Klickitat County Police Records

Klickitat County police records include incident reports, arrest records, and other law enforcement documents maintained by the Klickitat County Sheriff's Office in Goldendale. Requests can be submitted by email to kcsorecords@klickitatcounty.org or by phone at 509-773-4455, and the county must respond within five business days under Washington's Public Records Act.

Klickitat County Sheriff's Office and Records Requests

The Klickitat County Sheriff's Office is located at 155 S Columbus Ave, Goldendale, WA 98620. The Records Division can be reached at (509) 773-4455. This office serves a large, rural county along the Columbia River in south-central Washington, covering communities like White Salmon, Bingen, Lyle, and Goldendale. The Sheriff handles all law enforcement in unincorporated areas and maintains records of incidents, arrests, and jail operations.

To request police records, you can email kcsorecords@klickitatcounty.org or call the main Sheriff's Office number. The county's public records system also lets you submit requests for disclosure through the Klickitat County Records Request page. Once your request is received, the office will acknowledge it within five business days and either provide the records, deny the request with explanation, or give a reasonable estimate of when the records will be ready.

Klickitat County Police Records Fee Schedule

Klickitat County charges fees for copies of public records. The current fee schedule went into effect on September 15, 2023. Paper copies are $0.15 per page. Scanned copies are $0.10 per page. Records uploaded to email cost $0.05 per every four electronic files. Digital storage media devices are charged at actual cost. An envelope, if needed for mailing, costs $0.10. Postage is charged at actual cost. If records are transmitted electronically in large files, the fee is $0.10 per gigabyte of transmission.

Payment must be received before records are provided. The office generates an invoice and sends it to the requester along with a notice that the records are ready. You pay first, then get the records. This is consistent with Washington law, which allows agencies to charge reproduction costs before releasing copies. If you want to inspect records in person without getting copies, you do not have to pay copy fees. In-person inspection is a right under RCW 42.56.

Court records are not covered by the county's public records disclosure process. Those documents must be requested directly from the Klickitat County Superior Court or District Court Clerk's office at 509-773-5744.

How to Submit a Klickitat County Police Records Request

The county provides a public records request form that you can complete and submit online. The Request a Record page has the form and explains the process. You can also visit the Public Records Officers' office at Room 106 in the county building in Goldendale. The phone number there is 509-773-5838, and the fax number is 509-773-6696. When submitting a request, identify the specific department or elected official whose records you are requesting. A request for general information is not sufficient under state law; you need to ask for a specific, identifiable record.

For Sheriff's Office police records specifically, email kcsorecords@klickitatcounty.org or call 509-773-4455. Include the incident or case number, the date of the incident, the names of parties involved, and the type of records you want. The more precise your request, the faster it gets processed. If your request covers a large number of documents, the office may set up an installment schedule for providing records in batches.

Types of Police Records in Klickitat County

The Klickitat County Sheriff's Office maintains records of all law enforcement activity in unincorporated areas of the county. Common records include incident reports that document what deputies found at the scene, arrest records showing who was taken into custody and the charges involved, and jail booking information for people processed through the county detention facility. These records are public under Washington's Public Records Act unless a specific exemption applies.

Some records may be withheld in whole or in part. Records tied to active investigations, records that would expose confidential informants, and records that could harm a private third party may be exempt under RCW 42.56. Juvenile records carry additional restrictions. The office must tell you in writing which exemption covers any denied portion of your request. If you disagree with the denial, you can seek review through the Washington State Attorney General's public records compliance office.

Statewide Criminal History and Collision Reports

For a statewide Washington criminal history check, use the Washington State Patrol's WATCH system. WATCH covers all counties and returns results instantly online for $11. It reflects conviction and arrest data entered in the state criminal history system, which may not include every local record held at the county level. The WSP criminal history page explains what the results include and what record types appear in the database.

Traffic collision reports for crashes in Klickitat County that were handled by WSP are available through the WSP collision records system for $10.50 per report. The governing statute is RCW 46.52.085. For accidents where the Sheriff's Office responded rather than WSP, check with the Sheriff's Office directly for a local incident report.

Klickitat County Court and Other Public Records

Court records in Klickitat County are held by the Superior Court Clerk and the District Court, not the Sheriff's Office. These include criminal case files, civil filings, and court orders. You can search for case information through the Washington Courts statewide case search tool, which lets you look up cases by name or case number across all Washington courts. Court documents must be requested from the Clerk's Office at 509-773-5744, not from the Sheriff's Records Division.

For general guidance on public records and law enforcement in Washington, the MRSC criminal history and arrest records guide is a useful resource. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs provides public records policy guidance for law enforcement agencies across the state.

Cities in Klickitat County

Klickitat County includes Goldendale, White Salmon, Bingen, and several smaller communities. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. For records from incidents within incorporated city limits, contact that city's police department or the Sheriff's Office to confirm jurisdiction. Records from unincorporated Klickitat County go through the Sheriff's Office at 509-773-4455.

Nearby Counties

Klickitat County shares borders with several other Washington counties along the Columbia River and in the Cascades. Records from incidents near county lines may be held by a neighboring agency.