Search Mono County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Mono County are held by the Superior Court and the sheriff's office, both based in Bridgeport. This Eastern Sierra county has about 14,000 residents spread across a vast alpine landscape that includes Mammoth Lakes and the Mono Basin. The low population means criminal case volume stays small, and local online tools for record searches are limited. Most background check and criminal history requests go through the California Department of Justice at the state level. Court records for specific cases can still be accessed through the clerk's office in Bridgeport or the Mammoth Lakes branch court.

Mono County Court Criminal Cases

The Mono County Superior Court operates out of Bridgeport, with a branch court in Mammoth Lakes. Criminal cases filed in the county go through one of these two locations. The court's website is at mono.courts.ca.gov. Like many small California counties, Mono does not have an extensive online case search portal. You will most likely need to call the clerk or visit in person to look up a criminal case.

Criminal court records in California are public by default. Sealed and juvenile records are exceptions. When you contact the clerk, give them as much information as you can. A defendant name is the minimum. Having a case number or date range makes the search go faster. The clerk charges 50 cents per page for copies. Certified copies are $40. Searches that take more than 10 minutes of staff time cost $15. These are statewide fees set by the legislature.

The Mammoth Lakes branch court handles a share of Mono County's criminal caseload. Mammoth Lakes is the largest town in the county and sees more activity than Bridgeport, especially during ski season. Cases from the Mammoth area are filed at the branch court.

Note: Some older Mono County records may only be available in paper form at the courthouse, not in any digital system.

Sheriff and Jail Records

The Mono County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement across the county and runs the county jail. Call (760) 924-5444 to reach the sheriff's office. Booking records and current inmate information are available by phone. Mono County does not operate a public online inmate search tool, which is common among smaller California counties.

If you need to find out whether someone is currently in the Mono County jail, calling is the quickest option. Give the staff a name and they can check the booking log. For people who have already been released or transferred, the active jail records may not show them. Anyone sent to the California state prison system after sentencing in Mono County would appear in the CDCR's CIRIS inmate search instead. That database covers all state prison inmates statewide.

Arrest reports are held by the sheriff's office, not the court. If you need a copy of a police report from an incident in Mono County, contact the sheriff directly. City police in Mammoth Lakes handle their own reports for incidents within town limits.

California DOJ Records for Mono County

The California Department of Justice maintains the statewide criminal history database. This includes arrest and disposition data from every county. Anyone can request their own criminal record (called a RAP sheet) through the Live Scan fingerprint system. The fee is $25 paid to the DOJ. In the Eastern Sierra, Live Scan locations may be limited, so plan ahead. Use the DOJ Live Scan locator to find a provider near you. Bishop in Inyo County is one option if nothing is available in Mono County itself.

Employers and licensing agencies also use the DOJ system to run background checks on applicants. They must be authorized before they can access criminal history data. The DOJ processes roughly 2 million state-level background checks every year. Track a pending check at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov with your ATI number and date of birth.

Mono County residents can also check meganslaw.ca.gov for registered sex offenders in their area. The registry lets you search by name, address, or zip code. Results in a rural county like Mono tend to be limited, but the tool covers the entire state.

Record Clearing in Mono County

California offers several ways to clear or reduce a criminal record. These apply to Mono County cases just like anywhere else in the state. Penal Code Section 1203.4 is the main expungement path for probation cases. After finishing probation, you file a petition with the Mono County Superior Court asking for the conviction to be dismissed. If granted, the record shows the case was dismissed rather than a conviction. It does not erase the record, but it helps when applying for work.

Arrest records with no conviction can be sealed under Penal Code Section 851.87. You do not need to prove you were factually innocent. Proposition 47 allows people to reclassify certain nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors. Proposition 64 provides relief for old marijuana convictions that would no longer be crimes under current law.

Finding a lawyer in rural Mono County can be a challenge. The Inyo-Mono Public Defender's office handles criminal defense in the area. For record relief petitions, legal aid organizations that serve the Eastern Sierra region may be able to assist if you qualify based on income.

How to Get Criminal Records

There are a few ways to access criminal records tied to Mono County. Each type of record comes from a different agency. Here is what to know about each source.

• Contact the Mono County Superior Court clerk for case records and copies
• Call the sheriff at (760) 924-5444 for booking and arrest records
• Submit Live Scan fingerprints to the DOJ for your own RAP sheet ($25)
• Use CIRIS to search for inmates in California state prison
• Search meganslaw.ca.gov for sex offender information by location

Mail requests may be the best option for people who do not live near Bridgeport or Mammoth Lakes. Contact the clerk ahead of time to confirm what they need from you to process a mail request. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check for the copy fees. The courthouse in Bridgeport is at 100 Courthouse Square, Bridgeport, CA 93517. In a county this spread out, mail or phone is often more practical than driving in.

Nearby Counties

Mono County borders several other counties in the Sierra Nevada region. Check these pages for criminal record resources in neighboring areas.