To find out whether someone is in custody in Imperial County tonight, call the Sheriff's Jail & Inmate Information line, (442) 265-2266, or use VINE, the notification service the Sheriff links. Everyone booked is first housed at the Regional Adult Detention Facility, 1328 Sperber Road, El Centro.
This guide is part of our statewide courthouse and jail guides by county. For the court date, case lookup, and more on bail, see our Imperial County Courthouse guide.
How do you check whether someone is in custody in Imperial County?
The Sheriff's website has no inmate roster search, so call its Jail & Inmate Information line, (442) 265-2266, or use VINE, the notification service the Sheriff links.
- Call the Sheriff's Jail & Inmate Information line, (442) 265-2266. The Sheriff lists the same number for VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) and for visiting information.
- Or open VINELink, the VINE site the Sheriff links for Imperial County.
- If you still cannot confirm custody, call the jail's general information line, (442) 265-2267, and ask directly.
- If the person may be held by another county or in state prison, check that agency's own system.
Where does Imperial County hold people after an arrest?
The Sheriff's Office runs three jail facilities with 876 beds in all, and everyone booked is first housed at the Regional Adult Detention Facility in El Centro.
| Facility | Address the Sheriff lists | Public phone |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Adult Detention Facility (RADF) | 1328 Sperber Road, El Centro, CA 92243 | (442) 265-2267 |
| Herbert Hughes Correctional Center (HHCC) | 1328 Sperber Road, El Centro, CA 92243 | (442) 265-2267 |
| Oren R. Fox Medium Security Detention Facility (OFDF) | 1328 Sperber Road, El Centro, CA 92243 (legal mail) | (442) 265-2267 |
At RADF each person waits for a medical screening and classification interview, then stays at RADF or moves to OFDF or HHCC. The Sheriff lists 1328 Sperber Road for RADF and HHCC and as the legal mail address for everyone in custody. Personal letters go to a different address, covered in the mail section below. The Sheriff's Office administrative line is (442) 265-2000, or toll free at 1-800-452-2051; a separate jail transportation line, (442) 265-2232, handles transport questions.
How does release work before trial in Imperial County?
California law requires release on a written promise to appear for most misdemeanor arrests, instead of a trip before a judge, though an officer may book the person first.
Penal Code section 853.6 requires that result for most misdemeanor arrests: "that person shall, instead of being taken before a magistrate, be released according to the procedures set forth by this chapter, although nothing prevents an officer from first booking an arrestee pursuant to subdivision (g)." Release can be refused for specific reasons the statute lists, among them an outstanding warrant or reason to believe the person will not come back to court. Imperial County's own Local Rules add a rule specifically for a warrant arrest: "Upon the arrest of a defendant on any Misdemeanor Arrest Warrant, Warrant of Arrest ... or Bench Warrant ..., it shall lie within the discretion of the Imperial County Sheriff to release the defendant on his/her Own Recognizance or any other conditional release consistent with the provisions of Penal Code Section 853.6." That same local rule bars own-recognizance release without a court hearing for someone already on probation or parole. Imperial County Probation lists pretrial services among its responsibilities, alongside juvenile and adult services.
How do you post bail in Imperial County?
Under state law the jail can take the scheduled bail in cash or as a bail bond, and the court's 2026 Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule sets the starting amount.
The court's Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule 2026, adopted under Penal Code section 1269b(c), covers both felony and misdemeanor offenses, and the court says it "only accepts payments in U.S. funds." Jail staff, an assigned sheriff's employee or the court clerk can accept the scheduled amount without waiting for a judge (Penal Code section 1269b). Call the jail at (442) 265-2267 to confirm the charge and the current bail amount before arranging payment, or contact a licensed bail bond agent directly. A schedule figure is only a starting point. In re Humphrey (2021) requires a judge who is setting money bail to weigh the person's ability to pay, and whether nonfinancial conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's return to court. In re Kowalczyk (2026) holds that, outside a capital case, a judge may deny bail altogether only for the offenses listed in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and that a dollar amount the judge does set must generally be reasonably attainable for that person. See Bail Hearings for how a judge applies those rules at a hearing.
When is the first court date after an arrest in Imperial County?
A person held in Imperial County custody must be taken before a judge without unnecessary delay, and in any case within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays.
Penal Code section 825(a)(1) sets that limit:
"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 the 48 hours would end while court is not in session, Penal Code section 825(a)(2) extends the deadline through the end of the next court session on the following court day, and someone arrested on a Wednesday after that day's court session must be taken before a judge by Friday, if neither day is a court holiday. This is a deadline to reach a judge, not a deadline for filing a formal charge and not a guarantee of release. The court's Criminal Division is in the El Centro Criminal Courthouse, 650 Wake Ave, El Centro; its criminal office is (760) 482-2245. Our Imperial County Courthouse guide covers how to look up the case and what happens at that first appearance in full.
How do visiting, mail, and money work at the Imperial County Jail?
Visiting and legal visits are set up differently, mail depends on whether it is personal or legal, and money for an incarcerated person goes through one named vendor.
For visiting information, call (442) 265-2266. The Sheriff's jail page links its Jail Visiting Hours schedule and its Visitation Rules and Regulations; check both before planning a visit, since days and hours can change. A legal visit is arranged by emailing icjlegalinterviews@icso.org directly. Personal mail goes to a P.O. Box in Maryland, not to the jail: "Personal Mail: Imperial County Jail, CA [Incarcerated Person's Name], SPN # P.O. Box 247 Phoenix, MD 21131." Legal mail goes straight to the facility: "Legal Mail: Imperial County Jail [Incarcerated Person's Name], SPN # 1328 Sperber Road El Centro, CA 92243." Money for an incarcerated person's account is deposited through the vendor the Sheriff's Office names, Gettingout.com.
What should you do right now if someone was just arrested in Imperial County?
Confirm custody, get the exact charge and bail amount from the jail, decide how to help with release, and call a defense lawyer early.
- Call the Sheriff's Jail & Inmate Information line, (442) 265-2266, or the jail's information line at (442) 265-2267, to confirm custody.
- Ask custody staff for the exact charge and bail amount before arranging cash, a bond, or a court filing.
- Decide how to help with release: posting the scheduled bail amount, hiring a bail bond agent, or asking the court for own recognizance release once the case reaches a judge.
- Keep the citation or notice to appear, if there is one. It shows the offense charged and the time and place to appear in court (Penal Code section 853.6).
- Call a criminal defense lawyer early. A lawyer can address bail, confirm the arraignment date, and explain what comes next. The firm keeps a criminal defense lawyer page that explains that work in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
What if I cannot find someone in Imperial County custody?
Call the Sheriff's Jail & Inmate Information line, (442) 265-2266, or the jail's information line at (442) 265-2267, and ask directly. If the person may be in a different county or in state prison, check that system instead.
Will the Imperial County Jail book someone even if they are released on a citation?
It can. Penal Code section 853.6 lets an officer book an arrestee before release on a written promise to appear, so a citation release does not always mean skipping the jail.
How much is bail in Imperial County, and can I ask for less?
Imperial County Superior Court's 2026 Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, adopted under Penal Code section 1269b(c), sets a starting figure. Before arraignment, the defendant, a lawyer, a friend, or a family member may ask a judge for a lower amount, or for own recognizance release, under Penal Code section 1269c, except for charges listed in Penal Code section 1270.1(a), such as serious or violent felonies other than residential burglary, and domestic battery.
Can someone be released on their own recognizance right after arrest?
It depends on the charge and the warrant. Imperial's Local Rule 4.1.10.01 lets the Sheriff release a person on a misdemeanor warrant arrest on their own recognizance unless a disqualifying reason under Penal Code section 853.6 applies, and a person already on probation or parole needs a court hearing first.
How do I send money to someone at the Imperial County Jail?
Deposit funds through Gettingout.com, the vendor the Sheriff's Office names on its jail page.
What is the mailing address for someone at the Imperial County Jail?
Personal letters go to a P.O. Box in Phoenix, Maryland, addressed with the incarcerated person's name and SPN number; legal mail goes directly to 1328 Sperber Road, El Centro, CA 92243.
How many phone calls does someone get after booking at the Imperial County Jail?
At least three completed calls, made right after booking and, unless physically impossible, within three hours of arrest (Penal Code section 851.5). The calls are free within the local calling area and can go to a lawyer, a bail bondsman, or a relative or other person; a custodial parent gets two more to arrange child care.
Talk to a lawyer about your Imperial County case
If someone you care about is held after an Imperial County arrest, talk to a lawyer before the first court appearance. 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 online.