🔍 Free Inmate Search, All 50 States
Search US Inmate RecordsFree: State, County, and Federal
Find inmates in state prisons, county jails, and federal facilities across all 50 states. Every link on this site points directly to free official government databases.
Independent directory • Not affiliated with any government agency • Links to official sources
✓ 50 States Covered
✓ State + County + Federal
✓ Free Official Sources
✓ Updated August 2026
Where Should I Search? : Use This First
The most common reason searches fail is using the wrong database. Select what applies to your situation.
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Situation
Recently Arrested
Arrest happened recently and no sentence has been handed down. Person is almost certainly in a county jail, not state prison.
County Jail Search →
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Situation
Serving a State Sentence
Convicted of a felony and already transferred to state prison. Person has been sentenced and is serving time in a state facility.
State DOC Search →
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Situation
Federal Charges
Charges were brought in federal court (DEA, FBI, or federal prosecutor) involved. Federal and state systems share no records.
BOP Federal Search →
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Situation
Immigration Detention
Detained by ICE for immigration reasons. ICE detainees are not in state or federal BOP databases. Separate search tool required.
ICE Detainee Locator →
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Looking for Someone Recently Arrested?
If the arrest happened within the past few days, the person may not yet appear in a state DOC database. Transfer from county to state prison happens after sentencing, not at arrest. Start with the county jail, then move to state, then federal if needed.
1→ County Sheriff Roster
2→ State DOC Database
3→ Federal BOP or ICE
State Inmate Search Guides : Full Coverage
In-depth guides with county directories, facility lists, and step-by-step search instructions.
★ Full Guide Live
Texas
TDCJ + All 254 Counties
View Texas Guide →
★ Full Guide Live
Michigan
MDOC OTIS + All 83 Counties
View Michigan Guide →
★ Full Guide Live
Illinois
IDOC + Cook County + All 102 Counties
View Illinois Guide →
★ Full Guide Live
Nevada
NDOC + All 17 Counties
View Nevada Guide →
★ Full Guide Live
Alabama
ADOC State Prison + Counties
View Alabama Guide →
★ Full Guide Live
Ohio
ODRC State Prison + Counties
View Ohio Guide →
All 50 States – Select Your State
Full guides live for 6 states. Guides for remaining states coming soon.
AlaskaGuide Soon
ArizonaGuide Soon
ArkansasGuide Soon
CaliforniaGuide Soon
ColoradoGuide Soon
ConnecticutGuide Soon
DelawareGuide Soon
FloridaGuide Soon
GeorgiaGuide Soon
HawaiiGuide Soon
IdahoGuide Soon
IndianaGuide Soon
IowaGuide Soon
KansasGuide Soon
KentuckyGuide Soon
LouisianaGuide Soon
MaineGuide Soon
MarylandGuide Soon
MassachusettsGuide Soon
MinnesotaGuide Soon
MississippiGuide Soon
MissouriGuide Soon
MontanaGuide Soon
NebraskaGuide Soon
New HampshireGuide Soon
New JerseyGuide Soon
New MexicoGuide Soon
New YorkGuide Soon
North CarolinaGuide Soon
North DakotaGuide Soon
OklahomaGuide Soon
OregonGuide Soon
PennsylvaniaGuide Soon
Rhode IslandGuide Soon
South CarolinaGuide Soon
South DakotaGuide Soon
TennesseeGuide Soon
UtahGuide Soon
VermontGuide Soon
VirginiaGuide Soon
WashingtonGuide Soon
West VirginiaGuide Soon
WisconsinGuide Soon
WyomingGuide Soon
Inmate Search by Name
Know the person’s name? Here is what to do.
Official state DOC and county sheriff tools are searchable by first and last name. If you don’t know which facility, start with your state guide and work through the county options. A blank result does not mean the person is free. It usually means you are searching the wrong system.
Step-by-step name search
1Use the full legal name as it appears on a government ID, not a nickname.
2Search the county jail first if the arrest was recent.
3Search the state DOC if a felony sentence was already handed down.
4Search BOP.gov if the charges were federal.
5Call the facility directly if all online searches return nothing.
Popular Inmate Search Guides : Facility Directory
Direct guides for the most-searched correctional facilities and county jails.
Texas State Prison
TDCJ Inmate Search
Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice
Clark County, Nevada
CCDC, Las Vegas Jail
Clark County Detention Center
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County Jail, Chicago
One of the largest US county jails
Michigan State Prison
MDOC, OTIS Search
Michigan Dept. of Corrections
Kern County, California
Kern County Jail
Bakersfield, KCSO Roster
Adams County, Colorado
Adams County Detention
Brighton, Colorado
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County Jail, Reno
WCSO Inmate Roster
Wayne County, Michigan
Wayne County Jail, Detroit
CLEMIS Inmate Locator
Need a County Jail Search? : Start Here
County jails are run separately from state prisons. Choose a state to find that county’s sheriff roster.
Texas, 254 Counties
Texas County Jails
Harris County, Bexar, Travis, Dallas and more
Michigan, 83 Counties
Michigan County Jails
Wayne County (Detroit), Oakland, Kent and more
Illinois, 102 Counties
Illinois County Jails
Cook County (Chicago), DuPage, Lake and more
Nevada, 17 Counties
Nevada County Jails
Clark County (Las Vegas), Washoe (Reno) and more
Ohio, 88 Counties
Ohio County Jails
Franklin County, Cuyahoga, Hamilton and more
Alabama, 67 Counties
Alabama County Jails
Jefferson County, Mobile, Madison and more
What Can an Inmate Search Show? : Public Record Fields
Information available varies by state and county. Not all jurisdictions publish every field online.
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Full Name
As recorded at booking or intake
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Booking Number
County jail unique identifier
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IDOC / DOC Number
State prison unique identifier
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Current Facility
Where the person is currently housed
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Booking Date
Date of arrest or intake
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Charges
Offenses on record at time of search
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Bond / Bail Amount
Where published by the county
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Custody Status
In custody, released, or on supervision
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Release Date
Projected or actual, subject to change
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Mugshot
Where publicly available by jurisdiction
Information availability varies by state, county, and facility. Always verify directly with the relevant agency for official confirmation.
How Inmate Search Works : Three Systems
The most common reason searches fail is looking in the wrong database. Here is how the three systems work.
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County Jail
Holds people recently arrested or awaiting trial. Run by the county sheriff or local corrections department. Online inmate rosters vary by county. For a recent arrest, the county jail roster is generally the best place to start.
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State Prison
Holds people convicted of felonies serving longer sentences. Run by each state’s Department of Corrections. Transfer from county jail to state prison typically happens after sentencing, not immediately after arrest.
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Federal Prison
Holds people convicted of federal crimes. Run by the Bureau of Prisons. Search free at bop.gov/inmateloc. ICE immigration detainees are a separate system. Use locator.ice.gov. Federal and state systems share no records.
Federal Inmate Search : BOP and ICE
Federal inmates are not in any state or county database. Use these official federal tools.
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Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
Free search for all federal prison inmates from 1982 to present. Searchable by name or BOP Register Number. Covers all 122 federal correctional institutions.
Search Federal Inmates →
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ICE Online Detainee Locator
For people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE detainees are not in the BOP database. They require a separate search. Free official tool from the Department of Homeland Security.
Search ICE Detainees →
Official Inmate Search Sources : Where We Link
Every search tool on this site links directly to free government databases. We do not operate any of these systems.
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State Departments of Corrections
Every US state runs its own DOC with a public offender search tool. Michigan uses OTIS. Illinois uses IDOC IIC Search. Texas uses TDCJ. Each state is linked directly.
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County Sheriff Jail Rosters
County jails are maintained by county sheriffs. Online roster availability varies. Larger counties typically have searchable databases; smaller counties may require a phone call.
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Federal Bureau of Prisons
The BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc covers all federal inmates from 1982 onward. Free, no account required, maintained by the US Department of Justice.
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ICE Detainee Locator
The ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov covers people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Separate from BOP: federal immigration detainees only.
USA Jail Lookup is an independent informational directory. We are not a government agency and do not operate any of the databases linked from this site. All search links point to official government sources.
Inmate Search Support Guides – Common Questions
Essential Guide
County Jail vs. State Prison
The most important guide on this site. Explains which database to search based on where someone is in the legal process, and why a blank result does not mean someone is free.
Troubleshooting
VINELink Not Working?
VINELink is the national custody notification system. This guide covers reasons it fails and what to do instead, including the 24/7 phone backup at 1-877-894-8477.
Family Support
How to Send Money to an Inmate
Covers JPay, GTL ConnectNetwork, and Access Corrections. Includes scam warnings and step-by-step instructions for finding which service your facility accepts.
Frequently Asked Questions : Inmate Search Basics
Select your state from the grid above and follow the guide for that state. For state prison inmates, each state runs its own Department of Corrections search tool. For county jail inmates, search the county sheriff roster for the county where the arrest occurred. For federal inmates, use bop.gov/inmateloc. All searches are free and no account is required.
County jails hold people recently arrested and awaiting trial, or serving shorter sentences under one year. State prisons hold people convicted of felonies serving longer sentences. They are completely separate systems with no shared databases. If a search in one returns nothing, check the other. See our County Jail vs State Prison guide for a full explanation.
Yes. Every state Department of Corrections and most county sheriff offices provide free public inmate search tools. USA Jail Lookup links directly to these official free government sources. No payment or account is required for any search tool on this site. Avoid third-party sites that charge fees for the same information available free from official sources.
Search the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. This free tool covers all federal inmates going back to 1982. For ICE immigration detainees, use locator.ice.gov. ICE detainees are not in the BOP database. Federal inmates are not in any state or county system.
The most common reason is searching the wrong system. If someone was recently arrested, check the county jail before the state prison database. A newly arrested person may not yet appear in state DOC records. Transfer happens after sentencing, not at arrest. There may also be a short indexing delay after a recent arrest or facility transfer. See our County Jail vs State Prison guide for a full walkthrough.
Disclaimer: USA Jail Lookup is an independent informational website not affiliated with any federal, state, or local government agency. All search links point to official government databases. Inmate records are public information. Always verify current custody status directly with the relevant facility or agency. This site does not provide legal advice.