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 on September 23, 2026.
Karnes County, Texas, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Karnes County is held at the county jail, run by the Karnes 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: Karnes County public records, Karnes County arrest records, Karnes County warrants, Karnes County criminal records, Karnes County court records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Karnes County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Karnes County is held at the county jail, run by the Karnes County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Karnes County Sheriff's Office at co.karnes.tx.us/page/karnes.Sheriff (page title: Karnes County, Texas), phone (830) 780-3931, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 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 (830) 780-3931.
The Karnes County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 550 people on an average day, up from about 450 in 2019. Its rated capacity is 600 beds, and it is running at 92 percent of it. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Karnes County has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 365 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Karnes County Jail
The Karnes County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Karnes City and Kenedy make the arrests that end in a booking in Karnes County.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the Karnes County Sheriff's Office's 89 for 2025, Karnes City's 65 for 2025 and Kenedy's 59 for 2025.
Together, the three agencies in Karnes County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 213 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 Karnes County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice lists its inmates at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Karnes County?
Ask the Karnes County Sheriff's Office at (830) 780-3931; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at co.karnes.tx.us/page/karnes.Sheriff.
How many people are in the Karnes County jail?
About 550 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 600 beds.
What is the phone number for the Karnes County jail?
(830) 780-3931, the number on the page of the Karnes County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Karnes County go?
To a facility of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; its inmate locator is at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start.
Is this the official Karnes County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.