Kern County city guide
Bakersfield inmate search and jail information
Bakersfield is Kern County's county seat. If you are trying to locate someone after an arrest in Bakersfield, begin by confirming the arrest location and the agency involved. A home address in Bakersfield does not establish which agency currently holds the person. The county custody resource below is maintained by Kern County Sheriff's Office; this website does not hold inmate records.
The Metropolitan Division at 1415 Truxtun Avenue is at the southeast corner of Truxtun and Chester Avenues. Its courthouse location does not establish a person's jail housing assignment.
Kern County covers Bakersfield and valley farming communities as well as mountain passes, the Kern River Valley, and high-desert cities including Mojave and Ridgecrest. Those distances make the holding agency more useful than the arrest location when starting a search. The Kern County Sheriff's Office provides an official inmate search for its custody records. Use a full name and available identifying details, and preserve the booking reference once a reliable match is found.
The downtown Central Receiving Facility and the Lerdo detention complex north of Bakersfield are different destinations. Initial processing does not establish a person's later housing assignment, so check again before planning a visit or pickup. Kern also contains state prisons, including institutions near Delano and Wasco, whose records belong to the state corrections system rather than the county locator. An empty county search therefore cannot answer every question about someone incarcerated within Kern's boundaries. The Superior Court operates multiple divisions across this large county; a Bakersfield custody location does not automatically determine the hearing site for a desert-area case. Confirm the assigned court, department, and date separately. Recent bookings, transfers, and release processing may not be reflected immediately, and a listed charge is an allegation rather than a conviction or complete account of the court case.
For a search connected with Bakersfield, keep the person's legal name, date of birth, arrest location and any booking number together. If the county information does not establish a match, ask the arresting agency whether booking is pending, whether the person was released, or whether another jurisdiction took custody. Do not interpret a missing record as confirmation that no arrest occurred.
How to search for someone in custody
Start with the custody information published by the Kern County Sheriff's Office. Have the person's full legal name and, ideally, a date of birth ready. If an online lookup is available, compare identifying details rather than relying on a name alone. If you obtain a booking number, keep it with your notes for later questions to jail staff, the court, or an attorney.
Official inmate search (external site).
Jail facilities
These are Kern County custody facilities, not a claim that Bakersfield has its own jail. Confirm the person's current housing assignment before traveling; the nearest building may not hold them.
- Central Receiving Facility, 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
- Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility, 17695 Industrial Farm Road, Bakersfield, CA 93308
- Lerdo Justice Facility, 17801 Industrial Farm Road, Bakersfield, CA 93308
Visiting, phone calls and mail
Determine whether the person is at a Lerdo facility or another Kern custody location before following the sheriff's visiting instructions. Confirm reservations, identification, approved visitors, and housing restrictions, especially before a long drive from Ridgecrest or the mountain communities. Use current facility-specific mail guidance; the administrative office on Norris Road is not automatically the destination for jail correspondence.
Court and bail
Criminal cases here are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Kern (Metropolitan Division, 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301).
Kern Superior Court's current bail schedule must be read with the actual case order and any legal hold. Ask the court or Probation about pretrial assessment and release supervision rather than assuming money bail is the only option. Verify with sheriff's release staff whether cash or a bond is posted downtown or at another designated counter for the person's booking.
Common questions
Where should I start an inmate search after an arrest in Bakersfield?
Start with the Kern County Sheriff's Office custody resource for Kern County. Confirm the actual arrest location first. If there is no matching county record, the arresting agency can clarify whether the person is awaiting transfer or was taken elsewhere.
Are the facilities on this page city jails in Bakersfield?
No. This page lists county custody facilities relevant to Bakersfield. Check the current housing assignment before visiting, mailing anything, or arranging transportation; a nearby facility is not evidence of where someone is held.
Which court handles a criminal case from Bakersfield?
Superior Court of California, County of Kern is the state trial court for Kern County. The assigned courthouse and department depend on the case. Use the case number and official calendar, rather than assuming the county seat or closest courthouse is the hearing location. Federal and immigration cases use separate systems.
Will Kern's search find someone in a Delano state prison?
Not necessarily. State-prison custody is tracked by CDCR, separately from the sheriff's county jail records.
Is Central Receiving the same as Lerdo?
No. Central Receiving is downtown, while Lerdo facilities are on Industrial Farm Road north of Bakersfield.
Does a Ridgecrest arrest always lead to a Bakersfield hearing?
No. Confirm the Superior Court division assigned to the case; custody location alone does not settle venue.
Official sources and record limitations
This guide links to Kern County Sheriff's Office for custody procedures and Superior Court of California, County of Kern for court information. A booking record is not a conviction. Recent bookings, transfers, releases and protected records may not appear in a public lookup.