Washington State Public Criminal Records: Complete Guide

What Are Washington State Public Criminal Records?

Washington state public criminal records are official documents that capture an individual's interactions with the criminal justice system - arrests, charges, court dispositions, and sentencing. These records are collected from law enforcement agencies and courts across the state and funneled into a central repository maintained by the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Identification and Criminal History Section, also known as WASIS.

Under Washington's Public Records Act, conviction data is publicly available. However, not everything is open book. Non-conviction records - such as dismissed charges, acquittals, and cases still pending - are generally restricted from public access and can only be reviewed by the subject of the record. Sealed records, juvenile records, and vacated cases are also excluded from public results. If you're searching for someone else, you'll largely be limited to conviction data and arrests less than one year old that still have a pending disposition.

There are two core types of criminal records in Washington. Conviction records contain criminal history information concerning an incident that resulted in a conviction. Non-conviction records contain information about incidents that did not lead to a conviction and for which court proceedings are no longer actively pending. This distinction shapes everything about what you can and cannot access through official channels.

Understanding this distinction before you start searching saves a lot of time and prevents misinterpretation of results.

The Three Official Ways to Search Washington Criminal Records

Washington offers three main channels for accessing criminal history through the state's official systems. Each has different speeds, costs, and levels of detail.

1. WATCH - Washington Access to Criminal History (Online)

WATCH is the Washington State Patrol's official online background check system and the fastest option available to the public. It returns results immediately and is available at any time. The system is name-and-date-of-birth based, and the fee is $11 per search, payable by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.

What WATCH will show you: all Washington state conviction records, arrests less than one year old with dispositions still pending, and information on registered sex and kidnapping offenders. What it won't show: non-conviction data, dismissed charges, or records from other states. WATCH is Washington-only, so if the person you're researching has lived in multiple states, you'll only see their in-state criminal history.

One important technical note: the WATCH background check is not based on a direct comparison of fingerprints to fingerprints. Instead, it is based on a name query of the criminal history system that is internally linked by fingerprints. This means common names can produce duplicate matches or pull results for the wrong person. The WSP's fingerprint-based search resolves this, since their automated biometric system links all arrests to a specific individual regardless of name variations or aliases - but that option is not available online and requires an in-person or mail request.

If someone who has a criminal record is arrested under a false name and fingerprints are taken at the time of arrest, the current arrest will be linked to any previous criminal history, regardless of the false name provided. If a record appears on a person's background check and they claim it is not theirs, they can arrange to have a thumbprint taken and compared to the fingerprints from the arrest in question - the WSP can then positively confirm or exclude that person from that arrest record.

For users running high volumes of WATCH searches, the WSP also offers billed accounts and non-profit accounts as alternatives to per-search credit card payments. Setting one up requires submitting an application packet by mail or email to the WSP.

2. Mail Request to WSP

If you need conviction criminal history by mail, you can complete the Request for Conviction Criminal History Form and mail it with a $32 fee (check, money order, or Bankcard Authorization Form) to: Washington State Patrol, Identification and Background Check Section, PO Box 42633, Olympia, WA 98504-2633. Mail processing typically takes 7 to 10 business days. This method is useful when online access isn't available or when you need a paper trail of the request.

If you are the subject of the record and want your complete history including non-conviction data, you can submit a fingerprint card along with a $12 fee to the same address. This gets you your full CHRI - everything WSP has on file, not just the public-facing conviction data. You can also request records via email or fax by including an electronic Bankcard Authorization form.

For a fingerprint-based background check that includes a notarized letter - often needed for international travel or immigration purposes - the fee is $68 ($58 processing fee plus $10 per notary seal). Once received, WSP will mail the processed card and letter within 7 to 14 business days.

3. In-Person at the WSP Olympia Office

You can visit the Washington State Patrol office at 106 11th Ave SW, Suite 1300, Olympia, WA 98501. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed noon to 1:00 p.m. and on legal holidays). You'll need valid government-issued photo ID. The fee for a name-based conviction check is $32, and they accept cash, check, or credit/debit card. If you want to review your own complete record including non-conviction information, that review is free but capped at 30 minutes. Note that children are not permitted in the fingerprinting room and must be supervised at all times.

The Washington Courts Portal: A Free (But Limited) Option

The Washington Courts website offers a free Person Search tool that lets you search by name across municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts statewide. This is helpful for finding case filings and dockets, but it has serious limitations you need to understand before relying on it.

The courts portal does not show criminal history in the same way WATCH does. It won't tell you the outcome of a case - for that, you need to pull the actual court record from the court where the case was filed. Results also update approximately every 24 hours at 3:00 a.m., so very recent filings may not appear. The portal is better used as a case locator than a definitive criminal background check. If you find a case number, you can then contact the relevant court clerk directly to obtain certified copies or complete case files.

It's also worth noting that court records from the Washington Courts portal are not governed by the Washington Public Records Act. Instead, they are governed by a combination of state constitutional rights, court rules, and common-law access rights. This is a separate legal framework from the one that governs WATCH results, which means the rules around what's accessible and for what purposes can differ.

Active or open criminal cases appear on court dockets and case management systems. However, pending matters may not appear in the WATCH system until the case reaches a final disposition and is reported to the state repository. This creates a gap: a case can be visible in the courts portal but not yet in WATCH.

For Washington state, county-level portals can also be valuable. Each county maintains its own records system, and in some cases you can find locally filed cases that may not surface elsewhere. King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, and Spokane County all have clerk's office portals worth checking if you're researching someone tied to a specific geographic area.

Washington Department of Corrections: Inmate and Offender Search

The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) maintains a separate and free online Incarcerated Search tool at doc.wa.gov. To improve public safety, the DOC publishes information about currently incarcerated individuals. You can search by name or DOC number to locate a specific individual. Clicking on an inmate's record reveals details about their charges, charge date, relevant statutes, reason for incarceration, location, and scheduled release date.

It's important to understand what the DOC search covers and what it does not. The DOC does not provide criminal history information in the way WATCH does. The DOC search is specifically for locating current and former state prison inmates - not for retrieving conviction records. For conviction records, the WSP WATCH system remains the official source.

The DOC also maintains a Warrant Search for individuals currently wanted for arrest by the department. If you are a victim or witness of a crime, you can use the Washington statewide automated Victim Notification Network (WA VINE) to register for notifications about custody status changes and protective order status changes.

For public records requests about incarcerated individuals beyond what is available in the online search, written requests can be submitted to the DOC's Public Records Officer. The DOC Public Records Coordinator is required to respond to each request within 5 business days of receiving it.

Federal Criminal Records: PACER and the Bureau of Prisons

Federal criminal and civil cases are entirely outside the scope of Washington's WATCH system. If the person you're researching has been involved in federal proceedings - including federal drug charges, federal fraud, or crimes prosecuted in federal court - you won't find that history through any state portal.

To search federal court records, you use PACER - the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system at pacer.uscourts.gov. Washington State is served by two federal districts: the Western District and the Eastern District. PACER covers both. Registering for PACER is free. Accessing documents costs $0.10 per page, with a $30 cap per document. The PACER Case Locator searches a nationwide index of federal cases and is updated daily, allowing you to search by name across all federal courts at once.

For individuals who have been incarcerated in a federal facility, the Federal Bureau of Prisons maintains a free Inmate Locator tool at bop.gov that covers federal incarcerated individuals from 1982 to the present. This is a useful complement to state-level searches when you're not certain whether a person's record involves state or federal charges.

What a Name-Based Washington Search Will and Won't Show

This is where most people run into trouble. Here's a clear breakdown of what you can realistically expect:

• Publicly available: All Washington state felony and misdemeanor convictions, arrests from the past year with dispositions still pending, and registered sex/kidnapping offender information.
• Not publicly available: Non-conviction records (dismissed charges, acquittals), sealed or vacated records, juvenile records, and misdemeanor traffic violations.
• Not covered at all by WATCH: Out-of-state criminal history, federal convictions, arrest records older than one year without a conviction, and records from other jurisdictions.

This last point matters more than most people realize. If you're doing due diligence on someone who has lived in multiple states, a Washington-only search will leave significant gaps. A person could have a serious criminal history in Oregon, California, or anywhere else and that information simply won't appear in the WSP system.

There are also accuracy limitations to name-based searches that are worth understanding. Searches based on names and dates of birth are not always accurate. Information obtained through the WATCH site may be incomplete or inaccurate for several reasons, including data entry errors and poor inter-agency communication between reporting agencies. The WSP itself cautions that extreme care should be exercised when using any information obtained from the system. It is the requester's responsibility to make sure the records accessed pertain to the correct person.

If you find inaccurate information on a criminal record, the WSP has a formal challenge process. You can send a challenge form along with supporting documentation from the courts or arresting agencies. If the WSP agrees, the information will be deleted. If they do not, you can request a hearing.

Washington's Seven-Year Rule for Background Check Reporting

Washington state has a seven-year rule found in RCW 19.182.040 that affects what consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) can include in background check reports used for employment. This law restricts CRAs from reporting certain information for jobs paying less than $20,000 per year. Importantly, Washington's law also prohibits the reporting of conviction records older than seven years - regardless of salary threshold - which is stricter than the federal FCRA in this respect. However, because Washington's salary threshold is $20,000 (compared to the FCRA's $75,000 threshold), convictions older than seven years can still be reported for nearly any job in the state.

This distinction matters when you're comparing what you'll see in a self-run WATCH search versus what a formal employment background check report from a CRA will include. The rules for each are different, and they govern different use cases.

When You Need More Than Washington State Records

For many real-world situations - vetting a business partner, screening a contractor, conducting pre-employment due diligence, or protecting your household - a state-level conviction check alone isn't sufficient. This is where a multi-source, nationwide criminal records search becomes valuable.

Galadon's free Criminal Records Search is built for exactly this scenario. Rather than being limited to a single state's conviction database, it pulls from sex offender registries, corrections records, arrest records, and court records across the country. You get a broader picture in a single search - including records from states other than Washington that a WATCH query would completely miss.

This is particularly useful for:

• Property managers and landlords screening prospective tenants who may have rental history across multiple states
• Small business owners vetting contractors, vendors, or partners before signing agreements
• Sales professionals and recruiters doing background research as part of a broader due diligence process
• Individuals wanting to see what's publicly available about themselves before a job application or lease submission
• Real estate professionals researching parties involved in a transaction or landlords verifying someone connected to a property

If you're also trying to verify someone's identity or track down contact information before or after a records search, Galadon's Background Checker provides comprehensive background reports that include trust scores alongside contact and public records data. For property-specific due diligence, Galadon's Property Search tool can surface owner names, phone numbers, emails, and address history for any US address - useful when you need to verify who actually owns or controls a property alongside any associated records.

How Washington Handles Sex Offender Records

Washington maintains a publicly searchable sex offender registry managed by local sheriffs' offices. Under RCW 9A.44.130, any adult or juvenile residing in Washington who has been found to have committed or been convicted of any sex or kidnapping offense must register with the county sheriff in the county where they reside. The county sheriff then forwards the registration information and fingerprints to the WSP Identification and Criminal History Section. The registration information is entered into the criminal history database and provided to persons requesting background checks for public information.

Registry information includes the offender's registration status, risk level classification, and current address when required by law. You can search the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) sex offender registry directly online at no cost. This is separate from a full WATCH background check and is a useful first lookup when your specific concern is sex offenses.

For a broader search that goes beyond Washington's registry, the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) at nsopw.gov allows you to search for information about registered sex offenders across all states, including where they currently reside, work, and attend school. This is a free federal resource and a strong complement to a state-only search.

Washington's Fair Chance Act: What Employers Must Know

If you're running background checks for employment purposes, Washington has specific rules you must follow - and those rules have been significantly expanded. The Washington Fair Chance Act (RCW Chapter 49.94) was originally passed in 2018 to protect job applicants with a criminal record so they may fairly compete for job opportunities for which they are otherwise qualified.

Under the amended Fair Chance Act, employers cannot conduct a criminal background check until after issuing a conditional job offer. This is a stricter timeline than the prior requirement. Covered employers may not advertise job openings in a way that excludes people with criminal records from applying. Ads stating "no felons," "no criminal backgrounds," or similar messages are prohibited. Covered employers also may not include any question on a job application that seeks information about an applicant's criminal record.

The amended law takes effect for employers with 15 or more employees in July 2026, and for employers with fewer than 15 employees in January 2027. Employers with employees in the City of Seattle are already subject to most of these new requirements under Seattle's Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, which has been in place since November 2013.

When it comes to what employers can actually do with background check results, the rules are equally specific. Employers may not rescind a job offer or take adverse action based on arrest records, pending charges, or juvenile conviction records. For adult conviction records, employers must have a documented legitimate business reason to take adverse action. Factors to consider include the seriousness of the offense, the time elapsed since the conviction, evidence of rehabilitation, and how directly the conviction relates to the specific duties of the position.

The amended Fair Chance Act requires a two-step adverse action process similar to the federal FCRA. The first notice must identify the criminal record under consideration and hold the position open for at least two business days (or five business days if combined with FCRA procedures). The final notice must detail the employer's decision including documented reasoning. Penalties for violations start at $1,500 and can increase to $15,000 per violation depending on the number of violations.

Washington employers must comply with both the state Fair Chance Act and the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The two laws overlap but differ in key areas. Washington now requires written notice only for adverse action, while the FCRA allows oral or written notice. Washington also mandates additional disclosures not required under the FCRA.

Expungement and Vacated Records in Washington

Washington uses two distinct legal processes for clearing criminal records, and understanding the difference matters both for people seeking relief and for anyone interpreting search results.

The first process is administrative expungement, which applies to non-conviction records. The WSP expunges non-conviction information based on the criteria outlined in RCW 10.97.060. To be eligible, the non-conviction data must meet specific timing requirements: at least two years must have passed since a favorable disposition was recorded, or at least three years must have passed from the date of arrest or issuance of a citation or warrant if no conviction was obtained. Additionally, to be eligible for deletion with WSP, the person cannot have a prior gross misdemeanor conviction, a prior felony conviction, or any subsequent arrests, charges, or convictions during the intervening period. There is no fee for this WSP expungement request.

The second process is court vacation, which applies to certain conviction records. Washington uses the term "vacating" rather than "expungement" for most conviction relief. The legal effect is similar: a vacated conviction is removed from public criminal history dissemination, and the person may legally deny the conviction for employment and housing purposes. Specifically, when a conviction is vacated, the court dismisses the information or indictment, vacates the judgment and sentence, reverses the guilty finding, and releases the defendant from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the offense. The vacate order is then sent to both the WSP and the FBI.

Eligibility for vacation depends on the type of offense. Class A felony convictions cannot be vacated. Class B felony convictions may be vacated if at least ten years have passed since the person's release from confinement or community custody or the date of sentencing, whichever is most recent, and if there have been no other convictions within that ten-year period. Class C felony convictions require a five-year waiting period under the same conditions. For misdemeanor convictions, the waiting period is generally three years from the date of discharge. Sex offenses, DUI convictions, and certain violent felonies are not eligible to be vacated.

A conviction can only be removed from a person's criminal history through the vacate statutes or a governor's pardon. Vacation requires express statutory authority - a dismissal of charges does not automatically result in a vacated record. If you're researching someone and a WATCH search returns no results, it doesn't necessarily mean they have no history - it may mean records were vacated, sealed, or never reported to the state repository.

Juvenile records in Washington are handled differently from adult records. Juvenile records are automatically destroyed, or expunged, within 90 days of when they are eligible for expungement. Washington law currently does not allow for the expungement or destruction of adult criminal records relating to actions that resulted in a conviction or adverse finding - only vacation or sealing is available for adults.

Challenging Errors in Your Washington Criminal Record

Inaccurate information appears on criminal records more often than most people expect. Poor inter-agency communication, data entry errors, and reporting delays can all cause inaccuracies. If you discover an error in your WSP criminal record, there is a formal process for challenging it.

You can send a challenge form along with supporting documentation from the courts or arresting agencies to the WSP Criminal History Records Section. If the WSP agrees with the challenge, the information will be deleted or corrected. If they do not agree, you can request a formal hearing. The Criminal History Records Section cannot answer questions about the particulars of a court case - only the court of jurisdiction can do that - but they can assist with navigating the Record of Arrests and Prosecutions (RAPsheet) and defining terms associated with arrests and dispositions.

It's also worth noting that administrative expungement through WSP only affects state and federal records. Local law enforcement agencies maintain their own records and operate under their own retention schedules, which may differ. Clearing a record at the state level does not automatically clear it from every local agency database.

Additional Free Washington Public Records Resources

Beyond WATCH, the courts portal, and the DOC offender search, there are several other free or low-cost resources worth knowing about.

The Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) provides driving records online and by mail. Each abstract costs $15 and shows violations, citations, and conviction history tied to a driver's license. This is useful when the context of your search involves vehicle operation or driving-related offenses.

Washington's 39 counties each have their own jail inmate locators. Most local jails in Washington provide inmate locators on their websites, and some publish inmate registries that can be reviewed. County sheriffs also operate county-level jails and may maintain databases of all inmates throughout the county, regardless of whether they're held in the county facility or a municipal-level jail. If you're trying to locate someone recently arrested but not yet in the state prison system, county jail records are often the right starting point.

For court records that go beyond what the statewide portal shows, county clerk offices accept direct requests for certified copies and complete case files. King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, Spokane County, Thurston County, and Clark County all have clerk's office portals. Some of these allow online searches of case indexes; others require in-person or written requests. Fees vary by county and by the type of document requested.

Pro Tips for Getting the Most Accurate Results

• Always use full legal name and date of birth. WATCH is name-and-DOB dependent. A nickname or maiden name may produce no results even if a record exists.
• Check the courts portal separately. WATCH and the courts portal are different systems. A case that's been filed but not yet reported to WASIS may only appear in the courts portal. Active or open criminal cases appear on court dockets before they reach the WATCH system.
• Search the DOC inmate database for state prison inmates. If you need to find someone currently or formerly incarcerated in a Washington state prison, the DOC's free Incarcerated Search tool is faster and more targeted than a general WATCH query.
• Check PACER for federal cases. Federal criminal and civil cases are entirely outside the WATCH system. If there's any reason to suspect federal-level charges, PACER is the only way to search federal court records.
• Cross-reference multiple sources for high-stakes decisions. For anything involving financial exposure or personal safety, combine WATCH with a nationwide search tool and county-level court lookups.
• Understand what 'no record' actually means. A no-match result from WATCH means no conviction record in the WSP database matched the search criteria - not necessarily that the person has no criminal history anywhere. Records can be vacated, sealed, not yet reported, or held in other jurisdictions.
• Consider fingerprint verification if identity matters. Name-based searches can produce duplicate matches for common names. Fingerprint-based verification eliminates this problem but requires an in-person or mail request and carries additional fees.
• Know the employer rules before you search. If you're running a check for hiring purposes, Washington's Fair Chance Act requires that background checks happen only after a conditional offer - not at the application stage. Violating this rule can expose you to significant penalties.

Using Galadon's Criminal Records Search for Nationwide Coverage

If you've found the limits of Washington's official systems - state-only data, fees per search, processing delays for mail requests, no federal coverage - Galadon's free Criminal Records Search offers a practical complement. It's free to use, searches nationwide sources including sex offender registries, corrections records, arrest records, and court records, and doesn't require you to know which state to search in advance.

For users who conduct high volumes of searches or need to build background checking into a sales, recruiting, or property management workflow, Galadon Gold offers priority access, direct frameworks, and a community of over 100 active practitioners who use these tools daily. But for most one-off lookups, the free tool covers the core use case well.

If your due diligence process also involves verifying contact information - confirming a phone number or email before reaching out - pair the criminal records search with Galadon's Mobile Number Finder to locate cell phone numbers from a name or email, or the Background Checker for a full-picture report that includes trust scores and contact data alongside public records. For real estate professionals or landlords cross-referencing ownership data, Galadon's Property Search lets you look up owner names, phone numbers, emails, and address history for any US address - useful for putting a records search in geographic and ownership context.

Summary: Washington State Criminal Records at a Glance

Washington's official systems are solid for in-state conviction history. The full picture, however, requires layering multiple sources: WATCH for state convictions, the courts portal for pending cases, the DOC for prison records, PACER for federal cases, and county clerks for local filings. For anything that needs to go beyond state lines - or when you need results without per-search fees - a broader tool like Galadon's Criminal Records Search is worth having in your stack.