A notary for Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF) in Lynwood.
CRDF, at 11705 South Alameda Street, is the Los Angeles County jail for women. Send me the booking number and the document, and I arrange the professional visit.
How a CRDF notary visit works
- Find the booking number. The Sheriff’s Inmate Information Center shows it, along with the facility; you can also call (213) 473-6100.
- Send me three things: the facility, the booking number and the document. Scan it and I print it, or the family or the attorney’s office hands me the original.
- I arrange the professional visit at CRDF and confirm again before I leave, because court days, housing moves and lockdowns can change the plan. Lynwood is a straight run down the 105 from my Culver City base.
- At the visit, the signer is identified, signs in front of me and, for a power of attorney, leaves a thumbprint in the notary journal.
- You pay after the notarization is complete, and the original goes to whoever you name.
The full walk-through is in the LA County jail notary guide.
Arrested in one city, held at CRDF in Lynwood
Families often start by calling the police department that made the arrest. Once a woman is moved into county custody, though, she is usually held at CRDF in Lynwood, and that is where the notary visit happens, even when the document is for the city agency, a tow yard or a bank somewhere else.
The Sheriff’s Inmate Information Center shows the booking number and the current facility; the custody line is (213) 473-6100. A document the arresting agency asks for still gets signed at CRDF, in front of me, and then goes back to that agency.
Inmate ID for a CRDF notary signing
California accepts “any form of inmate identification issued by a sheriff’s department” for someone held in a county jail (Civil Code §1185(b)(3)(D)), as long as it is current or was issued within the past five years. So the signer’s wallet can usually stay in jail property: before the visit I confirm the facility will have the signer’s inmate ID with them. If it isn’t available, two credible witnesses who know the signer can identify them under oath, as long as neither one is named in the document nor gains anything from it. Either way, we settle which route works before I drive out.
What CRDF notary visits usually cover
- Powers of attorney so a relative can handle bills, accounts, a car or property
- Vehicle and property release authorizations, when the tow yard or agency asks for a notarized one
- Caregiver and guardianship documents so a relative can care for her children
- Declarations and court papers prepared by her attorney
- Financial and real estate documents prepared by a bank, escrow or an attorney
I don’t prepare, choose or explain documents. The attorney, the office asking for the document or the family supplies it, complete and unsigned; my part is the identification, the signature, the certificate and the journal.
CRDF notary questions
Where is CRDF?
Century Regional Detention Facility is at 11705 South Alameda Street, Lynwood, CA 90262. It is a separate facility from the downtown jails on Bauchet Street, so the booking record matters.
What ID works for a CRDF notary visit?
The sheriff’s inmate identification. California accepts any form of inmate ID issued by a sheriff’s department for someone held in a county jail, current or issued within five years (Civil Code §1185(b)(3)(D)). If it isn’t available, two qualifying credible witnesses can identify her under oath.
The police department or tow yard gave us a form. Can it be signed at CRDF?
Yes. The office asking for the notarized document usually supplies its own form. Send it to me complete and unsigned, she signs it in front of me at CRDF, and the original goes to whoever you name.
How soon can you visit CRDF?
Often within a day or two, depending on the facility’s professional-visit schedule and on her being available that day. Call with the booking number, and I’ll tell you the earliest realistic window.
What does a CRDF visit cost?
The jail visit package covers coordination, the confirmation call, travel and the visit. Current pricing is on the jail notary page; every fee is confirmed before anything is scheduled, and you pay after the notarization.
