To find out whether someone is in custody in San Benito County tonight, call the San Benito County Correctional Facility at (831) 636-4060, the number the Superior Court gives for that question. The Sheriff's Office lists the jail at 710 Flynn Road, Hollister, with the same phone number.
How do I find out if someone is in custody in San Benito County?
San Benito County Superior Court's own Criminal Division page gives the official way to check custody status: call the San Benito County Correctional Facility at (831) 636-4060.
- Call the San Benito County Correctional Facility at (831) 636-4060 and ask whether the person is in custody. This is the number San Benito County Superior Court itself gives for this question.
- If the person may be held in state prison rather than county jail, use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's own locator, CDCR CIRIS, instead.
- If you cannot reach anyone by phone right away, call back, or use the Sheriff's Office contact page, which lists the jail's phone and fax and the Sheriff's main office line, (831) 636-4080.
Looking for a different county? Our courthouse and jail guides by county cover the rest of California.
Where does San Benito County hold people after an arrest?
San Benito County's jail, which the court calls the San Benito County Correctional Facility, is at 710 Flynn Road in Hollister; the Sheriff's Office lists its phone and fax below.
| Facility | Address | Public phone | Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito County Correctional Facility | 710 Flynn Road, Hollister, CA | (831) 636-4060 | (831) 636-4088 |
Call the jail at the number above to confirm the person is there before you travel to Hollister.
How does release work before trial in San Benito County?
For most misdemeanors, California law requires release on a signed promise to appear rather than a trip before a judge, though an officer may book the person first.
Penal Code section 853.6 makes a signed written promise to appear the default for most misdemeanor arrests, and an officer may book the person at the scene or station before releasing them. A handful of listed reasons keep a person in custody instead, among them an outstanding warrant, no satisfactory identification, or a specific, documented reason to believe the person will not return. Someone who stays in custody can be released by posting the scheduled bail at the jail (Penal Code section 1269b(a)), can ask a judge for lower bail or own recognizance release before arraignment for most charges (Penal Code section 1269c), and can ask again at the first court appearance. A misdemeanor defendant arraigned in custody is entitled to own recognizance release unless the judge finds on the record that it would compromise public safety or would not reasonably assure the person's return to court (Penal Code section 1270).
How do I post bail for someone at the San Benito County Jail?
San Benito Superior Court sets starting bail figures for felony and misdemeanor offenses in its 2025 Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, effective January 16, 2025.
San Benito's court page actually lists three separate bail documents, and only one of them applies to an arrest like this: the felony and misdemeanor schedule above, adopted under Penal Code section 1269b(d); a 2026 Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule that sets statewide traffic and infraction fines; and the county's own 2026 supplement covering violations the statewide fines schedule leaves out. Confusing the arrest bail schedule with either of the fines documents means looking at the wrong number entirely. Even the right number is only a starting point once a judge gets involved. In re Kowalczyk, the California Supreme Court's April 2026 decision, says that in a noncapital case a judge can refuse bail outright only for the offenses California Constitution article I, section 12, subdivisions (b) and (c) describe, and that money bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable for that person. That builds on In re Humphrey (2021), which requires judges to look at ability to pay, and at whether a nonfinancial option such as supervision would reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's appearance in court, before jailing someone purely over money. See how California bail amounts are set for the full rule.
Call the facility at (831) 636-4060 to confirm the exact charge, the bail amount and the accepted forms of payment before bringing any money, or contact a licensed bail bond agency, which can explain its own process.
When is the first court date after an arrest in San Benito County?
A person held in custody must see a judge within 48 hours, not counting Sundays or holidays; San Benito County holds that hearing at its one courthouse, in Hollister.
"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."
Penal Code section 825(a)(1) sets that limit, and it only governs how fast someone has to see a judge; it does not set a filing deadline for the prosecution, and reaching the 48-hour mark is not itself a reason to expect release. When the 48 hours would otherwise expire outside a court session, Penal Code section 825(a)(2) pushes the deadline through the end of the next session on the following court day instead, and someone arrested on a Wednesday after that day's court session must be brought before a judge by Friday, if neither day is a court holiday.
San Benito Superior Court handles every criminal case at one address, 450 Fourth Street, Hollister, CA 95023, (831) 636-4057, and a defendant who cannot afford a lawyer can ask the judge to appoint one right there at the first appearance. Our San Benito County Courthouse guide goes further into that building, including case lookups and interpreters.
How do visiting, mail, and money work at the San Benito County Correctional Facility?
The Sheriff's Office keeps Visiting, Incoming Mail, Bail and Deposits, Commissary and Telephone Access pages in its Corrections section; check them or call the jail before visiting.
Rules for visiting, mail, deposits and phone calls can change, so check the Sheriff's Corrections pages or call the jail at (831) 636-4060 before planning a visit or sending money or mail, including the address for personal letters.
What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in San Benito County?
Confirm custody and the bail amount with the jail, choose how to handle bail, keep every paper from the arrest, and call a defense lawyer before the arraignment.
- Phone the facility at (831) 636-4060 to verify the person is actually being held there.
- Get the exact charge and the current bail figure straight from facility staff on that same call.
- Figure out the release path, whether that is paying bail yourself once a number is set, or going through a licensed bail bond agent.
- Save every piece of arrest paperwork. It names the courthouse and usually leads to the first court date.
- Loop in a criminal defense lawyer before the arraignment. A lawyer can argue for a workable bail figure and tell the family what the court date will actually involve. For a driving-under-the-influence arrest specifically, our Hollister DUI defense page walks through what comes next.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reach the San Benito County Jail by phone?
Call (831) 636-4060, the number the Superior Court gives for checking custody and the Sheriff's Office lists for the jail. The jail's fax is (831) 636-4088, and the Sheriff's main office line is (831) 636-4080.
What bail document actually applies to a San Benito County arrest?
The 2025 Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, effective January 16, 2025, not the county's separate fines schedules for traffic and infractions. Even that document is a starting figure; a judge can set a different amount at arraignment, and money bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable for that person.
If someone is cited and sent home, does that mean they were never booked?
No, those are two different steps. Penal Code section 853.6 lets an officer book a person at the scene or the station and still release them afterward on a signed citation.
How does a family push for a lower bail number before arraignment?
File an application under Penal Code section 1269c. It is open to the arrested person, an attorney, or a friend or family member standing in for them, and it can go to the magistrate before the arraignment hearing itself takes place, except for charges listed in Penal Code section 1270.1(a).
Will a warrant go out just because someone signed a citation?
Not on its own. Penal Code section 853.6(f) only allows a warrant once that person breaks the promise, for example by failing to show up, and willfully skipping a required court date can bring its own separate charge.
Does San Benito County treat domestic violence arrests the same as other bail cases?
Not entirely. Penal Code section 1270.1 pulls certain charges, including some domestic violence offenses, into a different track: setting bail outside the schedule, or releasing someone on their own recognizance, needs an open-court hearing with two court days' notice to both sides first.
Talk to a lawyer
A family member calling about someone just arrested in San Benito 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.