Understanding the system

What Happens After an Arrest: The Booking Process

The hours right after an arrest are confusing and slow. Here is what actually happens behind the jail doors, in order, so you know what to expect and when you can act.

Last updated 5 min read

Arrest and transport to the jail

After an arrest, the person is taken to a county jail or a city police lockup for processing. There is often a wait before anything visible happens — officers finish paperwork, and the jail handles arrivals in the order they come in. During this window the person usually cannot make calls and is not yet listed anywhere online.

Which facility they are taken to depends on the arresting agency. A county sheriff's deputy normally books people into the county jail, while a city police department may use its own jail in larger cities.

What booking involves

Booking is the administrative process of creating an official record of the arrest. It typically includes the following steps:

  • Recording personal information — full legal name, date of birth, and address.
  • Taking fingerprints and a booking photo (the mugshot).
  • Listing the charges and searching for any outstanding warrants.
  • Confiscating and inventorying personal property to be returned on release.
  • A health screening, and assignment of a booking or inmate number.

When they appear on the roster

Most county jails publish a public roster, but the record does not appear instantly. There is commonly a delay of a few hours between booking and the listing going live online, and busy nights or weekends can make it longer. If a recent arrest is not showing yet, wait and check again before assuming anything.

Once the record appears, it usually shows the booking date, charges, and custody status — the information you need to take the next step.

Holding, bond, and the first appearance

After booking, the person is held while the court decides on release. For many offenses a bond schedule sets a standard amount that can be posted right away. For others, they must wait to see a judge at an initial appearance — usually within 24 to 72 hours — where bail is set or release is granted.

Until that point there may be little you can do but confirm custody and the charges. Once a bond amount exists, you can look at how to post bail.

What you can do in the meantime

Confirm the person's location and booking number using the facility page here, and call the jail to verify the charges and bond once they are set. If you expect to bail them out or send money, gather valid photo ID and have the booking number ready — almost every later step depends on it.

Keep reading

Find an inmateA step-by-step guide to locating someone in county jail using inmate rosters, what details you need, and what to do when a search comes up empty.Bail someone outHow bail works, the steps to post it, the difference between cash bail and a bail bond, and the conditions that often come with release.Send moneyThe common ways to deposit money into an inmate's commissary or trust account, the fees and limits to expect, and how to avoid costly mistakes.