San Diego County Sheriff’s Office: Contacts, Reports, Patrol and Civil Services
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office provides patrol services in its local service areas, operates County detention facilities, provides court security and handles designated civil, records and licensing services. Use this guide to find the appropriate contact and official instructions for your request.
Emergency: Call 9-1-1.
Non-emergency dispatch: 858-868-3200.
Administrative front desk: 858-974-2222.
Independent guide. This website is not affiliated with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. Use official agency channels to report incidents, submit records requests and apply for services. Requirements and availability depend on the service.
Contact Emergency or Non-Emergency Dispatch
Call 9-1-1 for an emergency requiring immediate assistance. For non-emergency law enforcement assistance in the Sheriff’s service area, call 858-868-3200.
The administrative front desk handles general office matters. It is separate from emergency and non-emergency dispatch.
The agency states that its website is not monitored around the clock and email correspondence is not monitored in real time or intended to document crimes. Use dispatch to report an incident or request an urgent response.
For help choosing between dispatch and administrative contacts, see which number to call for non-emergency assistance.
Text to 9-1-1
Text to 9-1-1 is available in San Diego County. The agency’s instruction is to call when you can and text when you cannot call.
Calls impersonating deputies
The Sheriff warns about callers who impersonate deputies and threaten arrest unless money is paid. Do not send money or disclose financial information in response to an unexpected demand. Verify the claim using an official contact you obtain independently, rather than a number supplied by the caller.
The official contact page provides dispatch numbers and other contact instructions.
Choose the Service That Matches Your Request
| What you need | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Report an incident or request law enforcement assistance | Emergency or non-emergency dispatch, according to the situation and jurisdiction. |
| Find a person in County custody | The official Who’s in Jail lookup. |
| Arrange a jail visit, receive calls, send mail or deposit funds | The person’s current detention facility and its official instructions. |
| Obtain a crime, arrest or accident report | The report request page and Records & ID Division. |
| Find policies, statistics or request other agency records | The Open Data page for published information, or the public records request instructions for other records. |
| Request qualifying court-paper service or judgment enforcement | The Sheriff’s Civil Division and civil process instructions. |
| Apply for a permit or obtain registration instructions | The permit and license page. |
Confirm Patrol Jurisdiction and Find a Station
The Sheriff’s Office serves as the local police agency for nine contract cities: Del Mar, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach and Vista.
It also provides patrol and investigative services in unincorporated communities. The California Highway Patrol has primary responsibility for traffic services in unincorporated areas, so a collision report may belong to CHP rather than the Sheriff.
Other incorporated cities have their own local police arrangements. The Sheriff’s Office provides countywide detention and court services, but primary patrol responsibility depends on the location.
For help confirming the agency responsible for a specific location, see whether the Sheriff’s Office provides police services at your address.
Find the station handling the incident
Use the official patrol station directory for station addresses and telephone numbers. For an existing report, contact the station that handled the incident.
For a follow-up inquiry, prepare the incident date, location, report number if known and the names of those involved. Check public counter availability before visiting.
Find Custody Information and Jail Services
Use the official Who’s in Jail lookup to search the Sheriff’s custody records.
Custody information: Call 619-409-5000 and select the relevant detention facility.
Our inmate search guide explains search requirements, missing results and release-date confirmation. Our jail services guide covers facility locations, visits, phone calls, correspondence and commissary services.
Request a Crime, Arrest or Accident Report
A report-copy request is different from reporting a new incident. Use dispatch for law enforcement assistance and the official report request instructions to obtain an existing Sheriff’s report. Reports prepared by a city police department or CHP must be requested through that agency.
Access depends on the report and the requester’s eligibility. The agency describes these reports as generally restricted to eligible interested parties, victims or those authorized through a subpoena or court order. Submitting a request does not guarantee release.
For submission methods, identification requirements and fee information, see how to request a crime, arrest or accident report.
For trial status, judgments or sentencing records, use the court’s records services; see our court case search guide. Prosecution-related inquiries may belong with the District Attorney’s Office. A Sheriff’s report number and a Superior Court case number identify different records.
Find Public Records, Policies and Statistics
The agency’s Open Data page provides access to published resources such as crime mapping, law enforcement activity reports and use-of-force information.
Check the published resources first when seeking agency policies, statistics or reports. For records not available there, use the official public records request instructions and the linked Public Records Center.
Describe the records sought as clearly as possible, including the subject and relevant date range. Access remains subject to applicable restrictions; a request portal does not make every agency record releasable.
For a specific incident report, use the report-copy instructions above.
Request Civil Service or Enforcement
The Sheriff’s Court Services Bureau provides court security. Its Civil Division handles qualifying court-paper service and enforcement work, including restraining orders, evictions, wage garnishments and levies.
The Civil Division does not generally serve ordinary non-enforcement documents such as summonses and complaints or small claims claim-and-order papers. The official instructions describe an exception when a California court order waives the Sheriff’s service fees.
Before submitting papers, check whether the requested service is one the Civil Division handles. Use the official civil process page for current requirements and Civil Division contacts.
For accepted services, required forms and submission instructions, see how to request service of court papers.
The Civil Division cannot advise which legal remedy or document you should select. Use the court’s self-help services or an appropriate legal professional when you need help deciding how to proceed.
Find Permit, Licensing and Registration Instructions
The official permit and license page provides regulatory licensing, criminal registration, concealed carry and other service instructions.
License and Criminal Registration Division: 858-974-2020
Location: 9621 Ridgehaven Court, San Diego, CA 92123.
Office hours and transaction cutoffs
The division lists office hours as Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays. The office and telephone service close for lunch from noon–1 p.m.
For general transactions, the published sign-in cutoffs are 11 a.m. for morning processing and 3 p.m. for afternoon processing. Arrive before the applicable cutoff and confirm the requirements for your service.
Criminal registration has a separate schedule: Tuesday and Wednesday walk-ins require signing in by 11 a.m.; Thursday registration is by appointment only from 8–11 a.m. Check the current instructions before visiting.
Concealed carry applications
CCW applications are submitted online through the process linked from the agency’s official permit page. Paper applications are not accepted under the published instructions.
Required registration
If you have a legal registration obligation, contact the division for the applicable procedure. The registration inquiry line is 858-974-2822. General office hours do not change a legal registration deadline.
Clearance letters and other services
The division provides information about international clearance letters and notary services. For a background check intended for use within the United States or for immigration purposes, the agency directs applicants to Records & ID at 858-974-2110.
Office Contacts and Additional Resources
| Service | Contact |
|---|---|
| Administrative front desk | 858-974-2222 John F. Duffy Administrative Center 9621 Ridgehaven Court San Diego, CA 92123 |
| Non-emergency dispatch | 858-868-3200 |
| Custody information | 619-409-5000 Select the appropriate detention facility. |
| Records & ID | 858-974-2110 |
| License and Criminal Registration Division | 858-974-2020 |
| Chula Vista Civil Office | 619-691-4543 500 Third Avenue, Suite 140 Chula Vista, CA 91910 |
| El Cajon Civil Office | 619-441-4564 250 East Main Street El Cajon, CA 92020 |
For additional civil-service locations, use the Civil Office Locations page. The broader official facility directory lists stations, detention facilities and other offices.
For mailed submissions, use the destination specified by the selected service rather than copying an unrelated office address.