Search Pierce County Arrest & Criminal Records

Arrest Records in Pierce County

An arrest record is created at booking. When the Pierce County Sheriff's Office or another law enforcement agency takes a person into custody and brings them to the Pierce County Jail at 910 Tacoma Avenue South, a booking entry is made in the jail management system. That entry becomes the basis for what the public can see on the jail roster. The Sheriff's Corrections Bureau manages custody at the jail and posts a current roster through LINX, the county's Legal Information Network Exchange. Sheriff Keith Swank, who took office on January 1, 2025, leads the agency that oversees the jail and its booking process.

Arrest records and criminal court records are not the same thing. An arrest record reflects the booking event. A criminal court record is created later, when a prosecutor files charges with the Superior Court or District Court. Many people are booked and released without charges ever being filed. Others go on to have full case histories in LINX. That distinction matters when you search. The jail roster shows who is in custody now. For full case history, charges, plea, sentence, and disposition, see Pierce County court records through LINX.

How to Search Pierce County Arrest Records

The public jail roster is accessible through LINX at the official county portal. It is the main tool for finding people currently in custody at the Pierce County Jail. The roster is live and shows current bookings only. It does not include people who have been released. For released inmates and historical custody information, a separate process applies. The name search on LINX uses last name, first name format, the same as any other LINX search.

1. Go to the LINX search page and look for the Jail Inmates section.
2. Click "Display Current Pierce County Corrections Jail Roster" or enter a name in last name, first name format.
3. Complete the reCAPTCHA check if prompted, then review the roster results.
4. Note the public fields shown: inmate name, booking date, charge, warrant type, charging agency, court jurisdiction, court date, sentence date/bail, sentence/fine, and release date.
5. If the person is not on the current roster, call jail administration at 253-798-4668 for historical release dates, or search the LINX criminal case search for a filed case under their name.

For statewide criminal history searches, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs runs WATCH, a fee-based criminal history search. The LINX FAQ says WATCH charges a non-refundable $10 per search. WATCH draws from the state criminal records system under chapter 10.97 RCW, the Washington Criminal Records Privacy Act, which governs how criminal history record information is maintained, disseminated, and corrected.

The Corrections Bureau page has the roster link along with visiting, mail, telephone, commissary, and medical information for the jail.

Pierce County Public Jail Roster Fields

The Sheriff's public records page makes clear that the information available on the public jail roster is limited by design. Most inmate jail records are not public in Washington. The limited fields that are public come from a controlled roster, not the full jail management record. Date of birth, housing pod assignment, physical descriptors, and booking photos are not on the public roster. They are exempt from disclosure under RCW 70.48.100, the jail register and records statute, which the Sheriff's Office cites directly on its public records page.

The ten public roster fields, as listed by the Sheriff, are:

• Inmate name
• Booking date
• Charge
• Warrant type
• Charging agency
• Court jurisdiction
• Court date
• Sentence date / bail
• Sentence / fine
• Release date

The Sheriff's Corrections Bureau page for the Pierce County Jail links to visiting, mail, telephones, commissary, and medical information. The jail is at 910 Tacoma Avenue South, immediately adjacent to the County-City Building where court offices are located.

Arrest Record vs. Criminal Court Record

People sometimes use "arrest record" and "criminal record" to mean the same thing. They are not. An arrest record is created when someone is booked into jail. A criminal court record is created when a prosecutor files charges with a court. Booking comes first. Court filings may or may not follow. Someone who is booked and then released without charges may have a jail entry but no court case in LINX. That difference is important for anyone trying to find out what is on file about a person in Pierce County.

Once a criminal case is filed in Pierce County Superior Court or District Court, LINX is the place to find it. LINX is the county's case system and shows criminal case attorneys, charges, docket entries, proceedings, and judgments. The case type in LINX for Superior Court felonies is "Criminal." District Court criminal cases cover misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors. For full case history and to look up criminal court records, see the court records page.

Note: An arrest does not mean a charge was filed, and a charge does not mean a conviction. Each step is a separate record in a separate system.

Charges vs. Convictions in Pierce County

A charge is a formal accusation. The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney, Mary Robnett, whose office is in Room 946 at 930 Tacoma Avenue South, files charges on behalf of the state after reviewing an arrest. A charge means the state believes there is probable cause to proceed. It is not a finding of guilt. A conviction happens only when a judge or jury finds someone guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, or when the person enters a guilty or no-contest plea. Both a charge and a conviction can appear in LINX. Reading them without understanding the difference leads to errors.

The distinction matters for background checks and for understanding what a court record shows. A dismissed case, an acquittal, or a charge that was never prosecuted is still in the LINX docket as a case event. It is not a conviction. The disposition field in LINX shows what happened to the charge or case.

The Pierce County Criminal Division of the Prosecuting Attorney's Office handles all state felony cases in the county and misdemeanors from unincorporated areas. Deputy prosecutors work with legal assistants and victim-witness advocates. To contact the office, call 253-798-7400 or visit Room 946 at the County-City Building.

Vacating a Felony Conviction in Pierce County

Washington's main process for clearing an adult conviction is called vacation, not expungement. Felony vacation is governed by RCW 9.94A.640. A person who wants to vacate a felony conviction files a petition in the sentencing court, serves the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney, and shows eligibility based on the offense type, waiting period, completion of sentence, no new disqualifying convictions, and no pending charges. Some offenses are excluded. If the court grants the petition, it enters an order vacating the conviction. The case history may still exist in LINX, but the conviction status changes and criminal history systems must be updated per the order.

The official RCW 9.94A.640 page on the Washington Legislature site sets out the full eligibility requirements. Read it carefully before filing, because the rules differ by offense class and the waiting period depends on when the sentence was completed.

The Washington Legislature publishes RCW 9.94A.640, the felony conviction vacation statute, with eligibility conditions and procedural requirements.

The statute page shows the full text of the law, including which felonies are excluded and how the waiting period is calculated from the date the sentence was completed.

Vacating a Misdemeanor Record in Pierce County

Misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor vacation follows a different statute. RCW 9.96.060 controls the process. Like felony vacation, a person petitions the sentencing court, serves the prosecuting attorney, and shows the required waiting period, completion of sentence, and no new disqualifying events. Exclusions apply. District Court handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases in Pierce County, so most petitions under RCW 9.96.060 go to Pierce County District Court at Room 239, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, or to the municipal court that originally sentenced the person.

RCW 9.96.060 at the Washington Legislature site sets out the misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor vacation process with its eligibility limits and exclusions.

The statute shows which misdemeanor categories are excluded and how the waiting period differs from felony cases under RCW 9.94A.640.

Sealed vs. Vacated Records

Sealing and vacation are different processes with different effects. Sealing restricts public access to a record that still exists in the court system. Vacation changes the legal status of a conviction. In Pierce County, a person can seek to seal certain records under Washington General Rule 15 by filing a motion and showing legal grounds. The court can seal an entire file, seal specific documents, or deny the request. GR 22 automatically limits access to some family law and guardianship documents without a separate motion. Juvenile records have their own sealing rules under RCW 13.50.050.

Pierce County does not use the term "expungement" the way some other states do. If someone describes a Washington record as "expunged," they likely mean it was vacated or sealed under one of the processes above. The legal effect depends on which order was entered and which systems have been updated.

Washington Criminal Records Privacy Act

Chapter 10.97 RCW governs how criminal history record information is maintained, shared, and corrected in Washington. It is separate from the court clerk system and from the jail roster. The law covers what agencies can do with criminal history data, how subjects can request review of their own records, and how dissemination is controlled. This matters for anyone who has gone through the Pierce County criminal courts and wants to understand what appears in a statewide criminal history check as opposed to the court docket in LINX.

Chapter 10.97 RCW sets out Washington's criminal history record rules, including accuracy requirements, subject review rights, and dissemination controls.

The statute page shows the full text of the chapter, including definitions of criminal history record information and limits on its use by agencies and employers.

WATCH, the Washington State criminal history search tool, pulls from this statewide data. The LINX FAQ notes a non-refundable $10 per search fee. WATCH is operated by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Court case records in LINX are separate from WATCH results; both can be relevant depending on what someone needs to find. For DUI and other traffic-related criminal charges, the traffic court records page covers how those cases move through the system.

Sex Offender Registry in Pierce County

Washington requires sex offenders and kidnapping offenders to register under RCW 4.24.550, which also authorizes public notification. The Washington State Patrol sex offender public registry is maintained by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). This is a separate search from the jail roster and from LINX criminal cases. The registry shows registered offenders by name, county, city, zip code, and address radius. Not all registered offenders appear publicly; level 1 offenders may not be listed depending on community notification decisions.

RCW 4.24.550 is the sex offender and kidnapping offender notification statute, which sets the legal basis for the public registry and community notification in Pierce County and statewide.

The statute page lays out the framework for tiered notification and the rights and duties of offenders, law enforcement agencies, and the public regarding registration in Washington.

To search the registry, go to WASPC's sex offender information portal. You can look up offenders by name or search by location within Pierce County.

WASPC's sex offender information page provides access to the Washington State Sex Offender Public Registry and allows name and location searches for registered offenders in Pierce County.

The registry search returns offender name, photo where available, address or general area, offense type, and tier level for those whose information is publicly displayed under state law.

Restricted Criminal Records in Pierce County

Not every criminal or arrest record is open to the public in Pierce County. Several categories are confidential or have restricted access by statute, court rule, or court order. Juvenile offender records and dependency records fall under RCW 13.50.050. Access to those records is generally limited to the parties, their attorneys, government agencies, and persons with court authorization. Pierce County Juvenile Court, at 5501 6th Avenue in Tacoma, handles juvenile case records separately from the main LINX system. Juvenile records are not part of the general LINX public search.

Sealed records under GR 15 and records restricted by GR 22 (for family law and guardianship) may appear in index searches without the underlying documents being viewable. Booking photos and most jail records are not public under RCW 70.48.100. Mental health and civil commitment records are restricted under RCW 71.05.620. Adoption records are confidential under RCW 26.33.340. Any record sealed by a specific court order is not available through normal public search channels regardless of the general public-access rules.

Ongoing investigations and law enforcement privileged materials are also not public. If a case appears sealed or a document is missing from the LINX docket, that is usually the result of one of these rules or an active court order. The process to request access to sealed material is a motion to the court that holds the file, not a public-records request to a county agency.

Prosecutor and Public Defender in Pierce County

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is headed by Mary Robnett. The office is in Room 946 at the County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma, WA 98402. The main phone is 253-798-7400 and office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Criminal Division prosecutes all state felony cases in Pierce County and misdemeanors from unincorporated areas. Deputy prosecutors work with legal assistants and victim-witness advocates. The office also has a Civil Division and a Family Support Division. Victim and Witness Assistance is in the Justice Services Division at the same Room 946 address, phone 253-798-6875.

The Prosecuting Attorney's Office is not an investigative agency. To report a crime, contact local police or the Sheriff's Office. Police report copies can be obtained from South Sound 911. The Prosecuting Attorney page lists divisions, victim assistance, and office contact information.

Indigent defendants are served by the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel (DAC). DAC provides mandated legal services in Pierce County Superior Court, District Courts, and Municipal Courts in Tacoma, Fircrest, and Ruston, as well as Juvenile Court delinquency matters and involuntary civil commitment proceedings. To apply for a public defender, an eligible defendant applies through the Clerk of the Superior Court, which screens for indigency. DAC does not handle civil matters beyond its mandated categories. For civil legal help, DAC refers users to the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association at 253-383-3432 or Legal Aid at 253-572-4343. The Department of Assigned Counsel page explains services and eligibility.

Background Check Considerations

Casual lookups of arrest records through the LINX jail roster or through court records are not the same as a formal background check. A background check under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) involves specific rules about permissible purpose, consumer rights, dispute processes, and the information that can be reported. Employers, landlords, and creditors using a consumer reporting agency must follow FCRA requirements. The public jail roster, LINX case search, and WATCH criminal history search are not FCRA-compliant consumer reporting products.

WATCH, the statewide criminal history search at $10 per search, is one official source for conviction data under chapter 10.97 RCW. The LINX FAQ confirms the WATCH fee and notes that it is non-refundable. For employer background checks that carry legal obligations, use an accredited consumer reporting agency. For personal lookups, WATCH and LINX are the right official tools. For active warrant questions in Pierce County, see warrant records. For current custody information, see inmate records.

Related Pierce County Searches

Pierce County arrest records connect to several related record types. For active warrants, the Pierce County warrant records page covers how to search LINX criminal cases for warrant status and what warrant types appear on the jail roster. To find someone currently in custody, the inmate records page walks through the jail roster, LINX, VINELink, and the Washington DOC search for people who may have moved to state prison. For the full criminal court file after charges are filed, including docket, proceedings, charges, and judgment, use the court records page. DUI and other criminal traffic charges that start as traffic stops are covered on the traffic court records page, which also explains how those cases route into the criminal system.