What You Can't Bring to a Visit (and what happens if you do): Santa Barbara County
A visit can get derailed fast if you bring the wrong item. Use the checklist below to pack light, leave prohibited items behind, and avoid getting turned away (or cited).
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Purses, bags, and backpacks
- ✓ Firearms, knives, or other weapons
- ✓ Alcohol or illegal drugs
- ✓ Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and vaping devices
- ✓ Pets
- ✓ Food or drinks
- ✓ Cameras or anything used for photography
- ✓ Cell phones, computers, laptops, and other electronic devices capable of recording
Cell phones are not allowed during visits at Santa Barbara County. The same goes for any electronics that can record, including laptops and computers. If you bring one, you'll need to leave it secured outside the visiting area before going in.
Note: If you're caught with a cell phone, the county states you will be issued a citation and rejected from visitation for one year.
- Pack as if you cannot bring a bag - purses, bags, and backpacks are not permitted in the visiting area.
- Do a pocket check before you leave - no cigarettes or vaping devices, no food or drinks, and no cameras.
- Leave all electronics behind - cell phones, laptops, computers, and other recording-capable devices are not permitted.
- Secure prohibited items before check-in - the safest plan is to leave anything on the prohibited list at home or locked in your vehicle.
The posted consequence for cell phones at Santa Barbara County is specific: a citation and a one-year rejection from visitation. If you were cited or turned away, contact the jail directly for guidance on what to do next and when (or whether) you can return. If your issue involved an electronic device, assume the one-year rejection applies unless jail staff tell you otherwise.
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