San Luis Obispo County Jail

San Luis Obispo County Jail basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 805-781-4635

This facility is for adult inmates.

The San Luis Obispo County Jail is a medium-security detention center located at 1585 Kansas Ave in San Luis Obispo, CA. This county jail is operated locally by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office and holds inmates awaiting trial or sentencing. Most of the sentenced inmates are here for less than two years. San Luis Obispo County accepts inmates from surrounding towns, municipalities, the US Marshal's Service and the San Luis Obispo Police Department who do not have their own long-term lock-up.

There are new detainees delivered to the jail daily, you can see arrest records here. Some are released after putting up bail, are released to a pretrial services caseload, are placed under supervision by a probation agency, or are released on their own recognizance with an agreement to appear in court. If there is no release, the inmate must wait here at the jail for their court appearance as a guest of the County, getting a bed and three square meals.

Trustees are inmates who work in the jail as cooks, as orderlies for the staff, in the laundry or in the commissary. The trustees are paid a very small amount for their time and some jail gives the trustees a few days off their sentence in exchange for their work.

When an inmate arrives in jail they are put together in a large holding cell with other inmates in the intake. While in intake they are under heightened observation. Violent and out of control inmates are segregated.

Can I Get Work Release?

Work release is when you are released from jail during the day so that you can go to work. At the end of the day, you return to jail for the night. There are a number of requirements to be able to get into the work-release program. Most programs require your employer to fill out some paperwork. If you want to get into the work release program then apply prior to being sentenced to jail. This will minimize the amount of time you spend in jail waiting to get into the program.

Can I call my family in Jail?

San Luis Obispo County Jail has a phone program where inmates make outbound calls only, you cannot call into jail. Since you are paying for those calls don't make it a habit of accepting collect-calls, they are over $15 each. The alternative is to set up an account through their third-party phone company which charges steep fees for each minute used. You are paying for them to call you. Click here if you are going to speak a lot and need a discount on the calls.

Remember – These phone calls are recorded and conversations can be used against you or the inmate so do not discuss your case over these phone lines.

visitation Info

San Luis Obisbo County Jail – Visitation

• Appointments are required to visit any inmate. To register and schedule appointments online, go to https://sanluisobispoca.gtlvisitme.com/app
• You can make an appointment no more than 7 days in advance, but no less than 48 hours prior. 
• You can check-in no later than 30 minutes prior to the visiting time for which you have scheduled an appointment. It is recommended you arrive at least 45 minutes prior.
• An inmate may have 2 one-hour visits per week. The visiting week is Sunday through Saturday.

San Luis Obispo County Jail offers video visitation

This is one of the options to visit an inmate.  The cost for 20 minutes is $15 and 40 minutes is $30.  Any public visit with an inmate is monitored and recorded.

All visitors over the age of 18 must show a valid government-issued photo identification card. The following are acceptable: Driver's license, DMV identification card, a current military identification card, a current passport, or a valid immigration identification card.  Visitors without acceptable identification will not be allowed to visit. Any person under the age of 18, unless the legal spouse of the inmate, must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

For general visiting, only one adult per person is allowed into visiting at a time. Children may accompany the adult.  For inmates housed on the Honor Farm, up to three people may visit at one time.

Once an inmate is placed in a housing unit, he may receive visitors during regularly scheduled visiting times.  There is no men's visiting on Mondays.  All visitors must come dressed appropriately. Purses, backpacks, strollers, cell phones and other personal property will not be allowed inside the visiting areas.  A complete list of visiting rules is available at the jail.

On-site visiting hours for the men's jail are as follows (visiting time for protective custody inmates only are listed in bold):

• Sunday-8:00, 9:00, and 10:00am, 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00pm
• Monday-no visiting
• Tuesday-7:30 and 8:30pm
• Wednesday-7:30 and 8:30pm
• Thursday-8:00, 9:00, and 10:00am, 7:30 and 8:30pm
• Friday-8:00, 9:00, and 10:00am
• Saturday-12:00, 1:00, and 2:00pm, 7:30 and 8:30pm

Visiting hours for the female jail are as follows (visiting time for protective custody inmates only are listed in bold):

• Sunday -7:30 and 8:30pm
• Monday- 7:30 and 8:30pm
• Tuesday- 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00am
• Wednesday- 12:00 and 1:00pm
• Thursday- 12:00 and 1:00pm
• Friday- no visiting
• Saturday- 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00am

Can I be denied a visit with an inmate?

Yes. If you are on parole or formal probation, have a pending or past felony court action, or have been in custody during the prior 6 weeks, you will need approval to visit.  For more information, contact the jail at (805) 781-4600.