St. Louis mugshots and arrest records: start with the right jail
Looking for a booking photo, a recent arrest or someone currently detained? St. Louis City and St. Louis County operate separate jail systems. The best search depends on where the person was arrested—not simply whether the address says “St. Louis.”
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Independent information guide · Government links above open the record holders’ websites · A mugshot or arrest is not a conviction.
Quick answer: For a St. Louis City arrest, use the City of St. Louis Division of Corrections inmate locator. It searches people in the city’s corrections custody using an exact first and last name. For St. Louis County, contact the county Department of Justice Services or follow the County Police jail-information page. Neither source should be treated as an unlimited public gallery of historical mugshots.
If the person has already been released, the correct next step may be a police records request or a Missouri court search through Case.net. A custody listing and an arrest photograph are different records, and an initial booking charge does not establish the outcome of a criminal case.
How to use the St. Louis City inmate locator
The City of St. Louis is independent of St. Louis County. The city’s official Locate a St. Louis City Inmate page connects to the Division of Corrections system, which can identify the facility where a person is held. It is not described by the City as a daily mugshot archive.
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Open the official city lookup.
Use the link above and select the City’s “Begin online” or inmate-locator option. If the search appears in an embedded window, follow the agency’s directions there.
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Enter the exact first and last name.
The City states that its database returns exact matches, not similar names. Double-check the spelling and name appearing on the arrest paperwork.
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Confirm the facility.
The City’s listed results can include the inmate name, birth year, race, sex and facility. Use those details to distinguish possible matches instead of relying on the name alone.
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Follow the relevant custody instructions.
Once you identify the facility, go to the City’s official pages for visiting, bond, property or other inmate services. A person-search result is not necessarily a booking photo or court record.
If you believe someone remains in St. Louis police custody but the locator shows no match, the City lists the Prisoner Processing Department at 314-241-8339. For City corrections questions, its main number is 314-621-5848. These are different purposes; use the police processing number for an arrest not yet shown in the jail locator. Source: City inmate-locator instructions.
St. Louis County mugshots and jail inmate information
The St. Louis County Department of Justice Services operates the county jail at the Justice Center in Clayton. The county is separate from the City of St. Louis; searching the City’s system for a county booking may return nothing even if the person is in county custody.
Begin with the St. Louis County Police jail-information page, which routes custody and Justice Center inquiries to Justice Services. The official text available during this review did not establish a publicly accessible live county mugshot gallery or a reliable online roster interface. Do not assume a private “St. Louis inmate locator” domain is operated by the county.
What to do if you need a county inmate’s status
- Have the person’s legal name, approximate arrest date and any known booking or case number ready.
- Contact St. Louis County Justice Services at 314-615-5245 for the correct current inmate-information process.
- Ask whether the person is held at the Justice Center, transferred or released, subject to information the department can disclose.
- For a police report rather than a custody question, contact the arresting agency or use the County Police records-request route.
County facility: 100 S. Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105. The County’s official Justice Services department page is the starting point for jail-specific services, rules and contacts.
What about Florissant, Ferguson, Kirkwood or other St. Louis suburbs?
Do not automatically search St. Louis City for arrests in St. Louis County municipalities. The city police department or other agency that made the arrest may hold the incident report, while a county facility may hold the booking record. Confirm the arresting agency and detention facility first. Municipal court cases may also follow a different route from state felony or misdemeanor cases.
Are recent St. Louis mugshots available online?
Sometimes a local agency releases a booking photograph; sometimes it publishes only a custody entry. The City of St. Louis inmate-locator instructions describe identity and facility fields, but do not promise a public image for every person. The County’s publicly accessible police information likewise should not be mistaken for a verified online photo feed.
Today’s or yesterday’s arrests
If the arrest was very recent, begin with the police or corrections system responsible for intake. The City warns that some individuals remain in police processing before moving to the Justice Center. A delay in public indexing can also occur. A list of current inmates, if available, is not necessarily a 24-hour list of everyone arrested and released.
Older mugshots and release records
If someone has been released, a live custody lookup may no longer show them. The original arresting agency may still maintain a report, subject to applicable law. A court case may remain searchable after the jail entry is gone, but Missouri Case.net is not a mugshot photo gallery.
| Need | Starting point | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Current City custody | City inmate locator | Exact-name matches; not a general mugshot archive. |
| Current County custody | County Justice Services | Confirm the current lookup or phone route with the department. |
| Police arrest report or booking photograph | Arresting agency or records custodian | Disclosure and photo access depend on law and policy. |
| Filed charge or outcome | Missouri Case.net / appropriate clerk | A case docket does not replace a jail roster. |
| Missouri prison custody | Missouri DOC offender search | Not every county booking or discharged offender appears. |
For a broader explanation of the difference between new bookings, current jail rosters and historic arrest records, see our recently booked mugshots guide.
How to request a St. Louis police report or mugshot
Missouri’s Sunshine Law governs public access to many state and local law-enforcement records. Under RSMo § 610.100, arrest and incident reports are generally open, subject to important exceptions. Investigative material can be restricted; if an arrested person is not charged within 30 days, the arrest report becomes closed under the statutory conditions, with exceptions. This law does not promise a photo for every booking.
For a City of St. Louis arrest
The City provides an official Sunshine Law/public records request process through a GOV/QA portal used by City departments and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Check the archive for an existing responsive release first. If needed, create an account, choose the proper department and describe the records.
For a St. Louis County police record
St. Louis County Police provides an online Sunshine Request portal. Its official public-information guidance also identifies written requests directed to the Police Custodian of Records, Bureau of Central Police Records, 7900 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton, MO 63105. For county jail booking material rather than a police report, ask Justice Services which office holds and releases that particular record.
What to include in your request
- The arresting jurisdiction and agency.
- Full name as accurately known, plus incident or booking date range.
- Complaint number, booking ID or court case number, if available.
- A precise description such as “booking photograph,” “arrest report” or “incident report.”
- Your preferred contact details and any documentation specifically required by the official process.
Charges, staff research, duplication fees, redactions, privacy exclusions and response timelines depend on the applicable process. Check official instructions rather than assuming a blanket fee or guaranteed release date. Records related to pending criminal litigation may also require criminal-discovery procedures instead of a routine public-record request.
Check a St. Louis arrest in Missouri Case.net
An arrest charge is not the final charge or disposition. Missouri’s official Case.net portal provides public case information where available, including case parties, filings, scheduled events and outcomes. It is separate from both City and County corrections databases.
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Open Case.net from the Missouri Courts website.
Use the official courts.mo.gov domain; lookalike “Case.net” websites may not be operated by Missouri courts.
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Choose a case-number or litigant-name search.
A case number is preferable when known. Otherwise enter the party’s legal name and narrow by court and other supported fields.
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Select the correct judicial circuit.
Choose the 22nd Judicial Circuit for St. Louis City or the appropriate St. Louis County court (21st Judicial Circuit) for county matters. Do not choose the city solely because the person’s mailing address says St. Louis.
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Review the docket rather than the booking charge.
Look for filing details, hearing information and case disposition; the publicly displayed docket may have limits or be subject to later correction.
St. Louis City Municipal Court now directs users to Case.net as well. The City’s municipal-case instructions explain the 22nd Circuit and municipal search options. For state criminal filings in the City, the Circuit Attorney’s Office identifies the Circuit Clerk as the record source. The City’s clerk contact listed there is 314-622-4433 at 10 N. Tucker Boulevard.
If the person moved to state or federal custody
Use the Missouri Department of Corrections Offender Search for people supervised by Missouri DOC, including eligible prison, probation and parole records. The DOC states that discharged offenders and certain protected entries are excluded. For federal Bureau of Prisons custody, use the BOP Inmate Locator; neither replaces the original local booking record.
Why an arrest or mugshot search may return no results
- Wrong jurisdiction: St. Louis City is not part of St. Louis County. Confirm the place of arrest first.
- Exact-name mismatch: the City locator requires exact first and last names and does not search lookalike spellings.
- Police processing: someone may remain in a police holding or processing area before City corrections lists them.
- Release or transfer: a released person or someone transferred to another facility may disappear from a current-custody search.
- Different record custodian: police reports, jail intake records and court dockets are held by different offices.
- Protected information: juvenile, sealed, expunged, inactive-investigation or other restricted records may not be available to the public.
- No public photo: the agency may offer a name and facility search without publishing a photograph.
When time matters, use the responsible agency’s official contact information. Online lookup results are informational, can change and should not be the sole basis for a legal or safety decision.
Understand the three main record dates
Arrest date refers to the event when a person was taken into custody. Booking date refers to intake at a detention facility, which may occur later. Court filing date refers to entry of the case in court and can differ from both. Comparing these dates helps avoid misidentification and confusion about what is “recent.”
St. Louis jail addresses, contacts and map
St. Louis City Justice Center
Address: 200 South Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63102
Corrections phone: 314-621-5848
Police prisoner processing: 314-241-8339 (for suspected police custody not shown in the City inmate locator)
Use the official City Justice Center page for current facility services, location and visitor information. For visits, the City requires advance approval and scheduling; check the visiting instructions before traveling.
Open directions to City Justice Center. The map is for facility orientation, not a live inmate-location tracker.
St. Louis County Justice Center, Clayton
Address: 100 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105
Justice Services: 314-615-5245
Official departments: County Justice Services and County Police jail-information page.
See directions to the County Justice Center. The County’s detention operation is not the City’s Tucker Boulevard facility. Confirm visiting and inmate-service rules with Justice Services before arriving.
St. Louis mugshots and inmate-search FAQs
Where can I find St. Louis mugshots for free?
Start with the official City inmate locator for City custody or County Justice Services for County custody. Online searches may be free, but booking photographs are not guaranteed. Public-record copies or special requests can carry fees.
Are St. Louis City and St. Louis County inmate searches the same?
No. St. Louis City is independent of St. Louis County, and the City Justice Center and County Justice Center are run by separate corrections authorities.
Does the City inmate locator show photos?
The City’s published instructions describe inmate name, year of birth, race, sex and facility results. They do not guarantee that a mugshot appears with every record.
Can I search the City jail by last name only?
The City directs users to enter the exact first and last name, and says it returns exact matches only. Check the agency’s live form for its current required fields.
How can I find someone arrested today in St. Louis?
Check the responsible jurisdiction first. A new City arrest may still be in police processing before appearing in City corrections. The City’s prisoner-processing contact is 314-241-8339.
Where is the St. Louis County jail?
The St. Louis County Justice Center is at 100 South Central Avenue, Clayton, Missouri 63105. For custody questions, contact County Justice Services at 314-615-5245.
How do I find a booking photo from a past arrest?
Identify the arresting agency and ask about its records request process. Older bookings are not guaranteed to remain in a live inmate locator, and some photographs are restricted or not publicly released.
Can I check the court outcome in Missouri Case.net?
Yes, for cases publicly available in the Missouri court system. Use courts.mo.gov and select the appropriate court or circuit. A court record is more appropriate than a jail listing for the outcome of a case.
What if the City inmate locator shows no match?
The name may not be an exact match, the person may still be in police custody, may have been released or may have been detained elsewhere. Check the official City guidance and its listed prisoner-processing contact.
Are St. Louis police arrest reports public?
Many arrest and incident reports are public under Missouri law, but records may be closed or redacted under statutory exceptions. Use the City or County’s official Sunshine Law process to ask about a specific report.
How do I locate a person transferred to Missouri prison?
Use the Missouri Department of Corrections offender search for DOC-supervised individuals. It does not cover all historical or discharged offenders and is separate from the local jail systems.
Does a St. Louis mugshot mean the person was convicted?
No. A mugshot documents an arrest or detention event and cannot establish guilt. Check the court record for subsequent proceedings and disposition.
Official St. Louis records and reference links
- City of St. Louis — Locate an Inmate
- St. Louis County Police — Jail Inmate Information
- St. Louis County — Justice Services
- City of St. Louis — Sunshine Law Requests
- St. Louis County — Police Records Requests
- Missouri Revised Statutes § 610.100
- Missouri Judiciary — Case.net
- Missouri Department of Corrections — Offender Search
Government portals, information fields, fees and rules may change. Follow the current instructions shown by the responsible agency. This guide does not provide a live mugshot database, custody notifications or legal advice.