Find an Inmate
Locate incarcerated individuals in county jails, state prisons, and federal detention facilities using official government inmate locator systems across all 50 US states.
🔍 Start Your Search →Where Inmates Are Held
County Jail
Operated by the county sheriff. Holds people awaiting trial, serving sentences under 1 year, or awaiting transfer to state prison. Booking databases updated in near-real-time — fastest to search.
State Prison
Operated by the state Department of Corrections. Holds convicted individuals serving sentences over 1 year. Each state has an online inmate locator through the DOC website. Updated daily.
Federal Detention
Operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Holds those convicted of federal crimes. BOP database is updated regularly and is publicly accessible with name and register number.
How to Find an Inmate — Step by Step
Was the person recently arrested? → Check county jail booking logs first. Was the person convicted and sentenced? → Check state DOC. Federal charges? → Search BOP.
Navigate to the county where the arrest occurred in our directory. Our county pages link directly to the official inmate locator for each sheriff department.
Official Inmate Locator Systems
Find Your County's Booking Database
Navigate to your county's official law enforcement directory to access the inmate locator for that jurisdiction.