Search Pierce County Criminal History
Pierce County criminal history records are split between the Superior Court Clerk and District Court in Tacoma, with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office handling arrest records and jail data. Pierce County uses its own LINX online case search system rather than the statewide Odyssey Portal, so searches work differently here than in smaller counties. The Washington State Patrol WATCH system remains the best option for a complete, fingerprint-linked background check. This guide covers how to access court records, request arrest data, and understand what state law allows to be disclosed.
Pierce County Overview
Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Records
The Pierce County Clerk of the Superior Court maintains official records for all felony criminal cases filed in Pierce County. The office is at the County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Room 110, Tacoma, WA 98402. The clerk handles charging documents, plea agreements, sentencing orders, judgment rolls, and conditions attached to felony sentences. Phone: (253) 798-7455. Email: CLKpublicrecords@piercecountywa.gov.
Copy fees: Non-certified copies printed online are $0.25 per page; physical copies from the office are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 per document. For records requests, contact the Clerk's Office by phone or email, or visit in person. Bring the case number or defendant's full name to speed up the search.
Pierce County uses the LINX system for online case lookup rather than the statewide Odyssey Portal. LINX covers cases filed from January 2002 to present. The Pierce County Superior Court image below shows the online records portal that allows searching by name or case number.
Access the Pierce County Superior Court records page for instructions on using LINX and ordering copies of case documents.
Use the LINX system to search Pierce County Superior Court case information by party name or case number before contacting the clerk's office for certified copies.
Pierce County District Court Criminal Records
The Pierce County District Court handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic infractions, and civil matters under $100,000. The Public Records Officer for District Court is at 930 Tacoma Ave S, Rm 239, Tacoma, WA 98402. District Court records requests can be submitted by mail, by email at PCDCRecords@piercecountywa.gov, or online using the court's records request form.
When submitting a request, provide the person's name, date of birth, case number if known, and the date of the incident. List specific documents you want, along with any urgency. Fees will be communicated in the response, with payment instructions. Once payment is received, records are mailed, emailed, or made available for pickup. The District Court is shown below with its current public portal.
The Pierce County District Court records page lists the current request form and contact information for the Public Records Officer.
Submit District Court records requests by email to PCDCRecords@piercecountywa.gov or use the online request form linked from the District Court page.
Note: Felony records go to the Superior Court Clerk at Room 110; misdemeanor records go to the District Court Public Records Officer at Room 239. Both are at 930 Tacoma Ave South.
Pierce County Sheriff Arrest Records and Jail Data
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement for unincorporated parts of the county and operates the Pierce County Jail and Correctional Facility. The records division maintains arrest logs, incident reports, and jail booking information. These are public records under Chapter 42.56 RCW, with active investigation files exempt until a case closes.
For incident reports, CAD reports, traffic citations, or 911 call audio, requests go through South Sound 911 rather than the Sheriff directly. Conviction records can be released to the public. Non-conviction data, meaning arrests that did not lead to a conviction with the case now closed, is restricted under RCW 10.97.080 and may only go to criminal justice agencies or the subject of the record.
The Pierce County Corrections Bureau operates the county jail. Inmate information can be accessed through the jail roster online or by contacting the jail directly. Visitation information is also on the corrections website. For comprehensive criminal history, Pierce County refers the public to the Washington State Patrol WATCH system.
Pierce County Public Records Portal
Pierce County provides a centralized public records request system through the Pierce County Public Records Request Portal. The portal lets requestors submit requests, track status, receive documents, and communicate with the Public Records Officers for various county departments. This covers administrative records from county agencies, not court case records.
For Superior Court case records, contact the Clerk of the Superior Court directly. For District Court case records, contact the District Court Public Records Officer. Administrative records from the courts, such as operational policies or budget documents, can be requested through the court-specific public records forms. The county responds to requests within five business days as required by state law.
The Pierce County public records portal is shown below, listing current procedures and contact information.
The Pierce County Public Records Request Portal centralizes requests for all county department records outside of the court system.
Use the portal to track your request status and receive documents electronically from Pierce County agencies.
Pierce County Background Checks Through WSP WATCH
For a complete, official criminal history of a Pierce County subject, the Washington State Patrol's WATCH system is the most reliable tool. WATCH charges $11.00 for an online search with immediate results. It pulls from a fingerprint-linked statewide database, not just local records, so it catches cases from all Washington counties in one place. The Pierce County Criminal History page confirms that the county refers all background check requests to the WSP WATCH program.
Mail requests use the official form. The fee is $32.00 for a name-based search or $58.00 with a fingerprint card. Mail processing takes about 7 to 10 business days. For questions about WATCH, email WATCH.Help@wsp.wa.gov. In-person service is at 106 11th Ave SW Suite 1300, Olympia, WA 98501, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
More detail is at 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. A valid photo ID is required and fingerprints may be taken for identity confirmation.
Note: WATCH results include conviction records and arrests under one year old with pending dispositions. Non-conviction data older than one year is not shown in public searches.
Conviction and Non-Conviction Data Rules
Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act, RCW 10.97, separates conviction records from non-conviction data. Conviction records, cases that ended in a guilty plea, a guilty verdict, or another adverse disposition, are public under RCW 10.97.050. Anyone can request them.
Non-conviction data is not public. This covers arrests that did not lead to conviction and where the case is no longer active. Under RCW 10.97.080, this information may only go to criminal justice agencies or to the person the record belongs to. If a record contains both types, the non-conviction parts must be redacted before any public release. This applies to Pierce County courts, the Sheriff, and city police departments throughout the county.
If your own record contains errors, submit a Request for Modification of Record Form to the Washington State Patrol. If substantiated, the Criminal History Records Section makes the correction. Procedures for deleting old non-conviction records are in RCW 10.97.060, which sets conditions including no prior convictions and waiting periods. Vacated convictions follow a separate court process.
DOC Inmate Search and Sex Offender Registry
If someone from Pierce County is in a Washington state prison, find them through the Department of Corrections Incarcerated Search. The database shows name, DOC number, age, and current facility. For release dates or supervision conditions, contact DOC directly. Federal inmates are not included; use the Federal Bureau of Prisons site for those.
For registered sex offenders in Pierce County, use the statewide registry at WASPC Sex Offender Information. Class A sex offense convictions require lifetime registration; Class B carries fifteen years; Class C carries ten. Offenders register in person at the Sheriff's Office in their county of residence under RCW 9A.44.130. Pierce County residents register at the Pierce County Sheriff's Office in Tacoma.
Cities in Pierce County
Pierce County is home to several qualifying cities with dedicated pages on this site. All criminal cases in the county are processed through the Pierce County Superior or District Court regardless of which city the incident occurred in.
Nearby Counties
Pierce County borders five other Washington counties, each maintaining their own criminal history record offices.