Find Criminal History in San Juan County
San Juan County covers a vast area in southeastern Utah and borders Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. The county seat is Monticello, where the Sheriff's Office and the Seventh District Court are both located. Criminal history records in San Juan County are maintained by the Sheriff's Office for arrests and incident reports, and by the district court for case filings and dispositions. The Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification holds a complete statewide record that includes all San Juan County arrests. This guide explains where to go and what to request.
San Juan County Quick Facts
San Juan County Sheriff Records
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office is located at 297 South Main St., Monticello, UT 84535. The phone number is (435) 587-2237 and the fax is (435) 587-2013. The Sheriff's Office is the primary custodian of arrest records, incident reports, and jail booking documentation for San Juan County.
Records requests can be submitted to the Sheriff's Office in person or by mail. Written GRAMA requests should include your name, mailing address, daytime phone number, and a clear description of the records you are seeking. Include dates, names, and case numbers where possible. The Sheriff's Office is required to respond within 10 business days under Utah Code § 63G-2-204. Fees may apply for certified copies or for searches that take significant staff time.
Arrest records in San Juan County are public under the Government Records Access and Management Act. However, portions may be redacted under Utah Code § 63G-2-305 when releasing information could harm an ongoing investigation or reveal details about victims or witnesses. Juvenile records are always confidential and are not accessible through public records requests.
Note: Records of individuals who have been released from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center can be accessed through written GRAMA requests to the Sheriff's Office at 297 South Main St., Monticello, UT 84535.
San Juan County Adult Detention Center
The San Juan County Adult Detention Center is also located in Monticello and serves all of San Juan County. The jail houses both pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates for county-level offenses. To inquire about an inmate, call (435) 587-2237 during regular business hours.
The jail maintains booking records and an inmate roster that is accessible to the public. The online inmate lookup function allows searches by name, subject number, booking number, and in-custody status. Booking records typically include the individual's name, date of birth, physical description, arrest date, charges, and bond information.
Individuals looking for current custody status can also search through the Vinelink system, which provides free access to inmate information including current custody status and housing facility for participating facilities in Utah.
Seventh District Court Criminal Case Filings
The Seventh District Court in Monticello handles criminal proceedings for San Juan County, including all felony and misdemeanor cases. Once an arrest moves to prosecution, the resulting case filings become part of the court record. Court records include charges, hearing transcripts, motions, plea agreements, and final judgments.
The free MyCase portal at the Utah Courts website lets anyone search cases from the Seventh District Court by name or case number. This search is free and shows basic case status, charges, and hearing dates. For full document access, the subscription XChange system provides more detail for $30 per month plus per-search fees. For physical copies, contact the Seventh District Court clerk in Monticello with the case number and document description.
The Seventh District Court also maintains disposition records for cases that originate from San Juan County arrests. Disposition records are important for understanding the final outcome of a case, which arrest records alone do not show. An arrest does not mean a conviction, and the court records provide that distinction.
Utah BCI San Juan County Criminal History
The Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification at the Utah Department of Public Safety holds the statewide criminal history database. This database includes all San Juan County arrests, charges, and dispositions reported by local agencies. For a complete background check covering San Juan County and all other Utah counties, BCI is the most thorough resource.
You can request your own criminal history from BCI in person at 3888 West 5400 South, Taylorsville, UT 84129. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Utah Driving Privilege Cards are not accepted. The fee is $20 for a name and date of birth search, and $20 for a fingerprint-based search. Mail-in requests require the completed application from bci.utah.gov, the fee, and a signed Third-Party Release Form if requesting records for another person. BCI reports cannot be sent by email or fax. Call (801) 965-4445 for questions, available Monday through Thursday from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Background checks for San Juan County residents through BCI will reflect arrests and dispositions from the Seventh District Court, the Sheriff's Office, and any other Utah agency that reported incidents involving the subject. The BCI record is the most complete single source for Utah criminal history.
San Juan County Warrant Records
Warrant records are public documents in San Juan County under GRAMA. You can check for active warrants through the Utah statewide warrants database at no cost. This database is maintained by the Utah Department of Public Safety and covers active warrants from all Utah counties including San Juan.
Warrant records typically include the full name of the individual, date the warrant was issued, type of warrant, alleged offense, case number, and the issuing judge. For specific warrant inquiries in San Juan County, the Sheriff's Office at (435) 587-2237 can confirm status during business hours. The Seventh District Court can also be contacted about bench warrants issued during pending criminal cases.
Methods to check for an active warrant in San Juan County include visiting the Sheriff's Office in person, calling the office during business hours, using the Utah Statewide Warrants database online, and checking the court case docket through MyCase for bench warrants in an active case.
San Juan County Criminal Record Expungement
Expungement removes a criminal record from public access after the court issues an order and BCI processes it. For San Juan County criminal cases, the petition is filed with the Seventh District Court in Monticello. Eligibility depends on the type of offense, waiting periods, and whether there are pending proceedings or unpaid fines.
Utah's Clean Slate law, effective February 2022, allows automatic expungement of qualifying lower-level offenses without filing a petition. For other cases, you must petition the court. BCI reviews the request and issues a Certificate of Eligibility for $65. The court petition fee is $135. After the court approves the expungement, BCI updates the state database and notifies the FBI. The BCI confirmation letter is the official document proving the record was sealed. More details are available at the Utah Courts expungement guide.
Note: Even after expungement of San Juan County criminal records, government entities may still access sealed records for specific legal purposes such as sentencing in future felony cases or firearm permit decisions.
Historical San Juan County Criminal Records
The Utah State Archives holds historical criminal records from courts and agencies across the state, including San Juan County. For older cases not in the modern court systems, contact the archives at 346 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101. The archives research guide for criminal records helps identify what is available by county and date range before you request copies.
San Juan County covers a large geographic area with a relatively small population. Historical criminal records from the area may be less voluminous than those from urban counties. Researchers interested in historical law enforcement in southeastern Utah should contact the archives directly to discuss available holdings.
Nearby Counties
San Juan County borders Utah counties to the north and west, and shares state lines with Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Records for incidents near county lines may be held by a neighboring agency.