Property & Evidence Bureau

The Property & Evidence Bureau is responsible for receiving, safely storing, and maintaining the integrity of evidence, found property, and property held for safekeeping. The Property & Evidence Bureau also releases property to its rightful owner, and facilitates the proper disposal of property in our possession. These functions are vital to the criminal justice process, allowing for the effective prosecution of criminal offenders while confirming innocence; and allowing victims to find truth and closure as justice is served. The Property & Evidence Bureau further serves the public by providing live scan and inked fingerprint services for background clearances for job applicants, licenses, and certifications.

Property Release

Property, when eligible to be released, is released by appointment only. Call (650) 599-1570.
Upon calling, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Your name
2. San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Case Number

To Recover Property Booked for Safekeeping

• Safekeeping property will be held for only 60 days, and then will be disposed of in accordance with law.
• Additional clearances must be obtained for firearms, please call (650) 599-1570 for instructions.

To Recover Property Booked as Evidence

• Property booked in as evidence, must be cleared for release by the assigned detective/deputy.
• Property owners must contact the detective/deputy for the property clearance process to begin.
• Once the Property & Evidence Bureau receives clearance from the detective/deputy, then you may call (650) 599-1570 to schedule an appointment. You will need to provide your name and San Mateo County Sheriff's Office case number.
• Property booked in as evidence that is not picked up within 150 days after court adjudication will be disposed of without further notice.
• Additional clearances must be obtained for firearms, please call (650) 599-1570 for instructions.

Property Surrender

The Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County, including Eichler Highlands and North Fair Oaks; the cities of Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, and San Carlos; the towns of Portola Valley and Woodside; and for the San Mateo County Transit District, including Caltrain and SamTrans. If you live in an area that the Sheriff’s Office provides Law Enforcement service, you may:

Turn in Found Property

• You may call (650) 363-4911 to have a deputy retrieve the found item from you or you may bring the found item to the substation with jurisdiction over where it was found. The correct jurisdiction is usually the nearest law enforcement agency or station to where the item was found.
• Finders may be eligible to claim found property if it remains unclaimed after 90 days. Please call (650) 599-1520 for more information prior to the expiration of the 90-day period.

Report Lost or Stolen Property

• If you have lost an item you may file a lost property report online at https://www.smcsheriff.com/online-crime-reporting.
• If you have lost an item on Caltrain you may report it lost online at http://www.caltrain.com/riderinfo/lostandfound.html
• If you have lost an item on SamTrans you may report it lost online at http://www.samtrans.com/riderinformation/lostandfound.html
• If you have lost an item at the San Francisco International Airport, please visit https://www.flysfo.com/services-amenities/lost-and-found for more information.
• If you are the victim of a theft you may be able to file a theft report online at https://www.smcsheriff.com/online-crime-reporting
  • We encourage you to record the unique information for all of your valuable property and store it in a safe place.  You may utilize our Property Information Tips and Template to assist with this process.  Submitting this information with your theft report can help reunite you with your property if it is recovered. 
  • The Sheriff’s Office has partnered with Project 529 and encourages you to register your bicycle by visiting https://project529.com/garage/organizations/sanmateocountysheriffsoffice/landing.

Turn in Firearms, Ammunition, or Explosives for Destruction

• You may call (650) 363-4911 to have a deputy retrieve unwanted firearms, ammunition, or explosives (ex. fireworks) from you. Items submitted for disposal cannot be retrieved later.

Turn in Firearms for Safekeeping

• You may call (650) 363-4911 to have a deputy retrieve firearms or ammunition that you wish to surrender for safekeeping to be in compliance with a protective order or restraining order. 
  • These firearms will be held for safekeeping for 180 days, if they remain unclaimed after 180 days they will be disposed of pursuant to Penal Code § 33875.
• You may call (650) 363-4911 to have a deputy retrieve firearms or ammunition that you wish to surrender to be in compliance with a General Notice of Firearm Prohibition. 
  • These firearms will be held for safekeeping for 30 days, if they remain unclaimed after 30 days they will be disposed of pursuant to Penal Code § 29810(i).

Property Auctions

Legally seized, found, and unclaimed property is sent to PropertyRoom.com. PropertyRoom.com is an online auction site open for bidding to the general public. They auction abandoned, stolen, lawfully seized, or unclaimed property of every kind from law enforcement agencies nationwide. The website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Live Scan & Fingerprinting

For more information on Live Scan and Fingerprinting services please click on icon below.