Where may I drop off unwanted prescription drugs?
After holding successful county-wide drug "take-back" events, the Bord of Supervisors and the Sheriff are working together to place secure drop-boxes at several Sheriff’s facilities. Until those installations are complete, you are welcome to drop off unwanted prescription drug during business hours at the Sheriff’s headquarters office at 9621 Ridgehaven Ct., San Diego. For more information about prescription drug abuse and to see if any formal take-back events are scheduled, please go to the OxyContin section of our site.


How can I find out if someone is in jail?
Please go to our "Who's in Jail" page and search for the inmate using the last name.  You will be able to locate the inmate, find out what charges are pending against the person, obtain their next court date, and send a message to the inmate.


How can I send a message to an inmate?
You may send a message via our "Who's in Jail" page.  For more information about sending a message, detailed instructions and troubleshooting, please see our Inmate E-mail page.


How can I visit an inmate?
Visits are allowed at each of our detention facilities.  Information about visit rules, and links to the facility visit schedules can be found on our Visiting Information page.


How can I put money on an inmate's account?
You may post money to an inmate's account by visiting any San Diego County Jail facility.  It need not be the facility where the inmate is housed.  If you are unable to post funds in person, you may send a money order (no cash or personal checks) to the inmate at the facility where he/she is housed.  Please make the money order payable to the inmate.  More information about inmate accounts can be found in our Jail Information pages.


How can I learn more about the jails?
You can visit the Jail Information section of our site to learn about jail operations, jail programs, visiting, mail, telephone, medical care and more.  Information about specific inmates can be found in our "Who's in Jail" site.  If you have any other questions, feel free to call the jail information office where the inmate is housed.


How do obtain a criminal records letter on myself?
You may contact the Sheriff's Records and Identification Division at (858) 974-2110.  Please note that criminal record letters used for international purposes are obtained from the Sheriff's License Division.  That office can be reached at (858) 974-2020.


Where may I have my fingerprints taken for employment purposes?
The Sheriff’s Department only performs live scan fingerprinting for its own enforcement purposes. To have your prints taken for employment or other application purposes, please check the list of available sites on the Department of Justice’s site.


How can I obtain a copy of a report?
Copies of crime reports can generally be obtained from the area station from which the report was prepared.  There may be a period of delay during the report preparation/review process, so please consider calling the station first to check on the availability of the report.  Reports over one year old may need to be obtained from the Sheriff's Records and Identification Division.  They can be reached at (858) 974-2110.


May I obtain a uniform shoulder patch for my collection?
For security and fiscal reasons, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department does not provide official items for private collections. 


How may I get a fix-it ticket signed off?
You can have your correctable citation signed off at any of our stations and at the court facilities.  There is a fee of $15 mandated by law that will be collected when the citation is signed off.


How may I apply for a concealed weapons permit?
Applications for concealed weapons permits are processed by the Sheriff's Licensing Division.  More information, including a downloadable application can be found here.  Questions may be directed to (858) 974-2020.


Where may I legally shoot in San Diego County?
There are a number of commercial firearms ranges around San Diego County where you may target shoot. Additionally, in some of the more rural areas of the County, you may be able to shoot on private property with the permission of the property owner. To get a better idea of those areas, you may download a Shooting Map in Adobe pdf format.   For more precise information, refer to the San Diego County Code of Regulatory Ordinances.