Marin County Police Records Access

Police records in Marin County include arrest logs, incident reports, and traffic crash documents maintained by the Marin County Sheriff's Office. The Records Division serves the entire county from its office in San Rafael. You can request police records by mail, fax, or in person. Individual requests must be picked up in person according to local policy. Fees apply for copies. The first page costs $2 and each additional page is $1. Processing takes up to ten days under California Public Records Act guidelines.

Marin County Sheriff Records Division

The Records Division at the Marin County Sheriff's Office processes all public records requests for police files. Staff handle requests from victims, involved parties, attorneys, and insurance companies. You need to be an involved party to get copies of most incident reports. Witnesses and suspects cannot get reports through this office. The division works with all law enforcement agencies in Marin County to provide access to police records.

Marin County requires in-person pickup for most police records requests. You can submit your request by mail or fax. Include your contact information, case number if known, date of incident, and what records you need. Be specific in your request to help staff find the right files. The office will call you when the records are ready for pickup. Payment is due at pickup. They accept cash, checks, and credit cards in Marin County.

The Sheriff's Office maintains an online booking log at apps.marincounty.gov/BookingLog where you can search recent arrests. This log shows booking date, charges, and bail information. It updates daily with new arrests. For older arrest records or full police reports, contact the Records Division directly at the address below in Marin County.

Available Police Records

Arrest records show who was booked into Marin County jail facilities. Each record includes the person's name, booking date, charges filed, and bail amount. The booking log is updated every day. You can view recent arrests online at no cost. For certified copies of arrest records, contact the Records Division. These require payment of the standard copy fees in Marin County.

Incident reports cover crimes, traffic collisions, and other calls for service. Officers write these after responding to a scene. Reports include names, statements, and what the officer found. You must be a victim or party to the case to request a copy. The Sheriff's Office will not release reports to suspects, third parties without legal standing, or people who were only witnesses. Active investigations may delay release of some reports in Marin County.

Traffic collision reports are created when deputies respond to crashes on county roads. These documents show the date, location, vehicles involved, driver information, and any injuries or property damage. You can request a collision report if you were a driver, passenger, vehicle owner, or insurer with a valid claim. The California Highway Patrol handles crashes on state highways in Marin County, so contact CHP for those reports.

How to Request Records

Start by gathering information about the incident. You need the date, location, and names of people involved. A case number helps staff find your records faster. If you do not have the case number, provide as much detail as you can. The more specific you are, the easier it is for staff to locate the right files in Marin County.

Submit your request by mail, fax, or in person to the Records Division. Include your name, address, phone number, and email. State what records you want. Explain your relationship to the case. Victims should say they are victims. Drivers should mention they were in the crash. Insurance companies need to include their claim number and policy details in Marin County.

The Sheriff's Office has ten days to respond to your request under the California Public Records Act. They will tell you if the records exist and if they can release them. Some records are exempt from disclosure due to ongoing investigations or privacy laws. If your request is approved, you will receive a call when the records are ready. Go to the Records Division office to pick them up and pay the copy fees in Marin County.

Fees for police records in Marin County are set at $2 for the first page and $1 for each page after that. This applies to all types of reports. Payment is collected when you pick up the records. Bring cash, a check, or a credit card. There is no waiver for copy fees except as required by state law for domestic violence victims.

California Public Records Act

The Public Records Act gives you the right to access police records in California. This law is in Government Code Sections 7920 through 7931. Any person can make a request. You do not need to be a resident. You do not have to explain why you want the records. The agency must respond within ten days in Marin County.

Some records are exempt from disclosure. Active criminal investigations are protected until they close. Personnel files for officers are confidential except for certain misconduct records under Penal Code Section 832.7. This law was changed by SB 1421 to require release of records involving officer shootings, use of force, sexual assault, or dishonesty. Body camera footage is generally exempt unless it involves a critical incident under Government Code Section 7923.625 in California.

If the Sheriff's Office denies your request, they must cite the specific exemption. You have the right to challenge the denial. Many people work with attorneys or advocacy groups when appealing a records denial. The California Attorney General provides guidance on public records law at oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/pra for requests throughout the state including Marin County.

Cities in Marin County

The Marin County Sheriff provides law enforcement services to unincorporated areas and some contract cities. Larger cities have their own police departments with separate records divisions. If your incident involved a city police department, contact that agency directly for records in Marin County.

No cities in Marin County exceed the 100,000 population threshold for individual pages on this site. San Rafael is the largest city and the county seat with about 60,000 residents.

Nearby California Counties

Other counties near Marin County have their own police records systems: