Inmate Reception Center (IRC)

How Do I Find Someone at the Inmate Reception Center (IRC)?

By Jane Un, licensed bail agent #1843448. Updated October 29, 2026.

Use the LASD Inmate Information Center online with the person's last name, first name and date of birth. If nothing shows, call LASD at (213) 473-6100. Bookings from the last 2 hours do not appear yet, so a new arrest can take a little while to show up. The IRC is where many people first land.

Call (213) 725-2815 Apply online in 4 minutes

Find someone at Inmate Reception Center (IRC)

Search the Sheriff's Inmate Information Center by name and date of birth, or by booking number. You can also call LASD at 213-473-6100.

Open the LASD inmate search

Have ready

Full legal name, spelled the way it is on their ID
Date of birth
Booking number, if you have it

Stuck? Call us at (213) 725-2815 and we will look up the booking with you.

What do I need to look someone up at the IRC?

The IRC is the Sheriff's intake center at 450 Bauchet St. in Los Angeles. Most people arrested in the county pass through it, so it is often the first place a name will appear. LASD runs one lookup for the whole county, and it asks for four things.

Last name
First name
Middle name if you know it
Date of birth

LASD says some people are booked with a middle name and some without. If the first search comes back empty, try again with and without it. Try any other name the person has used too. LASD also says a complete legal name search is what returns the booking number. You can start on the LASD Inmate Information Center.

Why is my loved one not showing up yet?

Records are not available for bookings in the last 2 hours. LASD, and the LAPD, both say so. That is a hard rule of the system, so a missing name right after an arrest does not mean something went wrong. It usually means the booking has not posted.

Wait a bit and try again. If the arrest was made by a city police department, the person may be held at that city's jail before coming to the IRC. LAPD does not run its own arrestee lookup. It sends people to the same LASD page. So a search at the IRC level covers LAPD bookings too once they post.

A person who was just arrested may also be moved between buildings during the night. Check again before you drive anywhere.

What if the online search still shows nothing at the IRC?

Call (213) 473-6100. LAPD says this number answers 24 hours a day with information on anyone held in an LAPD or LASD jail. Have the full name and date of birth ready. If you also know the date of arrest, say that, since LASD says it helps when you ask for a booking number.

You can also try the IRC booking line at (213) 893-5327. LASD lists it for questions about a new arrest. These lines can be busy at night, so try again if nobody picks up.

Our guide on finding someone in jail in Los Angeles walks through the same steps for every jail in the county.

Do I need the booking number?

It helps, but you can start without it. The booking number is how the jail tells people apart when two have the same name. You will need it for mail, for money on the books and when you ask about a release. If you only have a name and birth date, call the number above and ask for it. Then write it down.

We do not know of any official page that describes the booking number format, so do not worry if yours looks different from one a friend saw.

What happens after they leave the IRC?

People do not stay at the IRC for long. After screening they are housed somewhere else, such as Twin Towers, Men's Central Jail or, for women, Century Regional Detention Facility. LASD says it does not notify families when someone is moved. Call (213) 473-6100 again if the name disappears or the housing location changes.

Some people are "unclassified," which means they have no permanent housing yet. LASD says they cannot get calls or visits, and classification can take two weeks to a month. Read more on the IRC page and see why the IRC has no visiting.

If bail is set and your family needs help with it, you can start with 1% of the bail amount down on approved credit. The premium is set by our filed rate, and the rest goes on a payment plan. Read how 1% down works or start an application. We are a licensed private bail agent, not part of LASD.

1% down is a down payment on approved credit, not the price of the bond. The premium is the rate on file with the California Department of Insurance, 10% of the bail amount, or 8% when a private attorney is retained or you or the defendant is a veteran. The balance goes on a payment plan.

Questions people ask

How soon can I search for someone after an arrest?

LASD says bookings from the last 2 hours are not available. Wait and try again, or call (213) 473-6100.

What if the search shows a different jail than the IRC?

That is normal. People are housed elsewhere after processing. Go by the location the lookup shows now, and call LASD if it changes.

Does LASD tell me when someone is moved?

No. LASD says it does not notify families when an inmate moves to another facility. Call (213) 473-6100.

Is there a separate search for LAPD jails?

No. LAPD sends people to the LASD Inmate Information Center and repeats the 2 hour delay.

More about Inmate Reception Center (IRC)

Sources

Jane Un Bail Bonds is a private bail agent licensed by the California Department of Insurance, License #1843448. We are not part of LAPD, LASD or the courts. Rules change, so check the official source before you go.