Is my family member in the Placer County Jail?

To find out if someone is in the Placer County Jail tonight, use the Sheriff's Who's In Custody search at placer-inmatesearch.atimsle.com, or call VINE at 877-331-8463. Placer runs two separate jails, in Auburn and Roseville, so check which one is holding the person you are looking for.

This guide is part of our statewide California courthouse and jail directory, covering counties across the state. For case lookup, arraignment, and courthouse details once your family member has a court date, see the Placer County Courthouse guide.

How do you look up someone in Placer County custody?

Placer County Sheriff's Office Corrections links a Who's In Custody search for current inmates, and VINE offers a free, anonymous custody check by phone.

1. Open the Sheriff's Who's In Custody search, which the Sheriff's Corrections page links for the most recent information on inmates.
2. If you prefer the phone, call VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) at 877-331-8463 and follow the automated prompts. The call is free and anonymous, from any touch-tone phone, at any time.
3. If the person does not appear yet, booking takes time after an arrest. Try again later, or call the jail directly once you know which of the two Placer jails is holding them.
4. To get an automatic phone call when the person's custody status changes (release, transfer, or similar), register separately with VINE at 877-411-5588, using a phone number and a PIN you set.

Where are people booked and held in Placer County?

Placer County Sheriff's Office Corrections runs two separate adult jails, not one, so check which address and phone line applies to your family member.

The Auburn Jail opened in July 1985 and has three medium-security dorms and one maximum-security module; its minimum-security barracks closed on May 31, 2014, when those inmates moved to the South Placer Jail. The South Placer Jail, in the Santucci Justice Center in Roseville, was largely completed in 2012; the county budgeted a phased opening in fiscal year 2013/2014, and the planned eventual build-out has capacity for 980 inmates.

How does release work before trial?

Most people in Placer County custody are released one of three ways: a written citation, bail, or own recognizance release ordered by a judge.

For many misdemeanors, the person is released on a written notice to appear instead of being taken before a judge, though officers may book the person first, and a listed reason (such as an outstanding warrant, or a stated reason to believe the person will not appear) can keep the person in custody (Penal Code section 853.6). A person arraigned on a misdemeanor is entitled to own recognizance release unless the court finds on the record that release would compromise public safety or not reasonably assure appearance (Penal Code section 1270(a)). The third path is bail, covered next. Which path applies to one arrest depends on the charge, the person's record, and the judgment of the arresting officer and later the court; call the jail or an attorney for how one specific case is being handled.

How do you post bail at a Placer County jail?

Both Placer County jails accept bail 24 hours a day, by cash, cashier's or certified check, money order, or a bail bond through a licensed agent.

Bail may be posted at either Placer jail: exact-amount cash; a cashier's check, certified check, or money order made payable to the Placer Trial Court, or to the clerk of the court with jurisdiction over an out-of-county matter; or a bail bond delivered by a licensed bail agent, who will need the bail amount, the charges, the court case number, the court date and department, and the jail identification number. Both jails accept bail every hour of every day. If you plan to post a bail bond after 7 p.m., call the jail where you will post it before you arrive.

Before a judge sees the case, bail comes from the arrest warrant or, with no warrant, from the court's 2026 Felony Bail Schedule and 2026 Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, both adopted January 14, 2026, under Penal Code section 1269b; the separate Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule covers traffic, boating and similar offenses. A schedule amount is not fixed. Once a judge sets bail at an appearance, the judge's amount controls (Penal Code section 1269b(b)). Under In re Humphrey (2021), a judge who sets money bail must consider 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, and the California Supreme Court held in April 2026, in In re Kowalczyk, that in noncapital cases bail may be denied only for the offenses in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and that money bail "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable, in order to effectuate the defendant's constitutional right to pretrial release on bail."

For how bail amounts are set across California generally, see How Bail Amounts Are Set in California.

When is the first court date, and which courthouse?

For a person held in a Placer County jail, state law sets a 48-hour limit, not counting Sundays and holidays, for getting before a judge.

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." If the 48 hours run out while court is not in session, the deadline extends through the close of the next court session 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 person must be brought before a judge by the following Friday, if neither day is a court holiday. This is a deadline for reaching a judge, not a promise of release and not a charging deadline.

Placer Superior Court's Judicial Assignments page lists criminal calendars in the Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse in Roseville (Departments 30 to 44), in the Jail Courtroom (Department 20) at the South Placer Jail address, which has no clerk's office of its own, and in the Tahoe Courthouse (Department 14). Release papers or a citation give the place and time to appear. For case lookup, the court's bail schedule, and what happens at your first appearance, see our Placer County Courthouse guide.

How do visiting, mail, and money work for a Placer County inmate?

Personal visiting, professional visiting, mail, and money each follow their own rules, and some details differ between the Auburn Jail and the South Placer Jail.

Personal visitors must check in at least 30 minutes before the visit, bring acceptable photo identification, and pass a metal detector; a visitor cannot visit someone if they themselves were in Placer custody within the past 120 days, including a same-day booking and release. Personal visits at the Auburn Jail and the South Placer Minimum Security unit are a 30-minute session tied to the inmate's own housing schedule, shown on the jail's current In Custody Report, not a fixed weekly grid. The South Placer Jail also offers video visitation: a free on-site terminal in the visiting lobby, or, for inmates in select housing areas, a paid remote option at $9.99 for 30 minutes; both must be scheduled 24 hours ahead. Professional visitors, such as attorneys, must show identification and check in 15 minutes before the end of the visiting session. Unlike personal visiting, professional hours are fixed and published, and differ by jail: at the Auburn Jail, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., noon to 3:30 p.m., 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., seven days a week; at the South Placer Jail, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., seven days a week, with both contact and non-contact visits paused from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and contact visits also paused from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Check the Sheriff's Personal Visitors, Jail Video Visitation and Professional Visitors pages before you go.

Effective March 24, 2026, personal mail (letters and photos) for an inmate at either Placer jail goes to a Smart Communications MailGuard address in Florida, not the jail itself; legal mail and new softcover books still go to the jail's own street address. Commissary funds, up to $175 by money order or cashier's check, or through Smart Deposit at 866-394-0490, must be deposited by midnight Monday for that week's delivery. Inmates cannot receive incoming calls; outgoing calls are collect-only, through ICSolutions at 888-506-8407. Personal property can be released within the first 72 hours after booking, or afterward only on Friday through Monday, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., at either jail. The Sheriff's Inmate Rules and Information page has the current mail address and the money, phone and property rules.

What should you do now?

Confirm which jail holds the person through the Sheriff's inmate search or VINE at 877-331-8463, then register with VINE at 877-411-5588 for an automatic call if their status changes. Gather photo identification before visiting, and set aside exact cash, a cashier's check, or a certified check if you plan to post bail yourself. If the arrest involves a specific charge, see our California criminal defense practice overview and, for a DUI arrest, our Rocklin DUI lawyer page. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you can ask the court to appoint the Placer County Public Defender's Office at the first court appearance.

Talk to a lawyer about a Placer County arrest

A family member's first hours in custody move fast, with real deadlines on release, bail, and the first court date. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, 24 hours a day, with payment plans and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174, or request a free consultation online.

Frequently asked questions

Can my family member release car keys or money from the jail?

In the first 72 hours after booking, the person in custody can release car keys only, all property except clothing, or money. After that, only one complete property release (except clothing and money) is allowed, on Friday through Monday, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., at either jail.

Which Placer County jail is my family member in, Auburn or South Placer?

If the Who's In Custody search or VINE does not make it clear, call the jails directly: the Auburn Jail at (530) 745-8500 or the South Placer Jail at (916) 409-8100.

Which bail schedule applies after a Placer County arrest?

The court's 2026 Felony Bail Schedule and 2026 Misdemeanor Bail Schedule apply; both were adopted January 14, 2026, and are posted on its Fee Schedule page. The court's Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule covers traffic and similar offenses instead. A judge can set a different amount.

Can my family member's arraignment happen by video?

Not for the defendant. Placer's Remote Criminal Hearings page and Local Rule 10.24(H) list arraignments among the hearings where a defendant may not appear remotely, though the court keeps discretion to grant leave. An attorney may appear remotely at an arraignment. Penal Code section 977 sets when a defendant must be present; in a misdemeanor-only case, a lawyer can usually appear for the defendant.

Can I visit someone at a Placer County jail?

Yes, subject to the jail's rules. Personal visiting hours follow the inmate's own housing schedule rather than a fixed weekly grid, and the South Placer Jail also offers video visitation. Check in at least 30 minutes early with acceptable photo identification.

How do I send money or mail to someone at a Placer County jail?

Since March 24, 2026, personal mail for either jail goes to a Smart Communications MailGuard address in Florida, not the jail. Commissary funds can be added by money order, cashier's check, or Smart Deposit at 866-394-0490.

Do I need a bail bond agent?

Not necessarily. You can post the full bail yourself at either jail, any hour, in exact cash or by cashier's check, certified check or money order payable to the Placer Trial Court. A bail bond must be delivered by a licensed bail agent.

Who do I call for ongoing updates on someone's custody status?

Register with VINE at 877-411-5588, using a phone number and a PIN. VINE calls automatically if the person's status changes, such as a release or a transfer.