Jefferson County Jail Inmate Search: Birmingham and Bessemer
The Jefferson County jail inmate search is the Sheriff’s Office Inmate Inquiry, and one search covers both county jails, Birmingham and Bessemer. You can search by name, subject number, or booking number, and the results show who is in custody. Once you find the person, the next step is posting bond.
Found them, or still stuck? Call today: 205-401-8052. Bail Bonds of Alabama answers 24 hours a day and can run the search with you.
Key takeaways
- The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Inquiry searches both the Birmingham and Bessemer jails.
- You can search by name, subject number, booking number, booking dates, or housing facility.
- The Corrections Division processes about 43,000 people a year across its two jails.
- Each jail has its own switchboard and its own Pre-Trial Release office.
- At the Jefferson County Jail, release typically takes 5 to 6 hours after a bond is posted.
How do you use the Jefferson County jail inmate search?
Use the official Inmate Inquiry, linked from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office website under “Inmate Search.” Here is how the Jefferson County jail inmate search works:
- Open the Inmate Inquiry.
- Enter the person’s name. Try the full legal name first, then variations if nothing comes up.
- Narrow it down if you need to. Add a booking date range, or choose a housing facility.
- Open the record to see custody status and case details.
The official portal searches both facilities at once, so you do not need to run two separate searches. Can’t find the person after a few tries? Call today and we will search with every spelling you give us.
What do the search fields mean?
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | The person’s name as it appears on their ID |
| Subject Number | The county’s ID number for the person, if you have it |
| Booking Number | The number assigned at booking, often shared on a jail phone call |
| In Custody | Limits results to people currently in the jail |
| Booking From Date / Booking To Date | A date range around the arrest |
| Housing Facility | Jefferson County Jail – Birmingham, or Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer |
A booking number is the fastest search when you have one. Write down the booking number, the charge, and the bail amount once you find the record, because a bail bond company will ask for all three. Read what you need to bail someone out of jail for the full list.
Why can’t I find someone in the Jefferson County jail inmate search?
A missing record usually has a simple explanation:
- Booking is still in progress. The record can lag behind the arrest while fingerprints, photos, and property inventory are completed.
- The name is spelled differently. Try a middle name, a hyphenated last name, or a common misspelling.
- They are in a city jail. Some arrests are held by a city police department. The Birmingham City Jail, run by the Birmingham Police Department, has its own inmate search, separate from this one.
- They are in another county. Shelby County and St. Clair County run their own jails and their own rosters.
- They were already released. Clear the “In Custody” filter and search again.
Still nothing? Call today: 205-401-8052.
When will bail show up on the record?
Bail is not always on the record the moment someone is booked. Alabama’s court rules set the timing:
- Some arrests get a bond from the schedule right away. Under Rule 4.3(a) of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure, an officer can release someone on a bond set from the statewide schedule.
- Otherwise a judge sets release conditions at the initial appearance under Rule 4.4, and the bail amount follows.
- After an arrest without a warrant, a judge or magistrate must decide probable cause within 48 hours. If that deadline passes, the person is released on the minimum bond, on personal recognizance, or on a signature bond, unless the charge is one where bail is unavailable.
- Some charges have no bail at all. Under Aniah’s Law, Ala. Code § 15-13-3 lets a judge deny bail for listed violent offenses after a pretrial detention hearing. Read Aniah’s Law in Alabama.
If the record shows charges but no bond amount yet, bail may still be coming. Call today and we will keep checking so the bond is ready the moment bail is set.
Jefferson County’s two jails
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division holds people awaiting trial or transfer to the Alabama Department of Corrections. According to the Sheriff’s Office, it processes about 43,000 people a year and holds an average population of about 1,000 across its downtown Birmingham and Bessemer facilities, both with on-site medical services.
| Facility | Main switchboard | Administrative office | Pre-Trial Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Jail | 205-325-5670 | 205-325-5772 | 205-325-5716 |
| Bessemer Jail, 1822 2nd Avenue North | 205-481-4160 | 205-481-8502 | 205-481-8529 |
The Bessemer jail serves the Bessemer Cut-Off District in western Jefferson County. Read the Bessemer Jail guide if the record shows “Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer.”
How do you post bond at the Jefferson County Jail?
Once you have the booking number, the charge, and the bail amount, there are two main routes:
- Pre-Trial Release. The Sheriff’s Pre-Trial Release Office operates at both facilities. It handles the release of people who qualify for its program and helps the public make bonds for people who do not.
- A bail bond. A licensed bail bond company posts the full bail for a fee of normally 10% to 15% of the bail. At Bail Bonds of Alabama, creative financing is available, upon approval, and we post the bond at the facility so you stay home.
Bail is set from the statewide schedule in Rule 7.2(b) of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure, and judges can go above or below it. At the Jefferson County Jail, release typically takes 5 to 6 hours after the bond is posted. Read how to bail someone out of jail in Alabama and how long it takes to get released from jail, then call today.
What are the visitation rules at the Jefferson County Jail?
The Sheriff’s Office posts these visitation rules, which it notes are subject to change:
- No visitation on Monday or Friday.
- Visitors must be 17 or older and bring a valid state ID or driver’s license.
- The inmate schedules a 45-minute slot one day before the visit.
- Each inmate may have two visits per week, with up to two adults and two children over age three per visit.
- No cell phones, electronic devices, purses, or packages. Pay lockers are in the lobby, and all visitors are subject to search.
Call the facility’s switchboard with visitation questions before you drive over.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out if someone is in the Jefferson County Jail?
Search the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Inquiry by name, subject number, or booking number. One search covers both the Birmingham and Bessemer jails.
Is the Jefferson County jail inmate search free?
Yes. The Inmate Inquiry is a free public search run by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
What is the phone number for the Jefferson County Jail?
The Birmingham Jail switchboard is 205-325-5670, and the Bessemer Jail switchboard is 205-481-4160.
How long does someone stay in the Jefferson County Jail before bond?
Bail has to be set first, and release typically takes 5 to 6 hours after the bond is posted. Call Bail Bonds of Alabama at 205-401-8052 to start the bond.
Can I post bond for someone in the Jefferson County Jail at night?
Yes. Bail Bonds of Alabama answers 24 hours a day and posts bonds at the facility at any hour.
Where to go next
- Bail bonds in Birmingham: 24/7 emergency bail bond service
- Bessemer Jail: inmate search and posting bond
- How do bail bonds work in Alabama?
- Arrests & Jail Release: what to do in the first hour
- Bail bonds in Jefferson County
Bail Bonds of Alabama has served Jefferson, Shelby, and St. Clair Counties since 2014. One call. That’s all. Call today: 205-401-8052, 24 hours a day.
This page is general information about the Jefferson County Jail, based on the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office website as of September 2026. Jail rules and phone numbers can change. It is not legal advice.