The jail's lookup runs on a jail records system that updates through the day. Follow these steps:

1. Pull up the jail's lookup tool in any web browser.
2. Type the surname first. A first name narrows down a common surname.
3. Pick the record that matches the person's age and name.
4. Note the booking or ID number. Mail and deposits ask for it.
5. Check back later in the day if you just learned of the arrest.

Staff at front reception can also answer at 405-907-1930. The lobby is open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., weekends included.

A public trust, the county's Criminal Justice Authority, governs the jail, and the Sheriff sits on its board of trustees. That is why jail questions go to the Detention Center itself, not the Sheriff's Office.

No match often means one of these:

• Still in booking. New arrests take time to enter. Search again in a few hours.
• Already out. They may have posted bond or been released on a city O.R. bond.
• Held at a city jail. Midwest City, Edmond and Del City police each run a city jail of their own.
• In another county. An arrest on a neighbor county's warrant may lead there.
• Under 18. Teens are sent to the county's youth center instead.
• Spelling. Search a nickname or a married or birth surname, or swap a letter or two.

When in doubt, call the jail at 405-907-1930. Ask whether a record exists under any spelling.

Yes. Check these if the main jail has no record:

• Midwest City Jail, 100 N. Midwest Boulevard, Midwest City, OK 73110, 405-739-1314. It holds up to 70 people. Midwest City arrests on city, state or federal charges can be held here, and other towns' city-charge prisoners by agreement.
• Edmond City Jail, run by Edmond Police at 100 E. First Street, Edmond, OK 73034, 405-359-4420. It is a small jail inside the police station, for people Edmond officers arrest.
• Del City jail, kept by Del City Police at 4517 SE 29th St, Del City, OK 73115, 405-677-2443. The department's support services staff run it, so call there to ask if someone is being held.
• Cleveland County Detention Center, 2550 West Franklin Road, Norman, OK 73069, 405-701-7700.
• Canadian County Jail, 208 West Rogers, El Reno, OK 73036. The Sheriff's Office there answers at 405-262-3434.
• Pottawatomie County Jail. The Sheriff's office is at 14101 Acme Road, Shawnee, OK 74804, 405-275-2526.
• Juvenile Detention Center for anyone under 18, 5905 N Classen Court, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, 405-713-6400.

People on federal holds may pass through the Federal Transfer Center, 7410 S. MacArthur Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73169, 405-682-4075.

Booking photos are jail records. To ask for one, call the Detention Center at 405-907-1930 and ask how to file an open records request. The jail's contact form has an "Open Records" choice for this.

• A 2025 state Supreme Court case found that a jail run by a public trust is not a "law enforcement agency" under the Open Records Act (Lawson v. LeFlore County Detention Center Public Trust, 2025 OK 87). So a trust-run jail may handle photo requests its own way.
• Photos held by immigration authorities are requested through ICE's FOIA portal.
• Federal agencies generally keep their booking photos out of public view. One exception: the Marshals may release a photo, for example when a fugitive is being sought.

Yes. OK VINE is the state's free custody tracking and alert system. It sends word when a person is moved, escapes, is caught, is released or dies.

1. Open VINELink for Oklahoma, or call 877-654-8463 toll-free.
2. Search the person by name and pick the right record.
3. Choose how to be told: phone, email or text.

VINE does not track parole. A transfer into state prison custody brings a new number, so a fresh registration may be needed. For questions about the service, the state's VINE office answers at 405-521-3921.

Under the state constitution, nearly everyone charged has a right to bail. Denial is reserved for a few grave charges, and only when the proof is strong and no release terms would keep people safe (Okla. Const. art. II § 8).

• Cash bonds can be paid at the District Court Clerk, 320 Robert S. Kerr Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-713-1705.
• Bondsmen post surety bonds at the jail. The jail runs a Fast Track booking tool for anyone working with a bondsman, or anyone who has paid a cash bond at the Clerk's office.
• New OKC city charges and city arrest warrants bring automatic release on a Conditional O.R. bond, any hour.
• Release can take several hours after the papers arrive, since staff run a warrant check first.

See our bail and release page for the bond types, payments, bondsmen and holds.

Front reception at 405-907-1930 can tell you what the person was booked on. Those can change once the District Attorney files the formal case.

• Search the OSCN docket by name to see the counts the DA filed, the case number and the next date.
• The District Attorney's Office decides what to file. It is at 211 N. Robinson, Suite N700, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-713-1600.
• For felonies committed in 2026 or later, the charge also carries a class letter, like Y, A, B, C or D.
• Simple drug possession and theft under $1,000 are generally misdemeanors in Oklahoma (State Question 780).

This county has a separate Public Defender, housed at 320 Robert S. Kerr Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-713-1550.

• A person who stays in jail is given a public defender at arraignment, with no form to fill out first.
• A person who bonds out applies to the judge on the county's public defender form.
• Public defenders must look over each jailed client's case at least monthly (Local Rule 34).

Hiring a private defense lawyer is also an option.

The jail treats visits with family and friends as a privilege. Video visits cost $0.20 a minute plus tax. Call front reception at 405-907-1930 for the current schedule and how to sign up.

• Children on screen must be fully dressed and with an adult who is 18 or older.
• Never join a video visit while driving. That can bring a 60-day block on visits.
• No gang signs, weapons, drugs or nudity. Hitting the screen or wearing revealing clothes can end visits.
• Under OAC 310:670-5-9, a jail may cap visitors and visit time only for safety reasons. Kids who visit must come with a parent or guardian.

Read our visiting guide for tips on getting ready.

A front lobby kiosk at 201 North Shartel Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 takes cash, debit and credit cards during lobby hours, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The person sending pays a fee, and the kiosk gives no receipt. Online deposits go through the jail's deposit service. Its questions line is 877-810-0914.

• Each person can spend up to $100 a week at commissary, with one order a week.
• Someone with $15 or less over the past month counts as indigent and gets free hygiene and mail kits.
• For account questions, call Resident Trust at 405-713-1962, weekdays 8 to 5.

The jail warns about scammers who fake its number and ask for payment by app. Pay only through the kiosk or the jail's own deposit service. Deposits get more detail on our money page, and store orders in our commissary explainer.

Under state jail rule OAC 310:670-5-1, a newcomer gets to place two or more phone calls, local or collect, soon after intake. The jail's contracted phone system handles calls after that.

• Calls cost $0.10 a minute in the U.S. and $0.25 a minute to Mexico and Canada.
• Phones are in most cells and every dayroom.
• Calls are recorded, and three-way calls get cut off.
• Digital messages cost $0.25 each, and picture messages $0.35.

Because every call is taped, keep case details for private talks with a lawyer. Rates and setup steps sit in our calling guide, and messaging gets its own e-message explainer.

Everyday letters are routed to an out-of-state scanning hub, rather than to Shartel Avenue. Address them like this:

Person's full name, booking number, Oklahoma County Detention Center, P.O. Box 591, Longview, TX 75606

• Letters are scanned, sent to the person electronically and then destroyed. Nothing is mailed back.
• Keep each sheet at standard letter size (8.5 x 11) or less. Send five pages at most, written on the front only.
• Send one photo per mailing at most. Add your return address.
• Magazines, newspapers and books go to 201 N. Shartel Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73102. Books are limited to two softbound books and one softbound Bible, shipped straight from a publisher or approved seller.
• Legal and medical mail is refused at the PO Box. Lawyers should call the jail at 405-907-1930 about legal mail.

State rules put no cap on mail volume (OAC 310:670-5-9). Cash in a letter is not allowed. See our mail guide for more.

Whatever was taken during intake is kept until release. They sign for them against the booking list (OAC 310:670-5-1). Any account balance goes out on a pay card, or as a check when there is no credit balance.

• After a move to state prison or another lockup, a relative or friend has 10 days to claim the stored items. Things left after that may be donated or thrown away.
• Family members can't take jail clothing home to wash.
• Call 405-907-1930 before driving to 201 North Shartel Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, and bring photo ID.

At the Midwest City Jail, families may bring a few items for staff to pass along. These include stamps, envelopes, paper and pencils. Paperback books are allowed too, plus two pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks and two shirts with no logos.

Health screening happens right at intake, and a person may ask for care at any time (OAC 310:670-5-8). The jail's resident handbook says:

• Emergency care is open 24 hours a day.
• Sick call requests go in on the tablet or kiosk.
• The first medical screening has a $15.00 co-pay, but nobody is turned away from treatment because they can't pay.
• Mental health care has no co-pay.
• Dental care covers pulling teeth, fillings and a free yearly exam.

Under state rules, a written sick call must get the person seen by licensed health staff in 48 hours or less, and faster when urgent. If you are worried, call 405-907-1930 and explain plainly. The jail's contact form also has an "Inmate Concern" option. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

County warrants are the Sheriff's job. Call the Records and Warrants line at 405-713-1968. Online, try the Sheriff's active warrant search and the court records on OSCN or ODCR. Wanted lists: the state Attorney General's Most Wanted page, the DOC Orange Alert page, the U.S. Marshals' list and Bethany's municipal warrant page. Before surrendering at 201 North Shartel Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, talk it through with a defense attorney. The court that issued it can also talk through bond or a fresh court date. Its Clerk sits in the Annex, 320 Robert S. Kerr Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-713-1705.

Court dates sit in the court record. Search the state court docket by name, or try ODCR.

• District Court Clerk, Annex Building, 320 Robert S. Kerr Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-713-1705, weekdays 8 to 5.
• Juvenile court clerk, 5905 N Classen Court, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, 405-713-6413.
• OKC Municipal Court, 701 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-297-2781, for city tickets.

Callers will be asked for a name and birth date. Our criminal court guide lists every city court and explains each step.

U.S. charges filed here are heard in federal district court, at 200 NW 4th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73102. The clerk answers at 405-609-5000.

1. The federal court holds a detention hearing to settle release versus pretrial detention (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Through the life of the case, the Marshals Service picks the lockup, and it can be the county jail. The jail has had a contract with the Marshals to hold federal detainees. Ask the Marshals' office, 200 Northwest 4th Street, Room 2022, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-231-4206, where the person is.
3. People being moved may stop at the Federal Transfer Center, 7410 S. MacArthur Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73169, 405-682-4075. Visits there run on weekends and federal holidays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
4. After sentencing, the federal prison locator names their BOP facility.

Here is what usually happens when immigration agents want someone from the jail:

1. First, OCDC receives Form I-247A, a detainer request from ICE.
2. OCDC can then keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. ICE officers take custody. The agency's office for the state is at 1220 Sovereign Row, Oklahoma City, OK 73108, 405-219-3199, under the Dallas Field Office.
4. Detainees may go to Cimarron Correctional Facility, 3200 S. Kings Hwy., Cushing, OK 74023. Its detainee line, 918-225-3336, is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. When calling, give the detainee's name and any other names used, plus birth date, home country and A-number.
5. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

Oklahoma's HB 4156 made being in the state without legal status a crime (21 O.S. § 1795). On May 20, 2025, a federal judge issued an order halting enforcement while the lawsuit moved ahead, so ask a lawyer where it stands now.

After a prison sentence, people often stay at the county jail for months. DOC says transport normally happens 6-9 months after the sentence is handed down. Then they go through intake and are assigned to a prison matching their security level.

• Look the person up on the DOC Offender Lookup.
• Read about each prison in our Oklahoma prisons directory.
• Letters to state prisoners need their name and ODOC number.
• For questions, contact the person's case manager. DOC's main line is 405-425-2500, at 4345 North Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

Anyone under 18 goes to the Juvenile Detention Center, at 5905 N Classen Court, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, 405-713-6400, and takes intake 24 hours a day. It has 80 beds in 7 units.

• A detention hearing is set for 1:00 p.m. on the next business day following arrest.
• To set up a visit, call the visitation clerk at 405-713-6491, Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visits last 30 minutes and are booked a week ahead.
• Parents, guardians or approved visitors may come, two at most. Bring only an ID and car keys.
• Zoom visits are offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The arresting agency decides where a person is first taken. Population figures are Census Bureau estimates for July 1, 2025, for each whole city.

Countywide

• Sheriff's Office, 2101 NE 36th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111, 405-713-1000. Deputies patrol about 720 square miles outside city limits and help smaller towns.
• Sheriff's campus substation at Francis Tuttle, 12777 N. Rockwell Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73142, 405-869-2567.
• Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Troop A, based in OKC, 405-425-2285.

Larger cities

• Oklahoma City Police Department (719,849 people), 700 Colcord Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-297-1000
• Edmond Police (100,479), 100 E. First Street, Edmond, OK 73034, non-emergency 405-359-4338
• Midwest City Police (58,799), 100 N. Midwest Boulevard, Midwest City, OK 73110, 405-739-1320
• Del City Police (21,138), reached through City Hall, 3701 SE 15th St., Del City, OK 73115, non-emergency 405-677-2443
• Bethany Police (20,315), 6700 NW 36th Street, Bethany, OK 73008, 405-789-2323
• Choctaw Police (12,549), 13240 NE 23rd Street, Choctaw, OK 73020, 405-769-3821
• Warr Acres Police (10,552), 24-hour non-emergency line 405-789-3329

Smaller towns

• Harrah Police (7,212), 405-454-2222, mail to PO Box 636, Harrah, OK 73045
• Nichols Hills Police (3,864), at the city offices, 6407 Avondale Drive, Nichols Hills, OK 73116, 405-843-5672
• Spencer Police (3,857), 8300 NE 36th St., Spencer, OK 73084, 405-771-3798
• Forest Park Police (1,035), 4201 N. Coltrane Road, Forest Park, OK 73121. Reach the town office at 405-424-1212.
• Arcadia (187), town office at 217 N. Main Street, Arcadia, OK 73007, 405-396-2899
• The Village, Nicoma Park, Jones, Luther, Valley Brook, Woodlawn Park, Lake Aluma and Smith Village: call Sheriff's dispatch at 405-869-2501 to learn which agency handled the arrest.

Campus police

• University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Police, 934 N.E. 8th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, non-emergency 405-271-4300