Madera County, California Arrest Records

Madera County arrest records are official documents used by law enforcement to maintain information about arrest incidents. They are created by the arresting or booking officer and cover relevant key details about the arrest. Madera County arrest records are what appears during background checks, and they are public under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). Their public nature promotes transparency in law enforcement dealings.

Note that criminal offender record information is not subject to disclosure under the CPRA. Under Penal Code section 11105, criminal history information may only be disclosed to law enforcement agencies, certain employers, record subjects, and certain employers or regulatory agencies. Various agencies maintain their own arrest records, including local police departments like the Madera Police Department and the Chowchilla Police Department.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Madera, California?

Yes. Basic arrest information is generally public in Madera under the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 7920.000 et seq.), but full rap sheets and criminal history information are restricted. Records are open to access by both residents and non-residents. In-person requests often require a valid photo ID for identification. In addition, an agency may charge a fee for searches/copies.

What Do Public Madera County Arrest Records Contain?

Under Government Code § 7923.610, law enforcement agencies may publicly disclose the following information, except when such disclosure endangers a person involved in an investigation or puts at risk the outcome of the investigation:

• The full name, date of birth, and occupation of the arrested person
• The person’s physical description, including sex, height, hair color, and weight
• The date and time of arrest/booking
• The bail amount
• The time and manner of release
• Arrest location and factual circumstances surrounding the arrest
• The chargers for which the individual was arrested

An agency may not disclose the above or related information if it determines that the interest served in not disclosing the requested record is greater than the public interest served by disclosing it (Government Code § 7922.000), it is protected by other state or federal law, or it contains any of the following:

• Juvenile information
• Sealed or dismissed records
• Active investigation information
• Social security numbers or other information that poses the risk of identity theft (Government Code § 7922.200)
• Information about confidential informants or victims of sensitive crimes

Madera County,  California Arrest Search

At the state level, individuals can find Madera County arrest records through a criminal background check conducted with the California Bureau of Investigations. The summary criminal history information obtainable through this search usually covers arrests. However, this option is only available to record subjects, their attorneys, and other legally authorized persons or agencies.  

At the federal level, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) portal provides access to federal criminal case documents that often include arrest-related details. Users must first create a free account to perform any searches on PACER. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) manages inmates serving sentences in federal facilities. You can locate a federal inmate by searching with their full legal name or BOP registration number using the BOP’s official online inmate locator tool.

Madera County Inmate Locator

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office does not provide an online inmate locator. Online access to Madera inmate records can only be achieved using private third-party websites with a booking number or an inmate’s first and last names as search criteria. Official arrest records are only available upon in-person request at the county sheriff’s office located at

Sheriff's Headquarters

2725 Falcon Drive

Madera, CA 93637

Phone: (559) 675-7770

Active Warrant Search in Madera County

An arrest warrant is a court-issued order authorizing law enforcement to arrest a person suspected of committing a crime or failing to appear in court. They may be issued by judges or magistrates, based on probable cause. An arrest warrant typically contains the person’s name, the charges, the case details, and the issuing authority. 

Under the CPRA, arrest warrants are public, although selectively. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office manages warrants and is responsible for their execution, though it does not provide a public active warrant search tool. Interested persons can find warrant information by contacting the sheriff’s office or looking up case records at the Madera County Superior Court. Searches typically require the defendant’s name, case number, date of birth (if known), or other specific documents required by the court.

Agency / Resource	Purpose	Search Methods	Notes
Madera County Sheriff’s Office	Maintains and serves warrants	In person	Visitation during business hours, Monday through Friday, except public holidays
Madera County Superior Court	Issues warrants and facilitates searches	Mail, in person, online	Charges $0.50 per page
Madera County Superior Court Online Portal	Electronic access to court records	Online	Requires user account registration

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Madera County

Free options for locating arrest records in Madera County are available through official government channels. Results typically include the individual's name, booking number, arrest date, charges, and current custody status. The Madera County Superior Court also provides basic case information through its online portal.

Note, however, that free tools carry practical limitations. No photo ID is required to search online, but a requester must possess the arrestee’s full name alongside a date of birth or booking number. Redacted materials and restricted records are not available through any free public tool, and obtaining full police reports typically requires a formal request under the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

Madera County Arrest Report

A Madera County arrest report and an arrest record are related but distinctly different documents. An arrest record is a condensed data entry within custodial or case management systems. It contains standardized information like the individual's name, the charges, the arrest date, and the case number. 

An arrest report, on the other hand, originates at the law enforcement agency and is a written account of what occurred during and around the arrest. It covers the officer's direct observations, the events around the arrest, statements made at the scene, and other relevant details. Both documents are maintained by different agencies, so requesting one will not automatically yield the other.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Madera County

California law makes no provisions for complete erasure or disclosure through an expungement. The only available options are to petition the court to “dismiss” an arrest record under Penal Code § 1203.4 (for conviction arrests) or “seal” it under Penal Code § 851.91 (for non-conviction arrests). To be eligible for a dismissal, a person must have completed the sentence/probation, paid all fines, and not be actively on probation or serving a sentence for another offense.

To file a dismissal petition, complete and file forms CR-180 & CR-181 at the Madera County Superior Court (or the superior court in the county where the arrest occurred or the conviction was entered). The court charges a fee for an expungement. Depending on the case, a hearing may be required. In addition, a petitioner would have to obtain a copy of the arrest record, the associated criminal rap sheet, and any other document relevant to the case, as these are usually filed along with the petition.

N/B: Some government and law enforcement agencies still retain limited access to sealed records even after public access is restricted. 

How Do You Remove Madera County Arrest Records From the Internet?

To remove a Madera County arrest record from the internet, a person must first seek record relief through the California courts, such as sealing or dismissal, depending on eligibility. California law allows certain arrests that did not lead to conviction to be sealed from public access. Once the official record is sealed, government agencies are legally obligated to erase copies from their online databases.

However, individuals often have to personally request removal or correction of online records appearing in search engines or private databases, as removal is not always automatic, especially for information previously copied from official records.