adult or minor; a child at least 12 years old may visit an incarcerated parent without an adult present. Visitors need valid photo identification, must arrive 30 minutes early for screening, and may not bring in weapons, cell phones, recording devices or tobacco. Schedule online through the Inmate Locator, using its "schedule a visit" link once you have found the person, or call the Visiting Center at (909) 887-0364 the day before. Under Penal Code 4571, a visitor previously convicted of a felony who served a term in a California state prison needs the consent of the officer in charge before coming onto jail grounds, and the Sheriff asks for the facility commander's written authorization.
Mail must be addressed to the inmate's name and booking number at 9438 Commerce Way, Adelanto, CA 92301, with the sender's name and return address on a plain envelope; the Sheriff's Corrections Bureau page says mail without that information, or written on anything other than plain lined paper or thin postcards, is rejected, and every photo needs the inmate's name and booking number on the back. Money for commissary can be deposited at a facility kiosk (cash, credit or debit card only), and family and friends can order commissary items for delivery through the iCare website; any balance left on an inmate's account is paid out in cash or check on release.
The first court date, and which court hears the case
A person held in custody at High Desert must reach a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays; where the case arose, not the jail, sets the court.
Under Penal Code 825(a)(1), 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." If those hours run out while court is closed, subdivision (a)(2) stretches the deadline "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following," meaning to the end of that next session; for an arrest on a Wednesday after court has finished for the day, the person must appear by Friday, unless either day is a court holiday. A person cited and released is not on this clock, and it does not limit when charges can be filed.
The Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, assigns felony and misdemeanor cases from Adelanto, along with Victorville, Apple Valley, Hesperia and other High Desert communities, to its Victorville District, 14455 Civic Drive, Suite 200, Victorville, CA 92392; its criminal division is reached at (760) 245-6215. The San Bernardino County Public Defender's Victorville/Desert Division sits inside that same courthouse, at Suite 600, (760) 241-0413, and the office's own page says it handles cases the court appoints it to defend there. For a case that actually proceeds in Victorville, see the firm's Victorville criminal defense and Victorville DUI defense pages, and the firm's San Bernardino County criminal case guide for what happens after release.
What to do now
Start with the Inmate Locator to confirm the person is actually at High Desert and to get the booking number, then schedule a visit online or by phone, and call (909) 350-2476 with bail questions before you drive out. Talk to a lawyer before the first court date: the Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, available 24 hours a day, with payment plans and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174 or request a free consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Is High Desert Detention Center in Victorville?
No. It is at 9438 Commerce Way in Adelanto, which the Sheriff's Department places in the High Desert region; an arrest in Victorville can still end up booked at High Desert or at a different county jail, so check the Inmate Locator rather than assuming.
How do I know which of the county's four jails someone was booked into?
Use the Sheriff's Inmate Locator; it searches all four county jails at once and shows the housing facility, booking number and other details for each result, so you do not need to guess or call each jail separately.
Can a bail agent visit someone at High Desert?
Yes, when the visit is requested by the arrestee, the arrestee's attorney or an adult family member, after the agent completes the department's own Bail Agent Request Form; bail agents are not allowed to solicit business at the facility or deposit money into an inmate's account.
What if someone was just arrested and I do not yet know the booking number?
Search the Inmate Locator by name, date of birth or approximate age and gender instead; if nothing turns up, the Sheriff's general information page says to call its Public Information number, (909) 350-2476, and High Desert's own Inmate Locator line is (909) 708-8371.
Does High Desert Detention Center publish its own visiting hours?
No. Its own facility page gives the address and phone numbers but no visiting hours; the Wednesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. visiting window and the two-visit weekly limit come from the Sheriff's Corrections Bureau page, which states the rules that apply to all four county jails together.
Who prosecutes a case that starts with an arrest booked at High Desert?
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's office assigned to the courthouse that hears the case, which for Adelanto and the surrounding High Desert area is the Victorville District; the Public Defender's Victorville/Desert Division, inside that same courthouse, represents an eligible defendant who wants a lawyer and cannot afford one.