Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County CA Sheriff's Department provides patrol services, jail and inmate services, courthouse security, civil process service, public records access, parking enforcement, concealed-carry licensing, and other law-enforcement services. This article explains how to identify the correct Sheriff's Department office, determine whether an incident qualifies for online reporting, locate custody information, request records, prepare for courthouse security, submit a complaint, and avoid delays caused by contacting the wrong station or unit.
Department Services and Responsibilities
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, commonly called LASD, operates through patrol stations, custody facilities, court-service units, investigative bureaus, records offices, and specialized enforcement details. Its responsibilities are broader than neighborhood patrol alone.
LASD patrol stations serve designated contract cities and unincorporated communities. The Department also operates the County jail system, provides security at County courthouses, transports and supervises incarcerated people appearing in court, serves judicial process, maintains law-enforcement and booking records, and handles certain licensing and enforcement programs.
Not every address in Los Angeles County is within an LASD patrol area. Some incorporated cities operate their own police departments. Before filing a report, requesting service, or contacting a station, confirm which agency serves the location where the incident occurred. The responsible agency is usually determined by the incident address, not the reporting person's home address.
Finding the Correct Station
Patrol stations are the primary local contact points for nonemergency crime reports, suspicious activity, neighborhood concerns, station-generated records, traffic matters, and questions about incidents occurring within an LASD service area. Each station has a defined jurisdiction, and contacting the wrong station can delay a report or records request.
The official Sheriff's station directory provides station names, street addresses, telephone numbers, and local station pages. Residents can compare the incident location with the service area information shown for stations such as Altadena, Carson, Century, Compton, East Los Angeles, Industry, Lakewood, Lancaster, Malibu/Lost Hills, Norwalk, Palmdale, Santa Clarita Valley, South Los Angeles, Temple, Walnut/Diamond Bar, and West Hollywood.
Location Determines Jurisdiction
Use the exact street address where the event happened when identifying the responsible station. A mailing address, nearby landmark, ZIP Code, or city name may not be enough because jurisdictional boundaries do not always follow postal boundaries. An address associated with one city name may be in an unincorporated area served by LASD, while another nearby address may fall under a municipal police department.
When an online system does not recognize a recently created address, the Department directs users to contact a Sheriff's station directly. Prepare the full address, nearest cross streets, date and approximate time of the incident, and a brief description of what occurred. This information helps station personnel determine jurisdiction and the appropriate reporting method.
Station and Unit Numbers
The official LASD phone directory separates patrol-station numbers from specialized unit numbers. This distinction matters when the request involves inmate information, records, civil processing, employee conduct, recruitment, homicide investigations, special victims investigations, or another subject handled outside a local station.
A station may be able to direct a caller to the correct unit, but starting with the responsible office reduces transfers. For example, an incident report and a request for a copy of an existing report are different tasks. The first may begin with a patrol station or the online reporting system, while the second may require a station records unit or the Records and Identification Bureau.
Emergency and Nonemergency Reports
Call 9-1-1 when there is an immediate threat to life or safety, a crime in progress, a serious injury, a fire, or another urgent situation requiring an immediate response. An online form, general contact form, email, records request, or complaint form should not be used to request emergency assistance.
Nonemergency incidents may be reported through the station serving the location or, for narrowly defined incidents, through the Sheriff's Online Report Tracking System. The available method depends on the type of incident, the value of the loss or damage, whether anyone was injured, whether weapons or violence were involved, and whether information is available about a possible suspect.
Online Crime Reporting Rules
The Sheriff's Online Report Tracking System, or SORTS, accepts only specific categories of reports. It is not a general substitute for calling a station, speaking with a deputy, or requesting emergency assistance.
Online reporting is limited to the following incidents described by LASD:
Lost or stolen cell phones valued at $950 or less.
Lost or stolen property valued at $950 or less.
Vandalism other than graffiti when the damage is valued under $400.
Theft from an unlocked vehicle valued at $950 or less.
Theft from an open or unsecured area valued at $950 or less.
A supplemental loss form connected to an existing LASD report number.
Basic Eligibility Requirements
A person submitting a report through SORTS must be at least 18 years old, have a valid email address, and confirm that the incident occurred within an LASD patrol area. Online reports are not anonymous. A deputy or another law-enforcement representative may contact the reporting person by email, telephone, or in person when additional information or investigation is needed.
The system screens reports before allowing submission. An incident generally does not meet the online criteria when someone was injured, weapons or violence were involved, the incident may have been motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, information is available about the person responsible, or photos or video show the incident occurring. In those situations, the system directs the user to contact a local Sheriff's station.
Information to Prepare
Before opening the reporting form, gather enough information to describe the incident accurately. Depending on the event, useful information may include:
The exact incident address and nearest cross streets.
The date and approximate time or time range.
A clear description of the incident.
Descriptions of lost, stolen, or damaged property.
Estimated values supported by available records.
Serial numbers, model numbers, or identifying marks.
Vehicle information when property was taken from a vehicle.
A valid email address monitored by the reporting person.
The existing LASD report number when submitting a supplemental loss form.
The information submitted is used to create a police report. LASD warns that providing false information in a police report is a crime. Review names, dates, addresses, property descriptions, and estimated values before submitting the form.
Approval and Report Copies
Submitting an online form does not mean the report has already completed review. LASD reviews cases filed through SORTS and determines the level of investigation required under Department policy. Follow-up may occur by email, telephone, or in person.
After an online report is approved, a free copy is emailed to the reporting person for their records. Use an email account that can be accessed reliably, enter the address correctly, and review spam or junk folders if an expected Department message does not appear.
Custody and Inmate Services
LASD Custody Operations is responsible for the County jail system and for the care, custody, security, and rehabilitation of sentenced and pretrial inmates housed in Sheriff's Department facilities. The official custody services page provides access to inmate-location information, jail-facility information, visitation scheduling, inmate mail regulations, deposit rules, medical and special-needs information, and other custody services.
Inmate Search Information
Have the incarcerated person's full name and date of birth ready before using the inmate finder or contacting inmate information. A booking number, when available, can help distinguish between people with similar names and is also used for certain custody services and notification systems.
LASD states that inmate records are not available for bookings that occurred within the previous two hours. A person arrested recently may therefore be in the booking process even though no result appears yet. Repeated searches during that initial period may produce the same result because the record has not become available in the system.
A booking number is not the same as a crime-report number, court case number, citation number, or concealed-carry application number. Entering one type of number into a system designed for another will not locate the desired record.
Visits and Jail Rules
Custody services include information about scheduling a visit and identifying the facility where an incarcerated person is housed. Visitors must follow the rules and practices in effect at the specific jail facility. Facility procedures may address identification, visitor eligibility, clothing, permitted property, arrival times, health and safety practices, and conduct while on the premises.
Confirm the inmate's current location before making travel arrangements because housing assignments and transfers can change. A courthouse appearance does not create a visitation opportunity at the courthouse. LASD states that there is no provision for inmate visitation at County courthouses and that communication with inmates there is forbidden.
Court Services and Security
The Court Services Division provides security and support services for the trial courts of Los Angeles County. Its services include courthouse security, courtroom bailiff duties, inmate security, civil process service, court-location information, release information, and vehicle-inspection locations.
Courthouse Entry Screening
People and their property are searched before entering or reentering a courthouse and may be subject to additional searches while inside. Security officers staff entrance screening under the supervision of Sheriff's Department peace-officer supervisors.
Weapons are prohibited. LASD states that weapons brought into a courthouse are confiscated and the owner may be arrested. Items that could potentially be used as weapons may also be restricted. Examples provided by the Department include scissors and fingernail files. Restricted items held for safekeeping may be returned when the person leaves, and a property receipt is issued for an item held by security.
Leaving unnecessary objects at home can reduce delays at the security checkpoint. Court visitors should also allow time for screening, especially when arriving for a scheduled hearing or required appearance.
Courtroom Conduct
Deputy sheriffs serving as bailiffs maintain order in courtrooms. A person who disrupts a proceeding may be removed or arrested. People who are inappropriately dressed may be excluded or ejected from the courtroom.
Photography, recording, and televising of courtroom proceedings require approval through a written court order. LASD also states that cellphones and other electronic devices are prohibited in the courtroom. Courthouse rules should not be confused with the rules for obtaining public court records or requesting law-enforcement records from LASD.
Civil Process Services
The Sheriff is required to serve judicial process in the manner prescribed by law. Civil process is separate from filing a police report, requesting a crime report, or asking a court clerk about a case. Users seeking service of court documents should identify the correct Civil Services office and confirm which documents, instructions, and fees apply to their specific process.
The LASD directory identifies Civil Processing and Evictions as a specialized unit. A court case number and a Sheriff's service reference are not necessarily interchangeable, so use the identifier requested by the office handling the service.
Law-Enforcement Record Requests
The Department receives several different types of records requests. The LASD record-request page separates requests by record type and responsible unit. Reviewing these categories before submission helps prevent a request from being returned or redirected.
Records and Identification Bureau services include booking and arrest information, certain booking photographs and related information, clearance letters, incarceration letters, adoption letters, Live Scan fingerprint services for employment or licensing, arson-offender registration, crime-report releases to victims, criminal-history requests, and record-sealing services.
Public Records Categories
Non-custody California Public Records Act requests may involve 9-1-1 recordings, calls-for-service records, contracts, fiscal information, personnel-related disclosures, and other qualifying Department records. These requests are handled separately from jail-related public records.
Custody-related public records requests may involve booking information, custody contracts, custody incidents, statistical data, in-custody death records, incarceration records, and inmate records. Sending a custody request to the non-custody unit may cause unnecessary processing delays.
Reports, Subpoenas, and Discovery
A victim seeking a crime report, a government agency making an interagency request, and an attorney serving a subpoena are not using the same process. Requests connected to a criminal court matter or civil subpoena are handled through the procedures identified for subpoena control and the Records and Identification Bureau.
Requests for discovery related to an upcoming noncriminal traffic-citation contest are not handled by the general Public Records Act unit. LASD directs those requests to the Traffic Bureau at the station associated with the citation or collision.
As of April 2026, LASD states that patrol cars do not have dash cameras installed. Requests for video from inside custody facilities are also treated differently from requests for video recorded at non-custody Department facilities. Custody-facility footage may be exempt from public disclosure under the authorities identified by LASD.
Employee Complaints and Commendations
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or concern about the conduct, actions, behavior, or services of a Sheriff's Department employee. Anyone may file a complaint, including a member of the public, a community member, or an LASD employee.
The official complaint submission page identifies online, telephone, in-person, email, mail, and virtual-appointment options. Complaints may also be filed anonymously. LASD states that complaints are handled with confidentiality and professionalism.
Preparing a Clear Complaint
A useful complaint should identify the event as specifically as possible. Include the date, approximate time, location, station or unit, employee name or identifying information when known, and a factual description of what occurred. Relevant report numbers, booking numbers, citation numbers, photographs, documents, or witness information may help the Department identify the event.
A complaint is different from a request to correct a court ruling, dismiss a citation, obtain a refund, or retrieve a police report. Submitting the issue through the process that matches the desired action prevents the complaint process from being used for a matter handled by another office.
Concealed-Carry Licensing
LASD processes qualifying concealed-carry weapon license applications under Department procedures and applicable California law. Because eligibility and procedures can change, applicants should review the current LASD concealed-carry licensing requirements before submitting an initial, renewal, or modification application.
Resident Application Requirements
For a first-time resident application, LASD states that the applicant must be at least 21 years old, own a firearm registered to the applicant in California, and reside within an LASD contract city or unincorporated community. A resident of another municipality is directed to apply through the local police department serving that municipality.
Documents required at the time of application include a valid California driver's license or qualifying California identification card, citizenship or immigration documentation identified by LASD, and a qualifying utility bill in the applicant's name. When the utility bill is in a spouse's or domestic partner's name, the Department requires the supporting relationship document described in its instructions. Military applicants may also need DD-214 documents or orders.
Training Timing and Records
Applicants should not complete firearms training until the CCW Unit instructs them to proceed. After authorization, training must be completed within 60 days. LASD identifies a minimum 16-hour course for new applicants and a minimum eight-hour course for renewal applicants.
Each firearm proposed for the license must satisfy Department requirements and applicable law. Applicants must pass the required live-fire course for each firearm, and LASD permits up to three firearms on a license. The make, model, serial number, and caliber must be complete, legible, and consistent across the required records. Incorrect or inconsistent information can delay issuance or prevent a firearm from being placed on the license.
Applicants should monitor the email address associated with the application, including spam and junk folders, because LASD describes application messages as time-sensitive. A report number, booking number, parking citation number, and CCW application or order number are separate identifiers and should be used only with the system that issued them.
Parking Enforcement Matters
The Sheriff's Department Parking Enforcement Detail addresses parking matters in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Its mission includes supporting vehicle movement, reducing parking congestion, improving access to limited parking spaces, and enforcing applicable state, County, and municipal parking rules.
The Parking Enforcement Detail page provides information about citations, contests, payment options, station-based parking contacts, nonconforming vehicles, and other parking concerns. A person contacting a station about a citation should have the citation number and the location where it was issued ready.
Parking Authority Limits
Parking Enforcement can issue citations and parking warnings within its authority, but LASD states that the detail does not have authority to remove unhoused individuals or recreational-vehicle encampments. Those concerns may require coordination through the local station or another responsible County department.
A parking citation number is essential when asking about payment or contest procedures. Do not substitute a vehicle license plate, crime-report number, or court case number unless the specific form requests it.
Common Service Mistakes
Many delays result from choosing the wrong agency, office, form, or identifying number. The following distinctions can help users direct requests correctly:
An emergency call is different from an online crime report.
An online crime report is different from a request for a copy of an existing report.
A booking number identifies a custody record and is not a police-report number.
A court case number belongs to a court matter and may not identify an LASD record.
A parking citation number should be used for citation payment or contest questions.
A complaint about employee conduct is not the same as contesting a citation or requesting records.
A custody public-record request should not be sent to the non-custody public-record unit.
A first-time concealed-carry applicant must apply through the agency responsible for the applicant's qualifying residence.
An incident occurring outside an LASD patrol area should be reported to the law-enforcement agency serving that location.
A recently booked person may not appear in inmate records during the first two hours.
Departments and Offices
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
211 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 229-1700
Records and Identification Bureau, Public Services Section
12440 East Imperial Hwy., Suite 120 West, Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 345-4441
Records and Identification Bureau, Subpoena Control
12440 East Imperial Hwy., Suite 400 West, Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 345-4437
LA County Sheriff Commendations and Complaints
P.O. Box 327, Monterey Park, CA 91754
1-800-698-8255
CCW Unit
4700 West Ramona Boulevard, Monterey Park, CA 91754
(323) 981-6077
Altadena Sheriff's Station
780 E. Altadena Dr., Altadena, CA 91001
(626) 798-1131
Avalon Sheriff's Station
215 Sumner Ave., Avalon, CA 90704
(310) 510-0174
Carson Sheriff's Station
21356 S. Avalon Blvd., Carson, CA 90745
(310) 830-1123
Century Sheriff's Station
11703 S. Alameda St., Lynwood, CA 90262
(323) 568-4800
Cerritos Sheriff's Station
18135 Bloomfield Ave., Cerritos, CA 90703
(562) 860-0044
Compton Sheriff's Station
301 S. Willowbrook Ave., Compton, CA 90220
(310) 605-6500
Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station
4554 Briggs Ave., La Crescenta, CA 91214
(818) 248-3464
East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station
5019 E. Third St., East Los Angeles, CA 90022
(323) 264-4151
Industry Sheriff's Station
150 N. Hudson Ave., City of Industry, CA 91744
(626) 330-3322
Lakewood Sheriff's Station
5130 Clark Ave., Lakewood, CA 90712
(562) 623-3500
Lancaster Sheriff's Station
501 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 948-8466
Lomita Sheriff's Station
26123 Narbonne Ave., Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 539-1661
Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station
27050 Agoura Road, Agoura, CA 91301-5336
(818) 878-1808
Marina del Rey Sheriff's Station
13851 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 482-6000
Norwalk Sheriff's Station
12335 Civic Center Dr., Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 863-8711
Palmdale Sheriff's Station
750 E. Avenue Q, Palmdale, CA 93550
(661) 272-2400
Pico Rivera Sheriff's Station
6631 Passons Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA 90660
(562) 949-2421
San Dimas Sheriff's Station
270 S. Walnut Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773-2646
(909) 450-2700
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station
26201 Golden Valley Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350
(661) 260-4000
South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station
1310 W. Imperial Highway, Los Angeles, CA 90044
(323) 820-6700
Temple Sheriff's Station
8838 Las Tunas Dr., Temple City, CA 91780
(626) 285-7171
Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff's Station
21695 E. Valley Blvd., Walnut, CA 91789
(626) 913-1715
West Hollywood Sheriff's Station
780 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 855-8850
Transit Services Bureau
2000 E. Imperial Highway, Los Angeles, CA 90059
(323) 563-5000
Sheriff's Department FAQs
How can crime victims receive inmate release alerts?
Victims can use the Victim Information and Notification Everyday program to monitor an incarcerated person’s custody status. The system can provide updates when an inmate is released or transferred. Registration requires the inmate’s name or booking number, along with a telephone number or email address for notifications. Telephone registrants create a four-digit PIN used to confirm and stop notification calls. Alerts may arrive at any hour because the system begins contacting registered users after receiving updated custody information. When an inmate transfers from a Los Angeles County jail to a California state correctional facility, the victim must register again under the state facility. The LASD victim resources page explains the registration and notification process.
Does LASD hire civilian employees?
Yes. The Department recruits both sworn deputies and civilian professional staff. Available positions may involve administration, communications, technical services, custody support, records, health-related services, and other operational functions. Hiring requirements and selection steps vary by position. Deputy applicants should expect several stages, which may include examinations, background screening, physical testing, medical review, and academy training. Applicants should review the specific job announcement rather than assuming every position follows the deputy hiring process. Current openings, qualifications, benefits, preparation materials, and application guidance are available through the official LASD careers portal.
Can an out-of-state resident apply for an LASD concealed-carry license?
LASD accepts certain nonresident applications from people who live in another U.S. state or territory. Applicants must meet applicable eligibility standards, be at least 21 years old, provide acceptable proof of identity and residence, and attest that Los Angeles County is their primary California destination for travel or time spent in the state. Nonresident applications have separate instructions and fees. Applicants should carefully review the current LASD concealed-carry licensing requirements before submitting because incomplete documentation or failure to meet the stated qualifications can result in withdrawal of the application.
Where can residents verify current LASD services?
The Department’s official website organizes information by patrol, custody, court services, records, licensing, parking enforcement, victim assistance, careers, and community programs. Residents should use the page for the specific service they need because requirements, forms, and eligibility rules differ by unit. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department website provides access to these official service areas and current departmental notices.