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

To find out whether someone is in custody at the Tehama County Jail in Red Bluff, check the Sheriff's Office Current Inmates page, which links a dated roster of everyone in custody, or call the Sheriff's Department at (530) 529-7900 or the Main Jail at (530) 529-7910, with the person's full legal name ready.

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

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

Tehama County Superior Court's own criminal division FAQ tells callers to contact the Sheriff's Department directly, by phone or through its website, rather than pointing to an online search tool.

1. Call the Sheriff's Department. The court's own criminal-division FAQ gives (530) 529-7900 for this question; the jail's Custody Division also lists a separate Main Jail line, (530) 529-7910.
2. Check the current inmate listing. The Sheriff's Office Current Inmates page links a dated, full roster of everyone currently in custody, showing name, book date, charge, bail, and scheduled release date. It is a running list, not a name-search box, so you may need to scan it or call to confirm a specific person.
3. If the person does not appear, they may not be booked yet, may still be held by the arresting agency, or may be listed under a slightly different name. Call (530) 529-7910 to ask directly rather than assuming the search is complete. For an arrest in a different county, our statewide courthouse and jail directory lists our county guides and official tools for finding someone in custody.

Where does Tehama County hold people after an arrest?

Tehama County has one jail, the Main Jail in Red Bluff, built in 1974 with additions finished in 1994 and run by the Sheriff's Office.

The jail has a capacity of 227 and houses both sentenced and pre-sentenced people in the same facility. A separate medical line, (530) 528-7613, is listed for medical questions about someone in custody.

How does release work before trial in Tehama County?

Depending on the charge, a person can be released on a citation, through Tehama's own pretrial-release program, on bail, or by a judge's own recognizance order at arraignment.

For most misdemeanors, Penal Code section 853.6 calls for release on a written notice to appear instead of holding the person for a judge, with the officer still free to book the person first; the statute lists exceptions, among them an active warrant, intoxication that is a danger to the person or others, or a specifically stated reason to believe the person will not appear in court, and any listed exception lets the officer hold the person instead.

Tehama County Probation also runs its own pretrial-release program, in place since April 2021. Probation uses a validated risk-assessment tool and submits a bail report to the court at arraignment, covering the person's criminal history, ties to the community, financial means, and risk to the community or any victim. Someone released this way is monitored through their court hearings until they enter a plea or the case is dismissed.

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

In Tehama County, bail is paid at the jail or to the court clerk, in cash or by bail bond, at the warrant amount or the Jail Bail Schedule figure.

Tehama's own Jail Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, sets amounts for an arrest, and a judge can set a different amount at arraignment.

The court's Jail Bail Schedule for Offenses Committed Within the County of Tehama was adopted by the Tehama County Superior Court judges and is effective January 1, 2026. Tehama's court also separately publishes a Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule for traffic, boating, forestry, fish and game, public utilities, parks and recreation, and business licensing offenses; that document is not the one that applies to a county jail arrest, so make sure you are looking at the Jail Bail Schedule for a criminal charge.

Once a judge takes up bail, two California Supreme Court rulings limit what the judge may do. In re Humphrey, decided in 2021, says a person cannot be kept in custody before trial for the sole reason that they cannot afford the stated amount; the judge has to look at ability to pay and at whether something short of cash, such as supervised release, could reasonably protect the public and the victim or assure the person's presence at trial. In re Kowalczyk, from April 2026, limits outright bail denial in noncapital cases to the offenses named in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and holds that money bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable. More detail is at how California bail amounts are set.

When is the first court date after an arrest in Tehama 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." That 48-hour clock measures only how fast someone must see a judge; it has nothing to do with the deadline for filing a charge, and reaching a judge is not the same as being released. Should those hours run out while court is not sitting, the law carries the deadline forward to the end of the next court 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)).

Tehama County has one courthouse, Tehama County Superior Court, 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080, and its Criminal Division can be reached at (530) 527-3563. In-custody arraignments are heard in Department 1. Our Tehama County Courthouse guide covers that courthouse and case lookup in more detail, and our general explainer on what happens at a California arraignment walks through the hearing itself.

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

The Sheriff's Office keeps a dedicated visitation page, accepts mail at a specific PO Box, and offers three ways to add money to a person's account.

For visiting, the Sheriff's Office maintains its own Visitation page; because days and rules can change, check that page rather than relying on an older printed schedule.

For mail, address the envelope with the person's full name, then "Tehama County Jail," P.O. Box 490, Red Bluff, CA 96080. The jail's own instructions say mail with no return address is labeled "Dead Mail" and returned to the Postal Service, and mail without a complete return name and address goes back to the sender. Since July 1, 2019, the jail no longer accepts legal mail dropped off at its window: legal mail is mailed to the person at the same address with "Legal Mail" on the front, or a visitor can come to the jail and ask to see the person to serve papers in person. The Sheriff's Office Current Inmates page lists a long set of prohibited mail items, including Polaroid photographs and photos larger than 4 by 6 inches; check that page before sending anything.

For money, deposits can be made by phone at 1-866-345-1884, online at inmatedeposits.com, or at a kiosk inside the jail. Commissary items and packages can also be ordered online at tehamacountypackages.com instead of depositing cash to the person's account.

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

Confirm where the person is held, sort out bail or release, keep every arrest document, and bring in a defense lawyer early.

1. Confirm custody. Call (530) 529-7900 or (530) 529-7910.
2. Decide how to help with release. Review the court's Jail Bail Schedule and decide between cash bail and a bail bond agent, or ask whether Probation's pretrial program applies.
3. Keep every paper. A citation, notice to appear, release paper or arraignment letter gives the court date and time; do not lose it.
4. Ask the jail about personal property. Call (530) 529-7910 to ask how and when to pick up belongings taken at booking.
5. Talk to a lawyer early. A lawyer can ask about bail, confirm the court date, and explain what happens at arraignment before the family has to guess; our criminal defense lawyer overview describes how the firm takes on a case.

Frequently asked questions

Can I search the Tehama County Jail's current inmate list by name online?

Not with a search box. The Sheriff's Office publishes a single dated listing of everyone currently in custody, showing name, book date, charge, bail, and scheduled release date. Scan that list or call (530) 529-7910 to confirm a specific person.

How much is bail in Tehama County?

Tehama's Jail Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, sets an amount by offense for an arrest; it is separate from the county's Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule, which covers traffic, boating, fish and game and similar offenses. A judge can set a different amount, and money bail must generally be reasonably attainable for that person.

What does Tehama County's pretrial risk assessment look at?

Probation's own description says it covers the person's criminal history, ties to the community, financial means to post bail, and risk to the community and any victims, using a validated assessment tool before submitting a bail report to the judge at arraignment.

Does the Tehama County Jail offer video visitation?

Yes. The Sheriff's Visitation page says video visitation runs through icsolutions.com: under the Friends & Family tab, choose Video Visitation, then select Tehama County Jail, CA and follow the steps to set up an account.

Can I talk to someone in custody during a Tehama County court hearing?

No. The court's criminal division FAQ warns that you may be charged with a misdemeanor if you try to speak or motion to anyone in custody in the courtroom.

Which court handles Tehama County criminal arraignments?

Tehama County Superior Court, 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080. The Criminal Division's own line is (530) 527-3563, and in-custody arraignments are heard in Department 1.

Can I get an interpreter for a Tehama County criminal case?

Yes. The California Constitution gives the right to an interpreter at every stage of the case, and Evidence Code section 752(b)(1) makes it free in a criminal case. For a criminal matter, Tehama's court says you or your attorney may ask the clerk in the courtroom, or at the counter in the Criminal Clerk's Office, 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff.

What if the person was arrested somewhere else in Tehama County, such as Corning?

An arrest anywhere in Tehama County is typically booked into the same county jail in Red Bluff, since it is the county's only jail. Call (530) 529-7910 to confirm.

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 Tehama 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.