Oakland Arrest Records Search

Oakland arrest records are available through several sources in the Bay Area. The Oakland Police Department handles arrests within city limits while the Alameda County Sheriff manages jail bookings at Santa Rita. You can search online databases for current inmates, request copies of police reports, and access the OPD arrest data portal. This page covers all the ways to find arrest records tied to Oakland.

Oakland Police Arrest Data Portal

The Oakland Police Department publishes arrest data through the city's open data portal. You can view and search arrests going back several years at data.oaklandca.gov. The database lets you filter by date, location, and charge type. It is free to use. No account is needed.

This portal shows arrest information in a spreadsheet format. You can sort the data however you want. Download it to your computer if you need to keep a copy. The city updates this data regularly, usually within a few days of an arrest. It does not show real-time bookings, but it gives you a solid record of OPD arrests over time.

The portal works well for research and general lookups. You can see trends in arrests by neighborhood. Journalists and researchers use this data often. It includes the arrest date, charge description, and general location. Names of arrestees appear in the data set. You can search by name if you know who you are looking for.

Note: The arrest data portal shows OPD arrests only and does not include inmates currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail.

Oakland Police Records Requests

To get a copy of a police report from OPD, contact the records unit. The phone number is (510) 238-7143. You can also send requests by email to opdrecordrequest@oaklandca.gov. OPD handles records requests under the California Public Records Act. Most requests get a response within 10 days.

Copies cost $0.05 per page. That is one of the lowest rates in the Bay Area. Some cities charge 25 cents or more per page. Oakland keeps it cheap. If you need several pages, the cost stays low. You can pay by check or money order for mail requests. In-person requests can be paid at the window.

There are limits on what records you can get. Arrest reports are generally available to the public, but with some redactions. Names of witnesses may be blacked out. Ongoing investigation details are often withheld. The law allows agencies to protect certain information under Government Code Section 6254(f). You can still get basic arrest facts in most cases.

Victims of crimes can usually get a free copy of the report. Just let them know you are the victim when you request it. This applies to the first copy only. Additional copies will cost the standard rate.

Oakland Arrests and Alameda County Jail

When Oakland police arrest someone, that person is booked into Santa Rita Jail. The jail is run by the Alameda County Sheriff. It is located in Dublin, about 25 miles east of downtown Oakland. All arrests in Alameda County go through this central facility.

The sheriff runs an online inmate locator at acgov.org/sheriff_app. You can search by name to see if someone is in custody. The system shows current inmates along with charges and bail amounts. It does not matter which city police made the arrest. If they are in Alameda County jail, they show up here.

Booking can take a few hours. Do not expect an immediate result right after an arrest. Check back in 4 to 6 hours if you do not see someone listed. The jail updates its system throughout the day. Call Santa Rita Jail at (925) 551-6500 if you need help finding an inmate. The general information line for the Alameda County Sheriff is (510) 272-6878.

Oakland Arrest Court Records

Criminal cases from Oakland arrests are handled by Alameda County Superior Court. The main criminal courthouse is in Oakland at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse. You can search for case information online through the court's public access portal. Look up cases by defendant name or case number.

Court records show what happens after an arrest. Did the district attorney file charges? Was there a conviction or dismissal? You can find plea information, sentencing details, and hearing dates. These records fill in the gaps between the arrest and the final outcome. Not every arrest leads to a conviction. The court records tell you how each case ended.

The court clerk charges fees for copies of documents. Certified copies cost more than regular copies. You can get many documents by mail or in person. Some records are available online for free viewing. If you need official copies for legal purposes, plan on paying the fees and waiting a few days for processing.

Clearing Oakland Arrest Records

California offers several ways to clear arrest records. If you were arrested but never charged, you may petition to seal the arrest under Penal Code Section 851.91. This removes the arrest from most background checks. The process takes several months and requires a court filing.

Convictions can be expunged under Penal Code Section 1203.4. After you complete probation, you can ask the court to dismiss the charges. An expungement does not erase the record completely. It changes the disposition to show a dismissal. Employers cannot hold an expunged conviction against you in most cases.

The state also has automatic record relief. The California Department of Justice reviews records monthly and grants relief where eligible. You do not need to apply for this. It happens on its own. Old arrests that never resulted in charges get sealed automatically after a certain period. Check with the DOJ at (916) 227-3849 to see if you qualify.

Victim Notification in Oakland

If someone who harmed you was arrested in Oakland, you can track their custody status. VINE California is a free service that sends alerts. You get notified when an offender is released, transferred, or escapes. Register at vinelink.vineapps.com or call 1-877-411-5588.

VINE covers inmates in Alameda County and across California. You choose how to receive alerts. Options include phone, email, and text. The service runs 24 hours a day. Registration is confidential. The inmate never knows you signed up for alerts. Victims of violent crimes often use VINE for safety planning.

Oakland Background Check Laws

Employers in Oakland must follow state rules about arrest records. Under the Fair Chance Act, employers with five or more workers cannot ask about criminal history on job applications. They must wait until after making a conditional job offer. This gives applicants a fair shot at getting hired before their record is considered.

Oakland also has a local ban-the-box ordinance. It applies to city contractors and goes even further than state law in some areas. The goal is to reduce barriers for people with past arrests. Employers can still run background checks. They just have to do it at the right time in the hiring process.

If you need your own criminal record for personal review, contact the California DOJ. The fee is $25. You submit fingerprints through Live Scan, and the DOJ mails you a copy of your RAP sheet. This is the official state record. It shows all arrests and dispositions on file with the state. More info is at oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/record-review.

Note: Live Scan fingerprinting is available at many locations in Oakland, including some UPS stores and police stations.

Nearby Bay Area Cities

Oakland sits in the heart of the East Bay. Several other cities in Alameda County also have their own police departments and arrest records. If you need records from a neighboring city, check these pages.

Each city has its own police records office. However, all inmates from Alameda County cities end up at Santa Rita Jail. Use the county inmate locator to find people booked from any Alameda County city.