Can I rely on the release date shown online?
Do not rely on the online date alone. The official Who’s in Jail search provided by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office warns that displayed release dates may be inaccurate and directs users to contact the facility for confirmation. Check with the holding facility before arranging transportation or treating the date as final.
Read the release-date notice
Check the search page’s current Special Notifications for release-date warnings. A displayed date does not confirm that someone has already been released or establish an exact pickup time. The site also cautions against relying on its data for legal action.
Ask the holding facility to confirm
Use the official Sheriff’s Office directory to find the relevant jail’s contact information. Have the person’s full name, date of birth and booking number available, if known, along with the date you saw online.
Ask the facility:
- Can you confirm whether the release date shown online is accurate?
- Has the person been released, or are they still in custody?
- When and how should I check again if release information is not yet confirmed?
If you do not know which facility to call, see how to confirm which jail is holding someone.
Before arranging pickup
Ask whether the facility can confirm where and when pickup should occur, and whether you should wait for further instructions before traveling. Do not assume that the displayed date means release will occur at midnight or at a particular hour.
Keep a note of when you checked and any follow-up instructions provided. If you are making arrangements for a later date, reconfirm the information close to the planned pickup.
If the date changes or the record disappears
Contact the facility to clarify the person’s current status. A changed date or missing search entry does not explain the outcome on its own.
If you can no longer find a matching entry, see why someone may not appear in the inmate search. For questions about a court order or the legal basis for release, consult the person’s attorney rather than using the lookup as a legal determination.