Federal Custody vs State Custody
Federal custody and state custody are separate systems. BOP handles federal prison records; each state corrections agency handles its own state-prison records.
Federal search: quick answer
How to use the official locator
- Open the official BOP Inmate Locator.
- Choose Find By Name or Find By Number.
- Enter only fields you know accurately.
- Confirm the Register Number, age, status, and location.
- Check state or county custody if the federal result is missing.
Court and sentence clue
Federal district court generally indicates a federal matter; state court generally indicates state/local custody.
Local federal housing
A person facing a federal case can be housed in a county or contract facility before BOP placement.
Search order
Use the current housing agency first, then BOP or state DOC after transfer.
Information to prepare before searching
Have the person’s complete legal name, likely age or date of birth, and any document that shows a federal identifier. Do not guess demographic fields when the official form makes them optional. A wrong filter can remove the correct result, while a precise Register Number or correctly labeled agency number can reduce same-name matches.
How to confirm the correct federal record
Compare more than the displayed name. Review the BOP Register Number, age, status, facility, and projected release information together. If the facility is shown, open the current BOP facility page for contact and visitation details. A same-name result, an old screenshot, or a third-party profile is not enough to establish current federal custody.
When another custody search is more appropriate
The BOP locator does not replace state Department of Corrections or county jail systems. A person may be awaiting federal placement in a local facility, held by another federal agency, serving a state sentence, or recently transferred. Use the current housing agency first when reliable information identifies it, then search BOP after federal designation or transfer. Save the official identifier and recheck the current source instead of relying on an old screenshot.
Practical search note
The court, sentence, and current housing agency are better clues than the seriousness of the charge. A federal defendant can be housed locally before BOP designation, while a state-sentenced person belongs in the state corrections system. Search the current custodian first and the destination system after a confirmed transfer.
Federal search limitations
- The online locator starts with records from 1982.
- A federal case does not guarantee current placement at a BOP facility.
- Projected release dates can change.
- A person no longer in BOP custody can remain under another agency or supervision.