Maricopa County Jail Mugshots

Maricopa County jail mugshots are booking photos taken when someone is arrested and processed into MCSO custody. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office runs the largest jail system in Arizona with multiple detention facilities across the Phoenix metro area. You can search for current inmates online through the MCSO website. The county processes over 100,000 bookings each year, making it one of the busiest jail systems in the nation. This guide covers how to find mugshots, request records, and contact the Maricopa County jail facilities.

Search Maricopa County Inmate Mugshots Online

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate search tool. This is the fastest way to find current jail mugshots in Maricopa County. The search is free and available around the clock.

Go to the MCSO Inmate Information page to start your search. You can look up inmates by booking number or by name and date of birth. The system shows current inmates held in Maricopa County jails. Results include the booking photo, charges, bail amount, and next court date. This database updates regularly as new bookings come in and inmates are released from Maricopa County custody.

The MCSO also has a dedicated mugshot lookup page for viewing booking photos. Both tools pull from the same inmate database but offer slightly different search options for finding people in Maricopa County jail.

The online search works well for recent arrests. Older booking records may not show up in the current system.

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

The MCSO handles all jail operations in Maricopa County. Sheriff's deputies make arrests, transport inmates, and run the detention facilities. The agency keeps all booking records and mugshots for arrests in its jurisdiction. This includes arrests made by city police departments across the county since those arrestees go to MCSO jails for processing.

You can reach the sheriff's office at (602) 876-1000. The main office is at 550 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM for in-person visits. The MCSO website has links to all jail services, inmate programs, and public records forms for Maricopa County.

Note: The 2024 Houston v. Maricopa County ruling may affect how booking photos are shared online in the future.

Maricopa County Jail Facilities

Maricopa County operates five main jail facilities. Each one serves a different purpose in the detention system. Where an inmate is housed depends on their charges, classification level, and gender. All facilities are in the Phoenix area and process Maricopa County jail mugshots during intake.

The Intake, Transfer, and Release facility handles all new bookings for Maricopa County. Located at 2670 South 28th Drive in Phoenix, this is where arrestees first arrive and get their mugshot taken. The facility processes around 100,000 bookings per year. After classification, inmates move to one of the other jails based on their security level and case status in Maricopa County.

The main Maricopa County jail facilities are:

• 4th Avenue Jail: 201 S. 4th Avenue, Phoenix, (602) 876-0322, 2,064 beds
• Towers Jail: 3127 W. Gibson Lane, Phoenix, 1,080 capacity
• Estrella Jail: 2939 W. Durango Road, Phoenix, 1,380 beds (all female)
• Lower Buckeye Jail: 3250 W. Lower Buckeye Road, Phoenix, 2,382 capacity
• ITR Facility: 2670 South 28th Drive, Phoenix (intake and release)

Total system capacity exceeds 9,000 inmates. Estrella Jail houses all female inmates for Maricopa County. The other facilities hold male inmates at various security levels.

Request Maricopa County Jail Records

You can request copies of jail mugshots and booking records from the MCSO. The public records unit handles these requests. Submit your request in writing with the name of the person, approximate booking date, and what records you need from Maricopa County.

Email your request to PublicRecords@mcso.maricopa.gov. You can also mail requests to 550 W. Jackson St., Phoenix, AZ 85003. The office accepts in-person requests Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The MCSO public records page has forms and more details about the request process for Maricopa County jail records.

Arizona public records law at A.R.S. § 39-121 gives anyone the right to request these records. You do not need to explain why you want them. Processing time varies based on the complexity of your request for Maricopa County records.

Maricopa County Jail Visitation

All visits at Maricopa County jails are done by video. In-person contact visits are not available for general population inmates. The county uses ViaPath Technologies to run the video visitation system.

Video visits cost $0.25 per minute. You must set up an account through the ViaPath website before scheduling a visit. Remote visits from home are available if you have a computer or smartphone with a camera. On-site visits can be done at kiosks located in jail lobbies. The MCSO inmate information page has details on visiting hours and rules for each Maricopa County facility.

Visitation does not provide access to mugshots or booking photos. Use the online inmate search to view those records instead.

Houston Ruling Impact on Maricopa Mugshots

A 2024 federal court case directly involves Maricopa County. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Houston v. Maricopa County (Case No. 23-15542) that certain practices around posting booking photos online may cause harm. This decision came down in September 2024.

The ruling has led several Arizona counties to change how they share mugshots. Some stopped posting them online entirely. Maricopa County continues to offer its inmate search tool, but policies may change as the legal situation develops. Check the MCSO website for current information on what mugshot data is available to the public in Maricopa County.

Cities in Maricopa County

Maricopa County includes Phoenix and many surrounding cities. All city police departments in the county book arrestees into MCSO jails. Mugshots for arrests made by these city police are held by the sheriff's office, not the individual cities.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Maricopa County. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest, check where the person was taken into custody. Each county sheriff runs their own jail system with separate mugshot records.