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  2. Pierce County Arrest Records

Pierce County, Washington Arrest Records

Arrest records for Pierce County are official law enforcement records documenting the detention of individuals arrested on suspicion of criminal activity in the county. These administrative records are created during booking after the suspect has been detained. Arrest records usually include the suspect’s full name and other identifiers, the alleged charges, the arresting agency/officer, and booking details.

Arrest records in Washington are considered public records under the Washington Public Records Act (Chapter 42.56 RCW). Under this law, public records are defined as records or writings prepared or retained by government agencies, including law enforcement, in the course of their business. Arrest records fall under this classification and are considered open to the public unless exempted by a particular statute.

Washington regulates frtailed criminal history information via a separate set of statutes in the Washington Criminal Records Privacy Act. This act governs the handling and dissemination of records known as Criminal Offender Record Information, including arrest records, biometric data, custody/disposition data, and other criminal history information.

Washington's arrest records are not maintained in a single location. In Pierce County, such records are maintained across multiple jurisdictions, including county-level law enforcement, such as the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and municipal police departments, including the Tacoma Police Department and the Lakewood Police Department. Law enforcement agencies generate such records and provide access in the interest of government accountability, transparency, and public safety awareness.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Pierce, Washington?

In Washington, Pierce County arrest records are considered public information and accessible under the Washington Public Records Act, in Chapter 42.56 RCW. This law establishes the presumption that government records, including those generated by law enforcement, are open to inspection and copying by the general public. The statute governs the public disclosure of government records and requires that records be made available to requesters unless a specific exemption applies.

Washington’s system is intentionally broad and accessible. Record seekers do not have to be residents of Pierce County or Washington to request records. ID is typically not required for standard record requests; however, agencies may ask for sufficient information to identify and locate the records and ensure privacy laws are not violated. Requests may be submitted in writing, and although inspecting records may be free, agencies may charge administrative and copy fees to complete the request.

What Do Public County Arrest Records Contain?

A typical Pierce County arrest record includes the following.

  • Full name of the arrested person
  • Date of birth and basic demographics (age, gender, race, etc.)
  • Biometrics (fingerprints and mugshots)
  • The arresting agency
  • The date, time, and location of the arrest
  • The charges or offenses at the time of arrest
  • Booking details such as the number and date
  • The case or incident number
  • Housing facility and custody status (held, released, transferred)
  • Bail or bond information (type and amount)

Not all arrest information is public; law enforcement may redact or withhold certain information to ensure due process or protect personal privacy. Examples of these types of information include the following.

  • Sensitive personal identifiers, such as banking details, driver’s license numbers, and social security numbers.
  • Identities of protected witnesses or confidential informants
  • Information that could compromise ongoing/active investigations
  • Juvenile arrest records and information concerning minors
  • Information that could endanger the safety of the victims of a case
  • Arrest records that have been sealed or expunged
  • Non-conviction data subject to limited dissemination by law

Pierce County, Washington Arrest Search

State and federal options for searching Pierce County arrests are available through the following resources.

At the state level, arrest and criminal history records are maintained by the Washington State Patrol (WSP). Interested parties may request these records through WATCH (Washington Access to Criminal History). This online database allows users to search through criminal records submitted by agencies statewide, including arrest data. Record seekers will be required to create an account and pay a fee for each record search.

At the federal level, records access is more limited for the public. Interested parties can access arrest records for federal offenses from the FBI or the federal case database. Members of the public can request access to their rap sheet on record with the FBI through the Identity History Summary Check. When an arrest leads to a federal criminal case, arrest records may be available with case files on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database. The search tools on the PACER website allow users to look up case files for federal cases, which may include arrest information.

Another option is visiting the Federal Bureau of Prisons website and using the Inmate Locator. This search tool allows users to look up arrest information and inmate records for individuals serving sentences in federal prisons.

Pierce County Inmate Locator

To find Pierce County inmate information, records seekers may contact the sheriff’s office or the two county jails operated by the Corrections Bureau. Arrest information is also available online through the Jail Roster maintained by the sheriff’s office. The roster lists persons in custody in both facilities and persons released from custody in the last 48 hours.

For more questions, members of the public may contact the sheriff’s office using any of the following details.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Office

County-City Building

First Floor

930 Tacoma Ave. S.

Tacoma, WA 98402

Phone: (253) 798-7530

Jail Booking: (253) 798-4590

Main Jail Reception: (253)798-4590

New Jail Reception: (253) 798-4590

Interested parties may also obtain a synopsis of criminal cases called a Defendant Case History (DCH), similar to a criminal history record, from the local district court located at:

Pierce County District Court

County-City Bldg - 2nd Floor

930 Tacoma Ave S, Rm 239

Tacoma, WA 98402

Phone: (253) 798-7487

Active Warrant Search in Pierce County

An arrest warrant is a form of court order issued by a local court instructing law enforcement agents to arrest a specific person and bring them before a judge. In Washington and Pierce County, these warrants are typically issued by a judge or a magistrate after they have been shown probable cause by law enforcement officers submitting a sworn statement or affidavit alleging that the subject on the warrant committed a crime. A warrant may also be issued because a person fails to appear for a court hearing.

A valid warrant will generally contain the following information.

  • The subject’s name and identifying information
  • The alleged charges or the reason for the warrant
  • The date and court of issuance
  • Instructions to law enforcement agents executing the warrant
  • Bail or bond conditions, if available
  • The name and signature of the issuing judge or magistrate

To inquire about active warrants in Pierce County, record seekers may call (253) 798-7530 or visit the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office in person. The record seeker must be able to provide identifying information for the subject of the warrant, such as a name or date of birth. Although the sheriff’s office does not provide an online warrant database, the Washington Department of Corrections publishes a statewide list of individuals with outstanding warrants online on the Warrant Search webpage.

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Pierce County

Pierce County arrest records can be found for free online using the Jail Roster maintained by the sheriff’s office on its website. The roster is updated regularly and shows a list of individuals currently serving sentences at Pierce County Main Jail and New Jail facilities, and individuals who have been released in the last 48 hours. Older records are not available, and information that has been restricted or redacted will not appear as part of the free records. 

When visiting in person, an ID may be required if searching for your own records or certain restricted information. Visitors will also be required to provide identifying information like names, inmate/booking numbers, or date of birth for the search to be accurate. It should be noted that although viewing and inspecting records may be free, the sheriff’s office charges a copy fee for any physical copies.

Pierce County Arrest Report

Pierce County arrest records and arrest reports are two similar but different records generated by law enforcement agencies after they take a suspect into custody.

An arrest record is a simple administrative entry in the law enforcement agency’s case management or tracking database showing that a suspect was arrested, booked, and processed. The record contains the arrestee’s name, arrest time and date, charges, booking details, and jail housing. In Pierce County, this record is public and easy to access through options such as the sheriff’s office jail roster.

An arrest report is a more comprehensive and detailed document detailing what led to an arrest. It is a narrative report prepared by the arresting officer that explains the timeline of the arrest, including the officer’s observations, action reports, witness testimony, statements, evidence, and other investigative details. This report is typically more restricted from public access and is likely to be redacted because it may have confidential information, such as investigative techniques and personal identifiers of witnesses and victims.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Pierce County

Record relief in Pierce County falls into three categories under Washington law.

  • Full expungement, which deletes the records on non-conviction arrests (RCW 10.97.060)
  • Vacating a conviction, where the record is legally considered as if it never happened (New Hope Act (HB 1041))
  • Record sealing, which restricts public access but does not delete the record (General Rule 15)

Full expungement is only possible for arrests that did not end in a conviction. The applicant qualifies if they were arrested, but the charges were dropped, dismissed, or they were found not guilty at trial. The applicant may file for expungement of the record after completing the waiting period of about 2 to 3 years, depending on the offense. In that time, the applicant must not have any prior convictions, new charges, or pending cases.

For full expungement of arrests with no conviction, take the following steps.

  • Expungement is processed through the Washington State Patrol (WSP)
  • Submit the Request for Expungement/Deletion of Non-Conviction Records form to the Criminal History Section of the WSP
  • Notify the local arresting agency 
  • If granted, the applicant will be issued an expungement court order

If there was a conviction, the applicant may apply for vacating the conviction instead of expungement. If granted, the conviction is cleared and dismissed, and the applicant can legally state that they have no conviction. To qualify, the applicant must have completed all sentencing requirements and completed the waiting period (3 years for misdemeanors and 5 years for felonies).

To obtain the vacation of a conviction, take the following simple steps.

  • File the motion to vacate judgment at the Pierce County court where the conviction occurred.
  • Attend the hearing set by the judge.
  • If granted, the judge will issue the vacation order.

Washington also allows records to be sealed in certain situations when expungement is not possible. Sealing the record hides it from public view and access, even though the record still exists and can be accessed by law enforcement agencies and the courts. This process is particularly available in juvenile cases and cases where the applicant qualified after completing a diversion program.

How Do You Remove Pierce County Arrest Records From the Internet?

It may not be possible to simply remove arrest records from the internet. Most records online are most likely to have been republished by third-party record aggregator websites or new outlets. Unless these records have been expunged, sealed, or otherwise removed from public access, these entities may refuse to remove them upon request. Hence, the first step is to legally remove these records from public access by seeking record relief under Washington law.

The following are useful steps to try when seeking to remove records from the internet.

  • Legally remove the records from public access through the options provided under Washington law. These include full expungement, vacating the record, and sealing, depending on what applies. Make sure to obtain valid proof of the process, such as the expungement order.
  • Once this is done, the official government source, such as the Washington State Patrol, will remove the records from their central repository. Third-party record publishers are not informed automatically, so separate action is required to ensure record removal.
  • With your evidence in hand, track the source of the record online. This includes record aggregator sites and news/media outlets.
  • Contact the websites and request removal through their formal request channel. Provide evidence of the expungement or sealing, and ask that the record be removed based on this updated legal status. Follow up regularly to ensure they do not delay compliance. Note that some of these sites may charge administrative fees.
  • News outlets and blogs may not remove a record, especially if the information was accurate at the time of publishing. Instead of a complete removal, request an update or edit to the article, including the fact that the record has been sealed or expunged and is no longer public.