Criminal Records Bureau

* * * Records counters at the Hall of Justice, San Carlos, Half Moon Bay, and Millbrae will reopen to the public effective February 22, 2022. All counter services including report requests, vehicle releases, and clearance letters are still available remotely through fax, email, or mail 24/7. Those with requests or questions can email sheriffs_recordsrequest@smcgov.org, fax (650) 365-9884, or call (650) 363-4525. * * *

The Criminal Records Bureau is known as the Custodian of Records and serves as the repository for County criminal records and as the official criminal record keeper for the Sheriff's Office and the communities we serve.

For your convenience, Criminal Records Services are provided at the following locations:

Records Fees can be found here

Redwood City Main Office

400 County Center, 3rd Floor
Hall of Justice & Records
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 363-4525
Monday - Friday (except holidays)
7:30 AM - 5:45PM

Half Moon Bay Substation

537 Kelly Avenue
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
(650) 726-8288
Monday-Thursday (closed Fridays and holidays)
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Millbrae Substation

581 Magnolia Avenue
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 259-2300
Monday - Thursday (closed Fridays and holidays)
9:00 AM - 5:00PM

San Carlos Substation

600 Elm Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
(650) 802-4277
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday (closed Wednesdays, Fridays, and holidays)
8:00 AM - 5:00PM

Citations:

If you have misplaced your citation and need to obtain a copy, please come to the Redwood City Main Office during normal business hours (address and hours shown above). In order to obtain a copy of your citation, you must provide valid government photo identification and the citation must be a San Mateo County Sheriff's Office citation. For more information please email sheriffs_recordsrequest@smcgov.org or call (650) 363-4525.

Report Release & Requirements:

Certain types of Sheriff's Office reports are available for release to authorized parties. To obtain a copy of your report, please contact one of the offices during normal business hours (address and hours shown above). You will need to provide a case number and other identifying information, and you must be a named, involved party to the case or an authorized representative to a named, involved party to the case in order to request and receive a copy of the report. Certain types of reports are exempt from release and can only be released pursuant to a court order. Depending on the type of report, approval may be required from the investigating deputy or detective. Please email sheriffs_recordsrequest@smcgov.org or call (650) 363-4525 to determine if the report you want is one that can be released. For more information on report release requirements please click here. In some cases, if the report has been forwarded to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, you will need to contact the District Attorney's Office at (650) 363-4677.

Visa / Clearance Letters & Booking Chronology Requirements:

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office can assist you with obtaining a Police Clearance Letter (which is a letter showing that you have no criminal record with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office). Oftentimes, these are required in order to obtain a government-issued Visa or other document.
If you do have a criminal record with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, you will be provided with a "booking chronology" showing your time spent in the San Mateo County Jail and/or the Sheriff's Work Program (SWP). Please be advised that you must contact the appropriate Court if you require further information on your arrest record. For more information on Visa/Clearance Letters & Booking Chronology requirements please click here (Spanish version). You may send the form and your request to sheriffs_recordsrequest@smcgov.org.