Federal Inmate Locator
Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator to search for people who have been in federal custody from 1982 to the present. Federal inmate records are separate from California county-jail and state-prison records.
Open Official Federal Inmate LocatorInformation Needed for a Federal Inmate Search
The BOP Inmate Locator accepts searches by name or by identifier number. Having the following information available will improve your results:
- Complete legal name — First and last name as it appears on official records.
- Age, race and sex — Required when searching by name to narrow results among people with similar names.
- BOP register number — The most precise identifier. Also accepted: DCDC number, FBI number or INS number.
Understanding Federal Inmate Results
The BOP Inmate Locator displays records for individuals who have been in federal custody since 1982. Results include current facility, projected release date and release method where available.
Release dates shown in the locator are projected and may change due to sentence modifications, good-conduct time adjustments, appeals, detainers or other legal proceedings. A projected date is not a guaranteed release date.
A result of "Released" or "Not in BOP Custody" does not necessarily indicate the person's current location. They may be in the custody of another federal, state or local agency, on supervised release, or held under a detainer. Contact the relevant agency for current custody status.
County Jail, State Prison or Federal Custody?
Inmate search systems are not interchangeable. Each covers a distinct type of custody. Using the correct system for the type of arrest will return the most accurate results.
County Jail
Covers local custody following an arrest by a city police department or county sheriff. Booking records are maintained by the county sheriff or arresting agency. Use the county inmate search for recently arrested individuals.
California Inmate Search and Jail LocatorCalifornia State Prison (CDCR)
Covers adults sentenced to California state prison and currently in the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Use the CDCR locator for people serving state sentences.
California State Prison LocatorFederal Custody (BOP)
Covers individuals convicted of federal offenses and in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Federal cases are prosecuted in U.S. District Court and are separate from state and county systems.
Official Federal BOP LocatorNeed Help Locating Someone in Federal Custody?
If you cannot locate someone using the BOP locator or need assistance understanding the results, a Post It Bail Bonds representative can help clarify available information.