The Kern County Jail Inmate Roster is a public resource that allows California residents to find out who is currently in custody at the county sheriff's facilities. KernCourt.us helps quickly locate publicly available information about current and recently released inmates. Additionally, information can be obtained through the official Kern County Sheriff's Office website, by phone, or in person at the jail reception. Searching the roster allows you to check a person's custody status, booking date, charges filed, and bail amount. The roster is maintained by the Kern County Sheriff's Office, it is updated regularly throughout the day and posted on the sheriff's website.
Search Current Inmates in Kern Jail
There are several ways to find out if a specific person is in custody at the county jail.
Online Search
- Go to KernCourt.us to search publicly available court case information and booking records.
- Visit the Kern County Sheriff's Office website — Inmate Search section. The system allows searching by last name or booking number.
- If you are looking for a person who may have been transferred to a state facility, use the California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS) by CDCR.
To start a search, you will need:
- The inmate's full legal name (last name is mandatory)
- Booking number, if known
Juvenile offenders are not displayed in the public roster.
By Phone
Call the jail and provide the person's name or booking number. The operator will check the custody status.
In Person
Visit the main detention facility reception. The visitor information window is open daily.
Kern County Central Receiving Facility
Visiting hours may change — we recommend confirming by phone before visiting.
Find Kern Jail Booking Records Online
A booking record is created when a detained person is officially processed into the jail. This process includes fingerprinting, photographing, and registering in the system.
Each record contains:
- A unique booking number
- Date and time of intake
- List of charges filed
- Name of the arresting agency (Sheriff, Bakersfield PD, etc.)
- Bail amount, if set
Current booking records are available through the inmate roster on the sheriff's website. To search for a court case related to an arrest, use the Case Information Search on the Kern County Superior Court portal. Note: Information on the court's website is not an official court record and is provided as a public service.
If you need copies of court documents, submit a request through the Request Case Documents page. The cost of copies is 50 cents per page. To obtain your own state-level criminal history, contact the California Department of Justice — you will need to submit fingerprints and pay $25.
Search the Kern Jail Roster by Last Name or Booking Number
The roster supports two primary search methods.
By Last Name
Enter the last name in the search field. You can add a first name to narrow down the results. Practical tips:
- Check spelling — even one letter mistake can yield no results
- Try spelling variations if the last name has a hyphen or apostrophe
- If the system does not support partial search, use the browser's Ctrl+F function on the list page
By Booking Number
This method is the most accurate. The booking number is a unique identifier assigned during processing. It eliminates confusion between people with the same names.
What to do if the search yields no results:
- Ensure the name is spelled correctly — use the full legal name, not a nickname
- The person may have already been released or transferred to another facility
- There may be a few hours between arrest and appearance in the roster
- Call the jail at (661) 868-6850 for clarification
Jail Roster Updates and Search Limitations in Kern
The Kern County Sheriff's Office updates the roster throughout the day, but not in real-time. There is usually a delay of one to several hours between the actual booking and the record appearing in the online system — it depends on the facility's workload.
Main limitations to be aware of:
- The roster only displays individuals who are currently in custody. Once released or transferred, the record disappears.
- This is not an archive of all past bookings. To search for old records, contact the sheriff with a written request or use the Court Records section on the court's website.
- Technical delays in data entry occur, especially on weekends and holidays.
- Some records may be temporarily hidden due to a court order or ongoing investigation.
If the person has been transferred to a state prison — for example, to North Kern State Prison or Wasco State Prison — search through the CIRIS system on the CDCR website. California citizens have the right to access public records under the California Public Records Act; learn more about this on the Attorney General's page.