Search Seattle Criminal History Records

Seattle criminal history records come from several distinct offices depending on whether the charge is a felony or a misdemeanor and which agency handled the arrest. Felony cases are filed in King County Superior Court, which uses the LINX case management system rather than the Odyssey Portal found in most other Washington counties. Misdemeanor charges are handled by the Seattle Municipal Court. Arrest records and incident reports are at the Seattle Police Department. This page covers each source in detail, explains fees and access rules, and walks through how the statewide WATCH background check system works for Seattle-area subjects.

King County Superior Court and the LINX System

Felony criminal cases involving Seattle residents are filed in King County Superior Court. The main courthouse is at 516 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, right in the city center. The King County Clerk holds charging documents, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and complete case files for all felony matters. The court also operates at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, the Involuntary Treatment Act Court, and the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center.

King County uses the LINX case management system for public record access. This is different from the Odyssey Portal that most other Washington counties use. You can search LINX by name or case number to find case summaries and disposition data. The portal does not post actual documents. For those, contact the Clerk's office or visit in person during business hours.

Matters filed before July 1, 1979 and stored on microfilm are only available for viewing in person during business hours at the Clerk's Office downtown Seattle location. If you need a certified copy of an older case, plan to visit the courthouse directly and allow extra time for staff to pull the file.

Records at the Superior Court are public under Washington Court General Rule 31 unless a judge has ordered them sealed. Non-certified copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. The Clerk's office at 516 Third Avenue, Room E-609, Seattle, WA 98104 is the main contact point for document requests.

The King County Superior Court page provides contact information and access to the LINX case search system for Seattle and other King County felony cases.

Use the King County Superior Court LINX system to search for Seattle felony case information before ordering documents from the Clerk's office.

Seattle Municipal Court

The Seattle Municipal Court is one of the busiest municipal courts in Washington state. It handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and city ordinance charges within Seattle city limits. Cases at this level include first-offense DUI, simple assault, minor theft, domestic violence misdemeanors, and traffic infractions. The court maintains records for every case it hears, and those records are public under Washington Court General Rule 31.

Seattle Municipal Court operates at 600 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98124. Court hours are Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Records staff can assist with case searches and copy requests. Due to the high case volume, it helps to have a case number or the exact spelling of the party name before you go.

For criminal history background checks, Seattle Municipal Court will refer you to the Washington State Patrol. The court handles individual case lookups and document requests but does not compile full criminal histories across multiple cases. For that, the WATCH system is the right tool.

Seattle Police Department Records

The Seattle Police Department Public Records Request Center processes requests for police reports, incident reports, body camera footage, and other law enforcement records. SPD is a large department handling one of the busiest urban jurisdictions in the Pacific Northwest. The online Request Center lets you submit requests, communicate with Public Disclosure Officers, and download records when they are ready.

SPD follows the Washington Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW, and the Criminal Records Privacy Act. Conviction records are public. Non-conviction data, meaning arrests where the case ended without a conviction, is restricted under RCW 10.97. Only criminal justice agencies and the subject of the record can receive non-conviction data. Active investigation files are also exempt while the case is open.

SPD also publishes Uniform Crime Reports and Significant Incident Reports online. These are summary documents for public information and do not replace individual records requests. The department posts its full policy manual online as well.

The Seattle Police Department Public Disclosure page provides the online request system for obtaining SPD police reports, incident files, and other law enforcement records.

Use the SPD Public Disclosure system to submit requests for police reports and incident records for cases within Seattle city limits.

Seattle Police Public Data and Crime Statistics

The Seattle Police Department public information online portal provides access to a wide range of data resources. The city's open data platform at Data.seattle.gov hosts machine-readable datasets including 911 Incident Response data, Current Crime Data from 2008 to the present, and Historical Crime Data from 1996 through 2007. These datasets are useful for research and for understanding crime patterns in specific Seattle neighborhoods.

Uniform Crime Reports are available for tracking historical statistics and comparing data across years. The department also maintains a log of public data requests made to SPD. Other linked databases include the King County Jail Inmate Lookup, the King County Sex Offender Registry, and the statewide sex offender database managed by WASPC.

The SPD Public Information Online page provides data downloads, crime statistics, and links to related records systems covering Seattle and King County.

Review the SPD public data portal to access crime statistics and incident datasets for Seattle before submitting individual records requests.

City of Seattle Public Records

The City of Seattle Public Records Request Center is the centralized system for all city departments, including Police. Requestors can submit requests online, track status, communicate with records officers, and pay for and download records through the portal. Under RCW 42.56.520, the city must respond within five business days. You don't need to explain why you want the records. Fees cover only actual copying costs, and electronic delivery is available and costs less than paper.

The City of Seattle Public Records Request Center handles requests across all city departments and provides a tracking system to follow the status of your request.

Use the City of Seattle Public Records Request Center for city department records, including Police Department records not covered by a separate SPD disclosure request.

King County District Court

Some misdemeanor cases involving Seattle residents may go to King County District Court rather than Seattle Municipal Court, depending on how the case was charged. King County District Court operates at multiple locations throughout the county, including Seattle, Kent, Bellevue, and Shoreline. Court records are public and searchable through the LINX system. If you don't find a case in Seattle Municipal Court, check King County District Court as well.

Statewide Background Checks Through WSP WATCH

For a complete criminal history on a Seattle resident, the Washington State Patrol WATCH system is the most comprehensive option available. The WATCH online search costs $11.00, accepts credit or debit cards, and returns results immediately. It draws from a fingerprint-linked statewide database that covers all Washington counties, not just King. Results include conviction records and arrests less than one year old with pending dispositions.

Mail requests are also available. A name-based mail search costs $32.00. A fingerprint-based mail search costs $58.00 and provides a more precise match since it ties results to a specific person rather than a name that might be shared. Mail processing takes about 7 to 10 business days. In-person requests are accepted at the WSP Criminal History office at 106 11th Ave SW Suite 1300, Olympia, WA 98501, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Full details on the request process are on the WSP Criminal History Records page. To review your own complete record, including non-conviction data, visit the Olympia office in person at no charge for up to thirty minutes. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. You may be fingerprinted for identity confirmation. The personal review shows everything in the record, including data not released in standard public searches.

Conviction vs. Non-Conviction Data Rules

Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act, RCW 10.97, draws a clear line between what can and cannot be released to the public. Conviction records, meaning cases that ended in a guilty plea, a verdict of guilty, or another adverse disposition, are fully public under RCW 10.97.050. Any member of the public can request them from any agency that holds them.

Non-conviction data is different. RCW 10.97.030 defines this as records from cases that did not end in a conviction and are no longer active. Only criminal justice agencies and the subject of the record may receive non-conviction data. If a file contains both conviction and non-conviction data on the same person, the agency must redact the non-conviction portions before releasing anything to the public.

Errors in a criminal record can be challenged by submitting a Request for Modification of Record Form to the Washington State Patrol. The Criminal History Records Section reviews the challenge and corrects the record if the claim is supported. Certain old non-conviction records can also be deleted under RCW 10.97.060, subject to waiting periods, no prior convictions, and other conditions set out in that statute.

DOC Inmate Search and Sex Offender Registry

King County Adult Detention operates two jail facilities: the King County Jail in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center Jail in Kent. To find someone currently in county custody, check the King County adult detention inmate lookup system. For Washington state prison inmates, use the Department of Corrections Incarcerated Search. The database shows name, DOC number, current facility, and age. For release dates or supervision conditions, contact DOC directly. Federal inmates are not in this system; use the Federal Bureau of Prisons website for those.

The statewide sex offender registry is maintained by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Search it at WASPC Sex Offender Information. Class A sex offense convictions require lifetime registration. Class B requires fifteen years. Class C requires ten years. Offenders must register in person at the Sheriff's Office in their county of residence under RCW 9A.44.130. King County residents register with the King County Sheriff's Office.

Historical Court Records

For older King County criminal cases that predate the LINX system and online databases, the Washington State Digital Archives may have relevant material. The archives hold Superior Court records from across the state, including older criminal case files and judgment rolls for King County going back to territorial days. For pre-1979 microfilm records, an in-person visit to the Clerk's office at the King County Courthouse in Seattle is required. Staff can pull microfilm reels during business hours.

County Records Office

All Seattle felony cases are processed through King County. The King County Superior Court Clerk's office is at 516 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. The King County Records and Licensing Services office handles additional county-level documents and records requests.

Nearby Cities

Other qualifying cities near Seattle with their own criminal history record pages are listed below.