The Van Nuys Jail and Police Department

Address/phone	Van Nuys Jail 6240 Sylmar Avenue (between Delano St. and Sylvan St.) Van Nuys, CA 91401 (map) (818) 374-9645
Find an inmate	Inmate locator
Visiting hours	Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Weekends and holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Visiting rules	Each inmate can have one 15-minute visit a day with one visitor.
Forms of bail	Cash, cashier’s check, money order, or bondsmen.

The Van Nuys Jail – also called the Van Nuys Division Jail Station – is a temporary holding facility for men and women arrested by the LAPD or California Highway Patrol in the San Fernando Valley (SFV), specifically Sepulveda, Sherman Oaks, Valley Glen, Van Nuys, Ventura Business District and West Van Nuys.

Van Nuys Jail is located within the Los Angeles Police Department’s Van Nuys Community Police Station near the Van Nuys Courthouse East. Arrestees are only held at the Van Nuys Jail until they

• are released on their own recognizance (known as an “O.R.” release),
• post bail, or
• are taken to court for their arraignment.

Male defendants who cannot bail out will generally be transferred to a larger Los Angeles County jail such as the Los Angeles Twin Towers Jail, the Pitchess Detention Center, or the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail.

Meanwhile, female defendants who do not bail out will be transferred to the Century Regional Detention Facility.

In this article, our Van Nuys criminal defense attorneys¹ provide the following jail information:

• 1. Bail procedures
• 2. Find an inmate
• 3. Telephone and mail
• 4. Visitation
• 5. Releasing property
• 6. Medical services
• Additional resources

If, after reading this article, you would like more information, we invite you to contact us at Shouse Law Group.

1. Bail procedures

You may post bail directly at the Van Nuys Police Station (where the jail is located) 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. The Jail is located at

6240 Sylmar Avenue
Van Nuys, CA 91401
(818) 374-9645

Free and metered parking is available on all of the streets that surround the police station.

Van Nuys Jail accepts four types of bail:

1. Cash paid in full.
2. Bank-drawn cashier’s check for the full amount. It must be made payable to Los Angeles Police Department’s Bail Account. The checks must also include the inmate’s name and booking number.
3. Western Union or U.S. Postal Service money order for the full amount. It must be made payable to Los Angeles Police Department’s Bail Account. The money order must also include the inmate’s name and booking number.
4. Bail bonds, where you pay a bondsman a 10% non-refundable fee in exchange for them putting up the entire bail amount.

Note that bail money gets returned to you once the case ends as long as the defendant makes all required court appearances; otherwise, you forfeit the bail money.

If you use a bail bondsman and the defendant misses court, the bail bondsman can sue you for the full bail amount minus the 10% you paid them.

2. Find an inmate

In order to obtain information about an inmate at the Van Nuys Jail, you may

1. call the Van Nuys Jail at (818) 374-9645,
2. call the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Inmate Information line at (213) 473-6100, or
3. access information via the web on the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s inmate information website.

Before a deputy will release information, you must provide the inmate’s correct full legal name or their booking number.

3. Telephone and mail

During the booking process, inmates can make several free outgoing calls. After they are booked, inmates can make collect calls. You cannot call inmates.

You also should not send mail to the Van Nuys Jail because inmates are released or transferred within 48 hours of booking. If an inmate transfers to another detention facility following their arraignment, you can send mail to:

Inmate Name, Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164

4. Visitation

The Van Nuys Jail visiting hours are:

• Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
• Weekends and holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Inmates may have one 15-minute visit each day with one person, and any minor visitors (under 18 years old) must be with an adult. There is no limit to the amount of visits inmates can receive from their attorneys, bail bondsmen, or clergy, and these visits can exceed 15 minutes.

It is a good idea to call the Van Nuys Jail at (818) 374-9645 prior to your visit to make sure your loved one is there and that visiting hours have not changed. Your visit may be denied if:

• you are a felon,
• you have been incarcerated at a California State Prison, and/or
• you are on formal probation and have no permission from the jail’s Unit Commander to visit.

Appointments are not required, and visits are granted on a first-come, first-served basis. All visitors must bring valid picture identification, such as:

• a driver’s license or identification card,
• a U.S. Passport,
• an alien registration card,
• a U.S. military card,
• a California identification card,
• a Mexican Consulate card, or
• (for minor visitors) a school identification card or birth certificate.

Be sure to dress conservatively. You are subject to a search of your person and property.

You may not bring cell phones, tablets, recording devices, cameras, or purses into the lobby. You can also get arrested if you have an outstanding warrant or try to bring in weapons, drugs, or other contraband.

5. Releasing property

If the person in custody at the Van Nuys Jail was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, they can fill out a property release form designating you to claim that property. If they were arrested for a felony, they must receive approval from a detective before they will be permitted to release their property.

To retrieve inmate property, bring a government-issued I.D. to the Van Nuys Jail lobby at any time.

6. Medical services

If your loved one was booked at Van Nuys Jail and has medical needs, call the jail at (818) 374-9645 to inform the staff. You may be able to drop off medication at the jail.

Additional resources

• Drug & Alcohol Rehabs near Van Nuys, California – List compiled by American Addiction Centers.
• How do I get my car out of impound? – Article by the LAPD.
• California Crime Victim’s Handbook – Guide by the California Attorney General’s Office.
• Court-Referred Community Service (CRCS) Program – List of approved places you can complete court-ordered community service.
• How do I pay my ticket? – How to pay your fines online to the County of Los Angeles.

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