Sonoma County Jail: How to Find an Inmate and Get Them Released

To find out whether someone is in custody at the Sonoma County Jail, use the Sheriff's Office online Incarcerated Person Search or call the Detention Division at (707) 565-1400. The Sheriff's Office runs two jails in Santa Rosa, the Main Adult Detention Facility and the North County Detention Facility, and either method shows whether a specific person is currently held.

This guide is part of our California courthouse and jail directory. For what happens at the next court date, see our Sonoma County Courthouse guide.

How do I find out if someone is in custody at the Sonoma County Jail?

The Sheriff's Office Detention Division runs an online Incarcerated Person Search covering both county jails, and its staff can also confirm custody status by phone.

1. Use the online search. The Sheriff's Office Incarcerated Person Search covers both detention facilities. Click "I agree" on its disclaimer, then search by last name or booking number. The Sheriff's Office warns that this data is public information intended to be current, but outages and other circumstances can make it lag behind.
2. Call the Detention Division. The main number is (707) 565-1400. Give the full legal name of the person you are asking about.
3. If the person does not show up, they may not be booked yet, may still be held by the arresting police department before transfer to the county jail, or may be listed under a different spelling. Call again rather than assuming they were released.

Where does Sonoma County hold people after an arrest?

Sonoma County holds people in one of two Sheriff's Office jails, both in Santa Rosa: the Main Adult Detention Facility and the North County Detention Facility.

A separate in-person step, called Book, Print, Release, applies to people who still need to submit fingerprints or DNA; the Sheriff's Office runs that process at MADF by appointment only, on a limited weekly schedule, so call ahead rather than walking in.

How does release work before trial in Sonoma County?

Depending on the charge, release comes through a citation, pretrial release, own recognizance or bail, and Sonoma's schedule makes $0 the default bail for many offenses before arraignment.

For most misdemeanor arrests, Penal Code section 853.6 generally requires release on a written notice to appear rather than being taken before a judge, and an officer may still book the person at the station first; listed exceptions (an outstanding warrant, intoxication that is a danger to the person or others, a reason to doubt the person will return to court, and others) let the officer keep the person in custody instead. For a felony, or where a citation does not apply, the person stays in custody unless released on bail under the schedule below or approved for the court's pre-arraignment release program, and a judge can grant own recognizance release at arraignment. The court's bail schedule says everyone booked into the Main Adult Detention Facility is screened for this program, and court commissioners decide. People charged with an offense listed in Penal Code section 1270.1 are not eligible; their bail follows the schedule until arraignment.

Sonoma's own bail schedule goes further for many offenses: pages 4 and 5 of the 2025 Criminal Bail Schedule make $0 the presumptive bail before arraignment for a misdemeanor or felony with no amount of its own in the schedule. That $0 default does not apply to an offense the schedule lists with its own dollar amount, to a felony with an enhancement or special allegation, or to a new arrest while the person is already out on bail, own recognizance or pretrial release, where the schedule sets $1,000 for a new misdemeanor and $10,000 for a new felony, or the scheduled amount if higher.

How do I post bail for someone at the Sonoma County Jail?

In Sonoma, bail is posted as cash or a surety bond, which the jail's staff or the court clerk can accept, starting from the court's 2025 Criminal Bail Schedule figure.

The court's Criminal Bail Schedule is titled "2025 Criminal Bail Schedule" and was adopted June 24, 2025, under Penal Code sections 1269b(c) and 1269b(d); it covers both felony and misdemeanor offenses in one document. For example, the schedule lists $30,000 for corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant under Penal Code section 273.5(a) as a felony, and $15,000 for misdemeanor battery against a spouse or cohabitant under Penal Code section 243(e)(1). That 2025 schedule is the criminal schedule linked from the court's own Fee and Bail Schedules page; check that page close to the court date in case a newer one has been adopted. If a person released on a bail bond misses court and the bond is forfeited, the court's Criminal Division says they must bring a Letter of Reassumption of Liability from the bonding agency; without it, the matter is not placed on the clear warrant calendar.

A bail schedule amount is not the end of the conversation. Two California Supreme Court decisions limit how a judge can use it: In re Humphrey (2021) requires the judge to weigh whether the person can actually pay a proposed amount, and to consider whether nonfinancial conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or assure the person's return to court, before anyone is held in custody purely over money. In re Kowalczyk (April 2026) adds that in a noncapital case a judge may deny bail outright only for the offenses described 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 for that person, though not necessarily easily affordable. See how California bail amounts are set for a fuller explanation.

When is the first court date after an arrest in Sonoma County?

A person held in custody must be brought before a judge without unnecessary delay and within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays (Penal Code section 825).

Penal Code section 825(a)(1) says: "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." This deadline is for seeing a judge, not for filing charges, and it does not promise release. If the 48 hours run out while court is not in session, the time extends through the end of the court's next session on the following court day. Someone arrested on a Wednesday after court has closed must be brought before a judge by Friday, if neither day is a court holiday (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)).

Sonoma's criminal cases, including arraignments, are heard at the Hall of Justice, 625 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, where the Criminal Division states that felony, misdemeanor and certain infraction matters are heard Monday through Friday on a Master Calendar; daily calendars are posted on the first floor. Our Sonoma County Courthouse guide covers that building and its case portal, and our general explainer on what happens at a California arraignment walks through the hearing itself. If a warrant was issued for a missed date, Sonoma's Criminal Division says a person checking in on an outstanding warrant must arrive before 8:30 a.m. on a court day to be added to that day's calendar.

How do visiting, mail, and money work at the Sonoma County Jail?

Personal visits need a phone appointment, non-privileged mail now goes through a vendor, and money can be added online, by phone or at the main jail's lobby kiosk.

Personal visiting requires calling ahead to schedule an appointment; the Sheriff's Office visitation page describes the appointment process and says a person recently released from the jail must wait 30 days before returning to visit, unless visiting a spouse. Professional visits (for example, by an attorney) are drop-in, with no appointment needed. Check that page for current scheduling details. Video visiting is also offered on tablets through a vendor system, including an on-demand "Visit Now" feature, as a purchasable service separate from a scheduled personal visit.

Since September 1, 2025, non-privileged mail for both facilities goes through a mail vendor rather than directly to the jail; address an envelope to the person's name, then "Main Adult Detention Facility - 2000" (or "North County Detention Facility - 2001" for that facility), PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193, and include the booking number. Legal mail, official documents, and anything mailed directly by a publisher still goes to the facility street address. Family and friends can add money to a person's commissary account online through the vendor the Sheriff's Office names, at the kiosk in the Main Adult Detention Facility lobby during business hours, or by phone, as the Sheriff's deposit page explains; money for calls, tablet services and messages goes to a separate communication account. The person in custody can spend up to $100 a week on commissary.

What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in Sonoma County?

Confirm custody with the Detention Division, decide how to help with bail, keep every paper the person received, and talk to a defense lawyer early.

1. Confirm custody. Use the Incarcerated Person Search or call (707) 565-1400.
2. Decide how to help with release. If bail applies, review the court's Criminal Bail Schedule and decide between cash bail and a bail bond agent.
3. Keep every paper. A citation, notice to appear, or booking slip names the exact courthouse and date; do not lose it.
4. Ask about property. For belongings taken at booking, ask the jail at (707) 565-1400; the Sheriff's Property/Evidence Unit, (707) 565-3119, handles evidence, found property and property held for safekeeping, by appointment only.
5. Talk to a criminal defense lawyer early. A lawyer can ask about a lower bail amount, confirm the court date, and explain what happens at arraignment.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Sonoma County Jail show exact booking details in its online search?

The Incarcerated Person Search lists each match's name, booking number, age and arresting agency, but the Sheriff's Office says the data may not be current because of outages or other circumstances outside its control. Call (707) 565-1400 to confirm anything important.

How much is bail in Sonoma County?

The court's 2025 Criminal Bail Schedule, adopted June 24, 2025, lists amounts by offense, and also sets a $0 default before arraignment for many offenses with no separately listed amount. A judge can set a different amount, and under In re Kowalczyk, money bail must generally be reasonably attainable for that person.

Can I ask for a lower bail amount before the Sonoma County arraignment?

Yes, in most cases. Penal Code section 1269c lets the person in custody, their lawyer, or a friend or family member apply to a judge for a lower amount or for own recognizance release before arraignment, except for the offenses listed in Penal Code section 1270.1, which need a noticed hearing instead.

Does the Sonoma County Jail offer video visitation?

Yes. The Sheriff's Office offers video visiting on tablets through a vendor system, including an on-demand "Visit Now" option, in addition to in-person visits that still require a phone appointment. Purchase and connection details are on the Sheriff's Office tablets page, since they can change.

Where do I send mail to someone at the Sonoma County Jail?

Address it to the person's name, then "Main Adult Detention Facility - 2000" or "North County Detention Facility - 2001" (whichever facility applies), PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193, with the booking number on the envelope. This changed from mailing the jail directly as of September 1, 2025.

Which court handles Sonoma County criminal arraignments?

The Hall of Justice, 625 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, (707) 521-6620. The Criminal Division hears felony, misdemeanor and certain infraction matters there Monday through Friday.

Will a misdemeanor arrest in Sonoma County always end in release on a citation?

Not always. Penal Code section 853.6 generally requires a written notice to appear for most misdemeanors, though an officer may still book the person first. Listed exceptions include an outstanding warrant, no satisfactory identification, intoxication that is a danger to the person or others, and a documented reason to believe the person will not return to court.

What if the person was arrested somewhere else in Sonoma County, such as Petaluma or Santa Rosa?

The Sheriff's Office runs the county's two jails, both in Santa Rosa, and its Incarcerated Person Search covers people booked into the Sonoma County Jail. Call the Detention Division at (707) 565-1400 to confirm where the person is held and how to proceed.

Talk to a lawyer

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation and is available 24 hours a day, including for a family member calling about someone just arrested in Sonoma County, with payment plans and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174 to speak with a lawyer about what happens next, or request a free consultation online.