Sacramento County Sheriff's Office
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office handles crime reports, jail operations, civil process, concealed weapon permits, warrants, and property releases. This article explains which service to use, how to reach the appropriate office, what information to prepare, and which restrictions can affect an online report, application, or request.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office website provides access to its public services and official systems. Different units handle different requests: a crime report goes through reporting channels, a civil service request goes to the Civil Bureau, and a property release depends on where the property is held and whether it has been cleared for return. Office addresses and telephone numbers appear at the end of this article.
Emergencies, Reporting and Service Areas
Call 911 for an emergency or a crime in progress. The Sheriff's online reporting system is for certain incidents occurring in unincorporated Sacramento County or within the City of Rancho Cordova. It does not accept every type of crime, and an incident's location matters when determining the appropriate reporting agency.
For a non-emergency incident that requires an officer's report, use the Sheriff's non-emergency line if it occurred in unincorporated Sacramento County. For an incident within Rancho Cordova city limits, use the Rancho Cordova Police Department's non-emergency line. Both numbers are included in the department list below.
The Sheriff's station and service center locator accepts an address to identify a nearby station house or community service center. Enter your home address when looking for the facility serving your neighborhood. When you need to file a crime report, enter the street address or intersection where the incident occurred instead. Using your home address for an incident that happened elsewhere can send you toward the wrong service location.
Online Crime Report Requirements
The official crime reporting page explains eligible report categories and screens incidents before allowing an online submission. A valid email address is required. Reports should be thorough and accurate; submitting a false report is a crime.
Incidents Accepted for Online Reporting
Eligible categories include assault, citizen information reports, financial fraud, identity theft, money scams, illegal dumping, lost property, certain thefts, telephone harassment, and vandalism. Category names alone do not determine eligibility. The circumstances must also meet the reporting system's restrictions.
Property theft, including mail theft, theft from a vehicle, and vandalism must involve less than $10,000 to qualify for online reporting. Firearm theft cannot be reported online. Telephone harassment involving a valid restraining order must be reported through the non-emergency line. That registration is not a missing person report. Report a missing person through the non-emergency line, or call 911 if the person is at risk.
When an Officer Must Take the Report
The Sheriff's Office requires an officer to take reports for arson, battery, burglary, carjacking, domestic violence, hate crimes or bias-related incidents, hit-and-run incidents, kidnapping, robbery, sex-related crimes, stolen vehicles, shootings, terrorist threats, protection order violations, violent crime, and workplace or school violence. Vehicle collisions involving injuries or an emergency situation also require direct reporting.
The distinction between assault and battery is particularly relevant to the online categories. Although assault appears among the eligible categories, the Sheriff's reporting instructions exclude battery involving any physical contact, including spitting. Do not select an online category simply because its name seems close to what happened.
The screening questions also prevent online submission when any of the following applies:
Someone received medical treatment for an injury caused by the incident.
The incident involved the use or threat of a weapon.
Physical evidence was left at the scene.
A theft involved unauthorized entry into a home, business, or locked garage.
A motor vehicle or license plate was stolen.
If an incident fails the online screening, report it through the appropriate non-emergency line unless it is an emergency or still in progress.
Information to Prepare Before Filing
The form asks for the reporting person's identity, what happened, when it happened, and where it occurred. Prepare a detailed account of the incident, along with any pictures or images you intend to attach. If the victim is a business, the person completing the report must explain their relationship to that business in the narrative, such as owner, manager, or employee.
Suspect, witness, and vehicle information can be included when known. Useful details include a person's physical description and a vehicle's make, model, and full or partial license plate number. For lost, stolen, forged, or damaged property, provide identifying information such as the make, model, and serial number when available.
Location details require particular attention. For an incident on the American River Parkway or at a qualifying Park & Ride location, the reporting instructions allow the nearest park, business, or residential address to validate the location. Explain the actual location in the narrative, including a trail, parking lot, waterway, or mile marker when applicable. If you know only the cross streets, use the nearest address for validation and place the cross streets in the narrative.
Tracking Numbers and Approved Reports
After submission, the system sends an email confirmation with a tracking number. Sheriff's personnel review reports within approximately ten business days. An official report copy and case number are emailed after approval. The initial tracking number and the approved case number serve different stages of the process.
If the confirmation does not arrive within 15 minutes, check your junk or spam folder. Questions about submitting a report can go to a local service center. After approval, questions about the report can go to the Centralized Investigations Division; have your report number available when calling.
Approval does not mean every report receives the same investigative response. Follow-up assignments depend on investigative leads, the severity of the crime, staffing, and the District Attorney's case filing guidelines.
If a theft or burglary report has already been taken and you have not provided a missing-property list, the reporting page includes a procedure for adding it. Select “Have Property Info to Enter,” open the existing report as instructed, enter the original report number, choose the appropriate information tab, and submit the addition.
Inmate Searches and Custody Notifications
The Sheriff's inmate information system supports searches by name or XREF number. An XREF number identifies an incarcerated person; it is different from a crime report number. Use the person's custody information to identify the housing facility before arranging jail-related services.
The Sheriff's Incarcerated Persons Release Elective Notification System, known as SIRENS, allows victims and other concerned people to register for email, text, or telephone notifications when an offender's custody status changes. Search for the person, open the custody information page, and select the SIRENS link near the bottom. Registration is also available by contacting the Main Jail.
Mail, Email and Visits
General correspondence sent through the U.S. Mail is processed through the Sheriff's digital mail arrangement rather than being mailed directly to the Main Jail or Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center. Legal and confidential mail continues to go directly to the person's respective housing location. Read the mail instructions accessible through the inmate information page before addressing correspondence.
The inmate information system also provides an email option. After locating the person, select the email link on their information page. Messages are printed and usually delivered the next day. Incarcerated people do not have computer access to reply through this system, and business solicitation is prohibited.
Visits can be canceled because of unforeseen circumstances. The Main Jail's published public hours are 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, but those hours should not be treated as a visitation schedule. Use the visitation information for the person's facility when planning a visit.
RCCC Releases and Personal Property
The Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center information page provides specific instructions for scheduled release pickups. A person picking someone up on their scheduled release date must report to the gatehouse between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. People without a ride are transported by a Sheriff's bus and released at the Main Jail in downtown Sacramento. The facility strongly discourages offering rides to other people being released.
RCCC processes inmate property releases from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. The incarcerated person should submit a property release form in advance. Forms can be requested at the gatehouse, but processing them at that point can cause substantial delays, including a possible return later that day or the next day.
A person collecting personal property must take the entire package. Clothing is not released unless the incarcerated person is going to state prison. These RCCC procedures concern property held at that facility; they are separate from the Property Warehouse procedures described below.
Civil Process and Court Documents
The Civil Bureau serves civil process, including summonses and complaints, small claims documents, restraining orders, certain bench warrants, eviction documents, and other court notices or orders. It also handles levies involving wages, bank accounts, vehicles, and other judgment debtor assets.
Its E-Services Portal allows users to submit service requests, review service and levy requirements, obtain instruction forms, and look up an existing civil file. A civil status search uses the Levying Officer File Number and Court Case Number. These are separate from an online crime report tracking number or an inmate XREF number.
Forms, Fees and Service Deadlines
Requests for service or levy must include a signed Request for Service, form SER-001. Writ-based services also require SER-001A, except Earnings Withholding Orders. Submit the required service fee or a court order waiving the Sheriff's fee.
Most documents are time-sensitive. Unless otherwise stated, the Civil Bureau asks that documents reach its office at least ten days before the service expiration. This is a submission requirement, not a guarantee that service will be completed. The Bureau cannot use criminal investigative tactics, such as stakeouts or criminal-record inquiries, to locate someone for civil service.
You remain responsible for filing appropriate documents with the court, including a Proof of Service, Declaration of Due Diligence, or declaration of service received from the Bureau. Sending a service request to the Sheriff does not complete those court filing responsibilities.
Counter Hours and Eviction Procedures
Public counter hours are Monday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., excluding holidays. The drop box is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. Registered process server hours are separate from general public hours.
For an eviction, the Bureau explains that the tenant receives five days to vacate after the Sheriff serves the writ. If the tenant does not move out within that period, the Sheriff conducts the eviction. The Sheriff's Office cannot provide legal advice or stop an eviction.
Concealed Weapon Permit Applications
The Sheriff's concealed weapon permit page provides the entry point for new applications, renewals, and modifications. All CCW business is conducted at the Hurley Way office rather than at the Sheriff's Orange Grove Avenue address.
New permits require a 16-hour training course covering firearm safety and permissible firearm use, a one-hour mental health component, and a written test. Renewals require an eight-hour legal firearms update course. Required training must be conducted by a California Department of Justice Certified CCW Program Instructor.
Applicants must qualify with each firearm they want included on the permit, with a maximum of three handguns. Qualification is required every two years or upon renewal. Adding or removing firearms also requires qualification with each firearm that will remain on the permit. The permit page identifies prohibited calibers and other firearm restrictions.
Renewals, Documents and Application Status
The Sheriff's Office recommends submitting a renewal application 30 to 45 days before expiration and uploading training, qualification, and instructor documents at the same time or soon afterward. There is no grace period authorizing continued concealed carry after a permit expires. The separate 90-day renewal application grace period concerns the ability to renew; after that period, the applicant must begin again as a new applicant.
Upload each document as a separate file with a clear name. Combining all documents into one file slows review. A saved application cannot be edited directly. If an application contains an error, write the correction on a separate document and upload it to the application file.
Application status and interview appointment details are available through the application's Order Tracker using the order number. CCW staff do not provide status updates by email, telephone, or walk-in visit. Renewal applications do not require an appointment; when review is complete, an email provides pickup days and times. Bring the old or expired permit when collecting the renewed permit.
Warrants and Identity Verification
The Sheriff's warrant information page states that warrant information is available to the person who is the subject of the warrant and requires identity verification. This service should not be confused with the inmate search, which concerns custody information.
The Records and Warrants Bureau can issue new court dates for most misdemeanor warrants. Felony warrants must be processed at the Main Jail. The Records and Warrants office is at 4510 Orange Grove Avenue, a different address from the Sheriff's main office at 4500 Orange Grove Avenue.
Property Warehouse Releases
The Sheriff's Property Warehouse instructions explain how property is classified and cleared for return. Being booked into the Main Jail or RCCC does not mean your belongings were sent to the warehouse. The location depends on which agency took custody of the property and how it was booked.
Before traveling to the warehouse, call the Property Unit to confirm that it holds the property and that the items are available for release. Public hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. Bring government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license, military identification, or passport. Correctional facility and hospital wristbands are not accepted.
Evidence, Safekeeping and Found Items
Evidence cannot be released until the Sheriff receives formal authorization from the District Attorney's Office or the primary investigator. Recovered stolen property may remain in custody while needed as evidence. Property reported stolen to another law enforcement agency is returned to that agency for clearance and release.
General property, including bicycles, booked for safekeeping is held for 60 days before disposal. Firearms, drugs, and money follow separate procedures. Found property is generally held for 90 days. When an owner can be identified, the Sheriff mails notification to the last known address.
If you receive notice about found property but need the report number, the Records Bureau can research it using the date the item was turned in and the name of the person who turned it in. A finder who wants to make a claim should tell the Sheriff's employee taking custody of the item. After the required holding period, the office sends instructions to the address the finder provided.
Representatives and Special Release Procedures
An owner may authorize someone else to collect property once it is available for release. Accepted authorization methods include a notarized statement, a statement witnessed by an authorized Sheriff's employee or correctional officer, or a property release form completed in custody. The representative should ensure that the report number and the owner's XREF number are included when applicable.
The warehouse does not mail general property. Money follows a separate release process: after the required clearance and signed release, a check is generally mailed in six to eight weeks. Amounts owed to the Department of Revenue & Recovery or Child Support can affect the return of funds.
Firearms require additional eligibility and release procedures. Contact the Property Unit before attempting pickup. Prescription and over-the-counter medications are not returned, although an empty prescription container with its label can be released.
Complaints and Employee Commendations
The Internal Affairs Bureau complaint and commendation form accepts electronic submissions and offers a printable version. The form allows you to identify the submission as a complaint or a commendation and includes an option to remain anonymous.
Prepare the incident date and time, location, employee names and badge numbers when known, witness names, and any report or event number. Give a specific account of what occurred. If you provide contact information, the form allows you to select mail, telephone, or email as your preferred contact method.
The Bureau's public hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Its complaint procedure addresses alleged employee misconduct; the separate crime reporting channels described earlier handle reports of criminal incidents.
Department Addresses and Phone Numbers
Sacramento County Sheriff's Office
4500 Orange Grove Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95841
Non-Emergency: 916-874-5115
TDD Non-Emergency: 916-874-7128
Rancho Cordova Police Department
Non-Emergency: 916-362-5115
Centralized Investigations Division
916-874-5041
Main Jail
651 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
916-874-6752
Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center
12500 Bruceville Road, Elk Grove, CA 95757
916-874-1927
Civil Bureau
2969 Prospect Park Drive, Suite 200, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
916-875-2665
Concealed Weapons Permit Office
2101 Hurley Way, Sacramento, CA 95825
916-874-8450
Records and Warrants Bureau
4510 Orange Grove Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95841
916-874-5383
Forensics and Evidence Bureau, Property Unit
3750 Bradview Drive, Sacramento, CA 95827
916-875-5650
Internal Affairs Bureau
4500 Orange Grove Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95841
916-874-5098