Santa Barbara, Calif.  – ** Updated July 23, 2025 ** Phone service including 911 and non-emergency lines to the Sheriff’s Office Communication Center have been restored. The outage that began yesterday at approximately 10 am was resolved at approximately 8 am today. Community members can reach Sheriff’s Dispatch for non-emergencies at 805-683-2724. For emergencies, you can reach us by calling or texting 911.

From July 22, 2025: 

Santa Barbara County is currently experiencing a widespread phone line outage affecting multiple agencies and public service phone lines. We understand the disruption this may cause and want to assure our community that our Communications Center is here for you and available to answer your call using temporary work around solutions.

If you need assistance, please use the following alternate contact methods during this outage:

• Text-to-911 is strongly recommended for anyone needing emergency assistance. This service is available countywide and is the fastest way to reach emergency services during this outage.
• Alternate Phone Line 1: (805)896-5181
• Alternate Phone Line 2: (805)451-5639
• Email Contact: info@sbsheriff.org (may result in a slower response)

Please continue to monitor official county channels for updates including the Sheriff’s Office on X (@sbsheriff) and Threads (SantaBarbaraCountySheriff). Your safety and well-being are our top priorities. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we await service to be restored. We will share information on this outage as it becomes available. The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center does not have information about the restoration timeline, and we suggest that community members who would like updates contact their telephone service provider.

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