To find out whether someone is in custody at the Plumas County Correctional Facility tonight, call the jail directly at (530) 283-6267. The Sheriff's Office also lists people in custody on its Citizen RIMS website, and jail staff can tell you the person's charges and bail amount once they are booked.
How do I look up someone at the Plumas County Jail?
Call the Plumas County Correctional Facility at (530) 283-6267, or check the Incarcerated Persons list on the Sheriff's Citizen RIMS website, which may lag behind releases.
- Call the jail at (530) 283-6267, or check the Sheriff's Citizen RIMS website. The facility's own notice to callers says officers will confirm an inmate's charges and bail amount over the phone; the website's Incarcerated Persons list comes from booking records and, the Sheriff says, may not reflect recent releases or charge changes.
- Ask about charges and bail, not a court date or release plan. The same notice says staff will not give out court dates or release information by phone, for safety reasons.
- Call the court clerk for court information instead. The Plumas Superior Court Clerk's Office, (530) 283-6232, is the number the jail itself gives out for court dates.
- If the person does not show up as booked, they may not be in the system yet, or may still be held by the arresting agency before transfer to the county jail. Call back rather than assuming they were released, and if the arrest happened outside Plumas County, see our courthouse and jail guides by county to find the right one.
Where does Plumas County hold people after an arrest?
Plumas County books and holds people at the Plumas County Correctional Facility, 56 Abernethy Lane in Quincy, which the Sheriff's Office runs.
| Facility | Address | Public phone |
|---|---|---|
| Plumas County Correctional Facility | 56 Abernethy Lane, Quincy, CA 95971 | (530) 283-6267 |
A fax line, (530) 283-6154, is also listed for the jail. The jail's page says only medications and eyeglasses are accepted over the counter; every other item is refused at the facility.
How does release work before trial in Plumas County?
Most misdemeanor arrests end in release on a written promise to appear, though booking can come first; otherwise release usually takes posted bail or a judge's order.
Penal Code section 853.6 sets that default rule for most misdemeanors: the officer releases the person on a signed notice to appear rather than taking them before a judge, unless one of the statute's listed reasons to keep the person applies, such as an outstanding warrant or reason to believe the person will not come back to court. Getting a citation does not mean no booking happened; the officer may still book the person at the scene or the station before releasing them on that signed promise. A felony arrest, or a misdemeanor that falls under one of those listed exceptions, moves instead to bail or an own recognizance request in front of the judge.
How do I post bail for someone at the Plumas County Jail?
Post bail at the jail in cash, a money order or a cashier's check, never a personal check, or through a bail agency registered with the Plumas Superior Court.
Plumas County Superior Court's own bail document for arrests is the Criminal Incarceration Bail Schedule, effective February 10, 2026. If an offense is not on it, the schedule's own instructions use the court's Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule for a misdemeanor and, if that sets nothing, $2,000 or $1,000 depending on the maximum term (one year or six months); an unlisted felony is $15,000.
Jail staff can tell you the charges and bail amount by phone, as described above. The Sheriff's Bail Bonds page says personal checks are not accepted, only cash, money orders and cashier's checks, and that a bail agency must be registered with the Plumas Superior Court before it can post bail; the page lists the agencies the jail currently accepts.
Whatever figure the schedule lists is only a starting point. A California court clerk or jail employee may accept bail at the scheduled amount under Penal Code section 1269b, and anyone may deposit cash bail directly with the court clerk under Penal Code section 1295, but a judge who later sets bail at an appearance controls from that point on. Two California Supreme Court decisions limit how that figure is used. In 2021, In re Humphrey held that a court cannot keep someone in custody before trial solely because they cannot afford a dollar amount; the judge must weigh the person's actual ability to pay and whether a nonfinancial condition would reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's appearance in court. In April 2026, In re Kowalczyk held that in a noncapital case a judge may deny bail only for the offenses in California Constitution article I, section 12, subdivisions (b) and (c), and that any money bail a judge does set must generally be reasonably attainable for that person, though it need not be easily affordable. See how California bail amounts are set for the full rule, and how surety bonds compare with cash bail if a bail agent is part of the plan.
When is the first court date after an arrest in Plumas County?
Someone held in custody in Plumas County must be brought before a judge without unnecessary delay, and within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays.
Penal Code section 825(a)(1) sets that outer 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."
That is a deadline for reaching a judge, not a deadline for filing charges and not a guarantee of release. If the 48 hours would run out while court is not in session, the deadline runs through the end of the next court session on the following court day (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)). A Wednesday arrest works differently: once that day's court session has closed, and as long as the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the person must still be brought before a judge by the following Friday, unless that Friday is a court holiday.
Plumas County holds every criminal matter, including arraignment, at the Plumas County Courthouse, 520 Main Street #104, Quincy, CA 95971; the Criminal/Traffic line is (530) 283-6232. Our Plumas County Courthouse guide covers that building, case lookups and what happens at that first hearing in more depth, and our guide to a California arraignment explains the hearing itself.
How do visiting, mail, and money work at the Plumas County Jail?
Visits are by appointment, made by calling the jail at (530) 283-6267; video visits run through NCIC, letters follow the jail's mail rules, and money goes in through Access Corrections.
The Sheriff's Visitation page says visits are scheduled by appointment through the jail rather than first come, first served; visitors need a current, valid ID, leave everything except the ID in their vehicle, and are turned away for 30 days after their own release from the facility. Video visits and inmate email are set up through NCIC, as the Kiosks page explains. The Correspondence page asks for the person's full name and a complete address on every envelope, one person per letter, allows photos without nudity, violence or gang activity, accepts books only when ordered through a bookstore and delivered to the facility (no hardbacks), and returns other items to the sender or holds them in the person's property. Money for an inmate's account can be added online through Access Corrections or by phone at 1-866-345-1884, and a deposit can take up to 24 hours to post, per the Commissary Deposit page.
What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in Plumas County?
Confirm custody with the jail, decide how to handle bail, keep every paper the person received, and talk to a defense lawyer early.
- Call the jail at (530) 283-6267 to confirm custody and get the charges and bail amount.
- Call the court clerk at (530) 283-6232 if you need a court date instead; the jail will not give that out by phone.
- Decide how to handle bail. Bring cash, a money order or a cashier's check, or use a bail agency registered with the Plumas Superior Court.
- Keep any paperwork the person received, including a citation or notice to appear; it names the time and place to appear in court.
- Talk to a criminal defense lawyer early. A lawyer can raise a bail reduction request and explain what to expect at arraignment before the family has to guess.
Frequently asked questions
What if the Plumas County Jail will not confirm someone is in custody?
The person may not be booked yet, or may still be held by the arresting agency before a transfer to the county jail. Call (530) 283-6267 and give the person's full legal name and approximate arrest time, and call back later rather than assuming they were released.
Does Plumas County have an online inmate locator?
Yes. The Sheriff's Office's Citizen RIMS website has an Incarcerated Persons section drawn from booking records; the Sheriff says it may not reflect recent releases or charge changes, so confirm custody by calling the jail at (530) 283-6267.
How much is bail in Plumas County, and can it be lower than the schedule?
Plumas County's Criminal Incarceration Bail Schedule, effective February 10, 2026, sets a starting figure by offense. Penal Code section 1269c lets the arrested person, or an attorney, friend or family member acting for them, ask a judge for a lower amount (or own recognizance release) before arraignment, except for the charges listed in Penal Code section 1270.1, and a judge is bound by In re Humphrey and In re Kowalczyk to consider the person's actual ability to pay.
Does getting a citation in Plumas County mean no booking happened?
Not necessarily. Penal Code section 853.6 allows an officer to book someone at the scene or the station and still release them afterward on a signed written promise to appear, so a citation and a booking record can both exist for the same arrest.
Can I send money to someone at the Plumas County Jail?
Yes. Access Corrections accepts money for an inmate's account online or by phone at 1-866-345-1884, and a deposit can take up to 24 hours to post. You may need the person's inmate ID number, which the jail gives out at (530) 283-6267.
Does the Plumas County Jail offer video visitation?
Yes. The jail's Kiosks page says video visits and inmate email are set up through NCIC, and in-person visits are scheduled by appointment by calling the jail at (530) 283-6267.
Who handles court-appointed counsel in Plumas County?
The Plumas County Superior Court's Criminal FAQ describes requesting court-appointed counsel from the judge at the first court appearance, and the jail's Attorneys page lists the county's current public defenders with their phone numbers. Our Plumas County Courthouse guide covers that first appearance.
Talk to a lawyer
A family member calling about someone just arrested in Plumas County can reach the Law Offices of David S. Chesley at any hour. The firm offers a free, confidential consultation, with payment plans available and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174, or request a free consultation online.