Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
Gallup, New Mexico, in McKinley County, has about 20,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Gallup is held at the county jail, run by the McKinley County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Gallup public records, McKinley County inmate search, Gallup arrest records, Gallup warrants, Gallup criminal records, Gallup court records, New Mexico arrest records and New Mexico inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Gallup
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Gallup is held at the county jail, run by the McKinley County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the McKinley County Sheriff's Office at co.mckinley.nm.us/165/Sheriffs-Office (page title: McKinley County Sheriff's Office | McKinley County, NM), phone 505-863-1410, 1000 East Aztec Ave Gallup, NM 87301, Monday-Friday 8:00 am- 5:00 pm., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at 505-863-1410.
The McKinley County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2023 the jail held about 130 people, down from about 160 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023 was 328 beds, and it ran at 41 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
McKinley County has about 69,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 19 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the McKinley County Jail
The McKinley County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Gallup (filed by the FBI as Gallup Police Department) make the arrests that end in a booking in and around Gallup.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Gallup's 1,470 for 2024 and the McKinley County Sheriff's Office's 225 for 2025.
Together, the two agencies in McKinley County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,776 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Gallup arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the New Mexico Corrections Department lists its inmates at cd.nm.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Gallup?
Ask the McKinley County Sheriff's Office at 505-863-1410; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at co.mckinley.nm.us/165/Sheriffs-Office.
How many people are in the McKinley County jail?
About 130 on an average day in 2023, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 328 beds.
What is the phone number for the McKinley County jail?
505-863-1410, the number on the page of the McKinley County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in McKinley County go?
To a facility of the New Mexico Corrections Department; its inmate locator is at cd.nm.gov.
Is this the official Gallup website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.