Camas Police Records
Camas police records are maintained by the Camas Police Department and are available to the public under the Washington Public Records Act. The city uses JustFOIA for online records requests, allowing you to submit, track, and receive law enforcement documents digitally. Requests can also be made by mail, in person, or by phone. This page explains how to get Camas police records, what fees apply, and where to find related state-level records.
Camas Police Records Overview
How to Request Camas Police Records
The Camas Police Department accepts public records requests through several channels. Online submissions go through JustFOIA at cityofcamas.justfoia.com. The portal lets you create an account, submit a new request, choose your preferred delivery method, and track the status as staff work through it. You can also submit a paper form directly to the department. The records division handles all incoming requests and responds within the five-business-day window required by state law.
The Camas Police Department is located at 2100 NE 3rd Avenue, Camas, WA 98607. The records division phone number is 360-834-4151. Fax: 360-834-0505. Email: police@cityofcamas.us. For non-urgent requests, the online portal or email are the most efficient options. If you have a case number or report number, include it in your request to speed things up. Staff can also locate records by date of incident, names of people involved, and the address where the incident occurred.
Under RCW 42.56, the department has five business days to respond. The response may include the records, a written estimate of when they will be ready, or a denial that cites specific reasons. If the information will not be ready within five business days, staff will give you a reasonable estimate of how long it will take. Denials must explain the specific reason in writing.
Camas JustFOIA Portal for Police Records
The City of Camas uses JustFOIA as its online request management system. JustFOIA is similar to GovQA in that it provides a public-facing portal for submitting and tracking requests. You can choose how you want to receive your records: pick up a copy when it is ready (copy charges may apply), inspect the record in person, receive it by email, or have it mailed. The choice you make affects both timing and any costs involved.
When filling out a request through JustFOIA, you will be asked to provide photo identification. The department uses ID to assess charging levels and determine what redactions may apply. This is standard practice and does not mean your request is being singled out. All records are reviewed individually, and ID is part of the standard intake process for the Camas Police Department.
Payment for mailed copies is due before records are sent. If you select email delivery or in-person inspection, payment may still apply for any copying or production costs. The department will let you know what is owed before releasing records to you. RCW 42.56 prohibits the release of lists of individuals when those lists are requested for commercial purposes, so requests that appear commercial in nature may be subject to additional review.
What Camas Police Records Can You Get
The Camas Police Department maintains incident reports, traffic accident reports, arrest records, and other law enforcement documents. Most are open to the public under state law, subject to applicable exemptions. Active investigation records, juvenile records, victim information in certain types of cases, and information whose release could harm individuals all fall under potential exemptions. Staff review each request and release what they can while withholding or redacting protected portions.
Accident reports are commonly requested after traffic crashes in Camas. These are needed for insurance claims, court filings, and personal records. If you were involved in a crash in Camas, you can request the accident report through JustFOIA or by visiting the department in person. Having the date, location, and names of the involved parties makes it easier for staff to find the right report quickly.
The city uses the Public Records Act alongside city and county code and applicable case law to make release decisions. This means a record that might be releasable in one context could be withheld in another depending on the specific circumstances. If you are unsure whether a record you want is public, it is still worth submitting a request. The department will tell you what it can and cannot release, and why.
For general criminal history across Washington, the WATCH system at fortress.wa.gov/wsp/watch is the right resource. The fee is $11 and the search returns statewide conviction data. The Camas Police Department does not process public criminal history checks directly.
Camas City Clerk and General Public Records
The City Clerk's Office at 616 NE 4th Avenue, Camas, WA 98607 handles public records that are not police department records. That includes city council minutes, permits, contracts, and other municipal government documents. You can reach the City Clerk at 360-817-1591. General city records requests can be submitted online through the same JustFOIA portal by selecting the appropriate record type when you start a new request.
If you submit a general city records request and it turns out to include police records, the City Clerk's Office will route the relevant portion to the police department for handling. You do not need to file two separate requests in most cases. The system is designed to direct requests to the right place internally. However, if you know you specifically need police records, submitting to the police department directly tends to be faster.
Clark County Superior Court and Clark County District Court handle criminal and civil cases tied to Camas incidents. Court records from those courts are separate from Camas Police Department records. You can search court case information through the statewide Washington Courts name and case search.
State-Level Records for Camas
Traffic collision reports on state highways near Camas are available through the Washington State Patrol at wsp.wa.gov/driver/collision-records. The fee is $10.50 per report under RCW 46.52.085. State reports and local Camas Police reports cover different details and come from different agencies, so both may be useful if a crash involved a state highway or multiple responding agencies.
The WSP Criminal History Records section at wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history explains how to get certified conviction histories. This is separate from the public WATCH portal and applies to more formal or official background check needs. The Criminal Records Privacy Act (RCW 10.97) governs what criminal history data can be shared, and Camas applies those rules when responding to requests involving arrest or conviction information.
The MRSC guidance on criminal history and arrest records provides a plain-language breakdown of how these rules work in practice. Understanding the difference between publicly available arrest logs and restricted criminal history helps you ask for the right thing and get a useful response.
Clark County Police Records
Camas police records are handled by the Camas Police Department, but the city sits within Clark County. For county-level records and Clark County Sheriff resources, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are close to Camas. Each handles police records through its own department or contract agency.