Burien Police Records
Burien police records are handled by the King County Sheriff's Office, which provides all law enforcement services for the city under a long-standing contract. The City of Burien does not operate its own police department. To get police records for incidents in Burien, you go through the King County Sheriff's Office Public Disclosure Unit rather than a local Burien department. This page explains how that works, where to submit requests, and what to expect from the process.
Burien Police Records Overview
How to Request Burien Police Records
Because the City of Burien contracts with the King County Sheriff's Office for police services, all police records requests for Burien incidents go through the King County Sheriff's Office Public Disclosure Unit. The Sheriff's Office accepts requests online through GovQA, by mail, and in person. To submit online, go to kingcounty.gov/sheriff and select the Records Request option. The online portal is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For mail or in-person requests, the King County Sheriff's Office Public Disclosure Unit is located at King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Room W-150, Seattle, WA 98104. In-person hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed weekends and holidays. The phone number for the unit is (206) 263-2626. You can also email requests to KCSODisclosure@kingcounty.gov. If you use email, make sure to include enough detail for staff to locate the records: the date and approximate time, location, and case or report number if you have it.
Under RCW 42.56, the Sheriff's Office must respond within five business days. That response may be the records themselves, an estimate of when they will be ready, or a denial with a written explanation. The Burien Police substation at 14905 6th Ave SW, Burien, WA 98166 handles local patrol and service, but records requests go to the main Public Disclosure Unit in Seattle rather than the substation.
City of Burien Non-Police Records
Not all Burien records go through the Sheriff's Office. The City of Burien has its own public records process for city government records that are not law enforcement documents. The City's Public Records Officer is Antoinette Clark. You can reach her at pro@burienwa.gov, by phone at (206) 436-5578, or by fax at (206) 248-5539. The mailing address for non-police city records is: City of Burien, Burien City Hall, 400 SW 152nd Street, Ste. 300, Burien, WA 98166.
If you are unsure whether your records request should go to the city or the Sheriff's Office, a good rule of thumb is this: if it involves police activity, an arrest, a traffic accident, or an incident response, contact the Sheriff's Office. If it involves city permits, city council records, code enforcement, or other municipal government documents, contact the city directly. When in doubt, contact both and each will route your request to the right place.
The city handles requests through its own portal and direct contact with the Public Records Officer. Response times follow the same five-business-day rule under RCW 42.56. Do not include Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, or bank account numbers in your request form.
Types of Burien Police Records Available
Through the King County Sheriff's Office, you can request incident reports from Burien, traffic accident reports, arrest information, and other law enforcement documents. The Sheriff's Office applies the same public records rules to Burien requests as it does to records from anywhere in unincorporated King County or other contract cities. Records may be partially redacted if they contain information that is legally protected, such as victim details in certain cases or information tied to active investigations.
Arrest records and booking information for people taken to the King County Jail at 500 5th Ave., Seattle, WA 98104 may be accessible through the Sheriff's Office. Jail records and visitation information are handled separately from patrol incident reports. Visiting hours run Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 9:00 p.m. and weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and again from 3:30 to 9:00 p.m. Those hours and procedures can change, so check with the jail directly before planning a visit.
King County District Court South Division, located at 601 SW 149th St, Burien, WA 98166, handles criminal, traffic, civil, and small claims cases arising from Burien incidents. Court records from that location are maintained by the court itself and are separate from the police records held by the Sheriff's Office. You can search court case information through the statewide Washington Courts name and case search.
State-Level Records for Burien Residents
For statewide criminal history checks, use the Washington State Patrol WATCH program at fortress.wa.gov/wsp/watch. The cost is $11 and results reflect conviction records from across Washington, not just King County or Burien. WATCH is useful when you need a broad picture of someone's record statewide rather than just local incident history.
Traffic collision reports involving state routes can be requested from the WSP at wsp.wa.gov/driver/collision-records for $10.50. The fee authority is RCW 46.52.085. For crashes on local Burien streets, the King County Sheriff's Office report is typically the better starting point. Both types of reports may be needed for insurance purposes or legal proceedings if the collision involved a state route or multiple agencies.
The WSP Criminal History Records section at wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history explains how to get official conviction histories for background check purposes. This covers the different request types, processing fees, and turnaround times depending on the reason for the request. This is separate from the public WATCH portal and applies more to official or certified record requests.
Criminal Records Privacy Law and Burien Records
Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act (RCW 10.97) sets rules for how criminal history information can be shared. Arrests that did not result in charges carry limited public availability. Juvenile records and sealed cases are also protected. These rules apply to Burien incidents handled by the King County Sheriff's Office the same as they do for any other jurisdiction in the state.
The MRSC guidance on arrest records and criminal history breaks down the legal framework in plain terms. Arrest logs are generally considered public, but detailed criminal history tied to a specific individual has more restrictions. Understanding what is and is not protected before you submit helps you write a better request and reduces the chance of delays caused by back-and-forth over scope or exemptions.
If part of your request is denied, the Sheriff's Office must give you a written explanation citing the specific statute or exemption. You can then appeal the denial through the King County process or seek review from the Washington Attorney General's Office.
King County Police Records
Burien police records are handled by the King County Sheriff's Office, and the city sits within King County. For county-level resources, including Sheriff's Office information and Superior Court records, visit the King County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are close to Burien. Each handles police records through its own department or contract agency.