What is booking?

If you are arrested, usually immediately after you are taken to a police station or put in jail, you have to go through the booking process. Booking is the way in which law enforcement creates an official arrest record. The process generally entails photographing, fingerprinting, and otherwise recording identifying data from the suspect. Yeah – booking is where you get your mug shot. Your personal items (wallet, purse, keys, etc.) are also taken into police custody. Police officers will also conduct a pat down search to make you don’t have any contraband on your person and, in some cases, may even conduct strip search — which is about as enjoyable as you can imagine. Also, because booking is merely an administrative process and not really part of the criminal proceedings, you are not entitled to a lawyer during booking.