Find a Former Federal Inmate

The BOP locator includes records for federal inmates released after 1982 and can also return people who were in BOP custody without serving a final federal prison sentence. For pre-1982 records, the BOP directs researchers to the National Archives.

How to use the official locator

1. Open the official BOP Inmate Locator.
2. Choose Find By Name or Find By Number.
3. Enter only fields you know accurately.
4. Confirm the Register Number, age, status, and location.
5. Check state or county custody if the federal result is missing.

Search released federal records

Use the legal name or a supported federal number. A released record can show the Register Number, age, race, sex, and release information available in the public locator.

Records before 1982

Not every person in federal custody before 1982 was entered into the modern BOP system. The official BOP guidance directs older-record inquiries to the National Archives with the person’s name, age or birth date, race, and approximate incarceration dates.

Custody without a final prison sentence

A BOP record can exist for pretrial detention, material-witness custody, civil contempt, or another period of BOP custody even when the person did not complete a federal prison sentence.

Identity checks

Confirm the Register Number and demographic details. A same-name historical record should not be treated as a current-custody result.

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.

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.