THE PUBLIC SERVICES SECTION IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FROM 8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY TO PICK UP REQUESTS. PLEASE CALL (562) 345-4441 TO SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST. WALK-IN SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT.
Please be advised, Records and Identification Bureau observes holidays.
Records and Identification Bureau
Frequently Asked Questions regarding obtaining copies of police reports, Fingerprinting services, identification, and service fees.
Hours of Service and Fees
Answer:
Business hours are Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. by appointment only. Fees vary depending upon the type of service you are requesting. (click here for fee information).
Please be advised, Records and Identification Bureau observes holidays.
Answer:
Yes. Please call (562) 345-4441 to submit your request and schedule an appointment to pick up your documents.
We accept:
- Cash
- Personal Checks made payable to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department or LASD
- Cashier’s Checks made payable to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department or LASD
- Money Orders made payable to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department or LASD
- Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, and American Express)
- Debit cards
Please click here for credit card terms and conditions.
Obtaining a Report
You may call (562) 345-4441 to submit your request and schedule an appointment to pick up your copy in person or you may request a copy through the mail.
The Public Services Section is located at:
12440 East Imperial Highway, Suite 120, Norwalk, California 90650
Please note that there are some crimes which are handled by specialized units within our Department. Depending upon the crime category of the report you are seeking, you may be re-directed to these units.
Requesting In Person By Appointment:
When calling for an appointment you will be asked to provide the following information and we will review your legal authority to obtain a copy of this record.
- Full name (including any alias(es) you want searched.
- Date of birth.
- Type of identification to be used, ID number and expiration date.
- Date of incident.
- Address/Location of incident.
Requesting Through The Mail:
You may submit your written request, including required documents and fees, to:
Records and Identification Bureau
Attention: Records Inquiry Non-Law Enforcement Section
12440 East Imperial Highway, Suite 400 West
Norwalk, California 90650
(562) 345-4448
Please include the following in your correspondence:
- Your full name (including any alias you want searched)
- Your date of birth
- The address where the report should be mailed
- Your signature
- Your valid notarized identification.
We accept the following forms of identification:
- Acceptable identification must be issued by a state or government agency, not be expired, include a photo, address, issue date, expiration date, and a unique identifier. Examples include State Driver’s Licenses, State Identification cards, matrícula consular cards, and Employment Authorization Documents.
- A valid government-issued passport with your photo on it. Please note that we will verify the validity of the identification with the issuing agency.
Note: If you lack any identification, your identification is expired, or you never had any identification, you will be required to visit the nearest California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain a temporary printout indicating your name and address. The Public Services Section will also request some form of picture and name identification.
Answer:
Yes, once validation has been made that you are eligible to receive these records under the law.
Your representative must present the following:
- An original, notarized letter from you giving authorization to receive the information on your behalf.
- A notarized copy of your valid state-issued identification.
- The representative’s valid state-issued identification (must be notarized if submitting the request through the mail).
- An original letter stating what criminal history information is being requested and the reason for the request with your signature included.
If you are an attorney requesting records on behalf of a client through the mail-in process, you must submit the following declaration where your signature is included under this declaration in place of the requirements above or sign this declaration if you request this information in person:
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America and the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct, and that I am the person named above, and I understand that any falsification of this statement is punishable under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Section 1001 by a fine of no more than $10,000.00 or by imprisonment of no more than five years or both, and that requesting or obtaining any record(s) under false pretenses is punishable under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. Section 522a(i)(3) by a fine of no more than $5,000.00.
Print your name, sign your name, and date the declaration.
Answer:
We accept any one of the following:
- A valid state issued identification with your picture on it such as a Driver’s License or Identification Card.
- A valid government issued passport which has your picture on it. Please note that a verification of the validity of the identification with the issuing agency will be made.
Note: If you do not have any identification, the identification is expired, or you never had any identification, you will be asked to go to the nearest California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain a temporary printout from the DMV indicating your name and address. The Public Services Section will also ask for some type of picture and name identification.
Answer:
Drop off requests are not currently being accepted.
Answer:
You may call (562) 345-4441 to submit your request and schedule an appointment to pick up in person or you may request a copy through the mail (click here for location information).
Once you have presented valid identification and we have determined you are authorized to receive this report under Section 6228 of the California Family Code, you will be allowed to obtain one free copy within 5 years of the completion of the report. If additional copies are requested, even at a later date, you will be asked to pay a fee (click here for fee information). Domestic Violence Reports are maintained in accordance with our retention schedule and reports older than 10 years may not be available if they have been purged according to this schedule.
Disputing Records
Answer:
An arrest can also be verified by fingerprint submission through a request for “Record Review.” The results of this review will be sent to you directly from the California Department of Justice in 2 to 3 business days. You will be required to pay a service rolling fee and the California Department of Justice fee (click here for fee information).
Answer:
Once you have received your Record Review response, if you want to challenge the contents of your criminal record, you must complete the “Claim of Alleged inaccuracy or incompleteness” (form BCIA 8706), which will be included with your Record Review response if there is criminal information on your record. Mail the completed form, along with a copy of your criminal history record, to the address indicated on the form. Your challenge must specifically state the basis for the claim of inaccuracy or incompleteness and include any available proof or corroboration to substantiate your claim.
The process for disputing any arrest record showing up as a result of your fingerprint submission to the California Department of Justice can also be reviewed by clicking this link.
Expunge/Seal Records and Warrants
Answer:
Expunging an arrest record does not hold the same meaning and results as sealing an arrest record.
Expunging a record requires a form CR-180 (Petition for Dismissal). Please click here for a copy.
The form CR-180 is to be completed and filed with the Court requesting the previous case where there was a conviction (only misdemeanor or certain felonies apply) to be re-opened to set aside that conviction, withdraw their “guilty” plea, enter a plea of “not guilty”, and close the case without a conviction. Only the courts can grant the record to be expunged but keep in mind that the arrest and charges will still exist. Please refer to California Penal Code Sections 1203.4 and 1203.4a for further information.
Sealing a Record under California Penal Code Section 851.8 refers to a person who has been arrested or detained and is determined to be factually innocent. The person may petition the law enforcement agency or court having jurisdiction over the matter. Petitions can be filed for up to two years following the arrest filing date. Please refer to form BCIA 8270 (Petition to Seal and Destroy Adult Arrest Records) for further information and direction. A copy of this form can be obtained through this link.
You may also contact the Sealing Section at (562) 345-4454 or (562) 345-4439.
Answer:
Go to your local police department or sheriff’s station. They can conduct a search to see if you have a warrant.
Obtaining Copies
Answer:
Court information is not provided. You will need to contact the court that handled your case for all court information. If you are requesting the final disposition of your case, that information is also provided by the court.
Answer:
Provided the station resides within the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, typically, incidents which occurred within six months may be obtained from the Station personnel. It is best to call the station directly to confirm they have the record and whether it will be made available to you under the law.
Public Records Act Request (PRA)
Answer:
Submit your Public Records Act Request to:
Discovery Unit
Public Records Act Request
211 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
Or email your request to: DiscoveryUnitPRARequests@lasd.org
For information on Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor’s policy about Public Records access, (Please click here).
Registering or Applying for a Job
Answer:
Yes, we only perform electronic fingerprinting submission to the California Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, using Live Scan. We do not provide FBI fingerprint card services. Our agency charges a rolling fee which is in addition to any fees charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Fees are collected at the time of service (click here for fee information).
The applicant agency that referred you must provide you with a Live Scan form. This form contains information that is unique to each agency and this information must be provided before arriving to have your prints taken.
Answer:
You must contact the requesting agency so they can provide the specific information that they need for the position. You can download a “Request for Live Scan Service” form (BCIA 8016) from this California Department of Justice website link.
If you choose to download the form, please be sure to complete the form with information required by the hiring agency. We do not assist with completing this form for you and will not refund the money if any information you entered on the form is inaccurate.
Answer:
In most cases, the results from DOJ come back within 48 hours. The results are sent directly to the requesting agency listed on the Request for Live Scan Service form that you provided. We do not receive the results at our location.
Answer:
Yes. A Live Scan form is required and provided.
You will be required to pay our rolling fee and the California Department of Justice fee (click here for fee information). The results of this review will be sent to you directly from the California Department of Justice and it may take from 2 to 3 business days. However, some requests may take up to 2 weeks to process depending on the information contained within the record.
Answer:
The record review is conducted by the California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General. You will need to contact them about any expediting services they offer. You can also refer to their website.
Answer:
You are required to bring your registration requirement document and valid identification to your scheduled appointment. We can also accept an original Superior Court case minute order, which must clearly indicate the order for registration. The Public Services Section only registers Arson Offenders. Please confirm that your residence address falls within the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department before you come to our facility. Your Probation or Parole Officer can assist you further.
For Sex Offenses, you will need to go to the local police agency or Sheriff’s Station where you reside.
Third Party Accessing Records for Court
Answer:
In accordance with Section 11105.6 of the California Penal Code (CPC), we may furnish the following information:
- Individual’s known aliases
- Booking photograph
- Unaltered copy of the booking and property record (excluding medical information
In order to receive the information above, ALL of the following circumstances must exist:
- The information is from the record of a person for whom a bench warrant has been issued, or from whom a bail forfeiture has been ordered (we request proof).
- The person described above is a client of the agent or licensee (we request proof).
- The agent or licensee pays a fee equal to the cost of providing the information (Click here for fee information).
- Present required valid picture identification and proof of status as a Bail Bonds agent.
Note: Please do not bring your firearm into the Public Services Section facility. You will be asked to remove it from the facility.
Answer:
Please contact the Subpoena Control Section at (562) 345-4437 to arrange a drop off time and date. There is no fee charged when serving a criminal subpoena.
All Civil Subpoenas must be served at the following location:
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Los Angeles Civil Process Branch
110 N. Grand Ave., Room 525
Los Angeles, California 90012
(213) 972-3930
A fee is required for the submission of civil subpoenas.
Answer:
Yes, after we have validated you are entitled to receive this record under California Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 827-828.3 and upon submission of appropriate supporting documentation such as valid identification.
If we determined that you are not authorized to receive these records, you will be required to file a petition with the Juvenile Court to obtain a copy of these records. You may obtain additional information by clicking here.
Verification for Another Agency
Yes, however, we only provide information about the arrest disposition on the initial events from your arrest. For example, if you were booked and released by our agency, we can provide you with release information which is the same as the disposition of the arrest.
A copy of your arrest report is not available to you. Pursuant to the California Government Code Section 6254(f) local police agency records of investigation are exempt from release; therefore, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department does not release crime reports. However, the ICE representative can request a report directly from our agency by sending their request to:
Records and Identification Bureau
Attention: Records Inquiry Law Enforcement Section
12440 East Imperial Highway, Suite 400 West
Norwalk, California 90650
If you went to court and you received a sentence, probation, etc., this is considered the court disposition information and you will need to get this information from the court of record as we cannot release another agency’s records.
Yes, for our jurisdiction only and for a fee (click here for fee information).
Additional Information about Police Clearances:
- Our search is based upon the name you provide through the valid identification you present, along with any alias names you indicate.
- Our search is limited to a maximum period of 10 years.
- We require valid identification.
- Bring any paperwork from any agency or individual requesting this police clearance from you so that we can accurately respond to the requirements stipulated and avoid unnecessary delays or additional costs.
You may obtain proof of your incarceration by calling (562) 345-4441 to submit your request and schedule an appointment to pick up in person. Once you have presented valid identification, you will be provided with a letter stipulating your name at the time of the arrest, booking number, charge(s), date of arrest, and release information. You will be required to pay a fee.
Or you may request a copy through the mail by submitting your written request, including required documents and fees (click here for fee information), to the following address:
Records and Identification Bureau
Attention: Records Inquiry Non-Law Enforcement Section
12440 East Imperial Highway, Suite 400 West
Norwalk, California 90650
(562) 345-4448
Answer:
No. You will need to go to an ICE designated location.
Contact the Records and Identification Bureau
For Questions please call (562) 345-4426 between 8:00AM - 5:00PM.