San Juan County Police Records
San Juan County police records, including incident reports, arrest logs, and booking information, are maintained by the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Friday Harbor, Washington. Because the county spans multiple ferry-dependent islands in Puget Sound, the Sheriff's Office serves as the sole law enforcement agency for all of San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Shaw, and the surrounding smaller islands. Requests for police records go through the county's public records process under Washington's Public Records Act.
San Juan County Police Records Overview
San Juan County Sheriff's Office Records
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency across the San Juan Islands. Deputies patrol all of the major islands, and the Sheriff's Office maintains records for every incident, arrest, and booking that takes place in the county. There are no city police departments in San Juan County, which means all police records flow through the Sheriff. If you need an incident report or want to find out about an arrest that happened on any island in the county, the Sheriff's Office is where your request goes.
The Sheriff's Office can be reached by phone at (360) 378-4151 for records-related questions. You can also submit requests through the county's public records system. The county's Public Records Officer is Sally Rogers, Clerk of the Council, who can be reached at 360-370-7472. The Public Records Coordinator handles routing to individual departments. Physical requests can be delivered to 55 2nd Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.
The county uses an online Records Center for submitting public records requests. Requesters click the "Records Center" button on the county's public records page to start a new submission. You can also reach the Public Records Coordinator at 360-370-7410 for guidance before you file. The office is open during normal business hours, excluding legal holidays, and appointments are required for in-person inspection of records.
How to Request San Juan County Police Records
San Juan County requires that public records requests be submitted through the county website's online portal. The Records Request Instructions page explains the process step by step. Once the county receives your request, the Public Records Officer has five business days to respond. That response could be the records you asked for, an estimate of when records will be ready, or a notice that some records are exempt from disclosure.
You can also submit requests by mail, email, or in person at the county offices in Friday Harbor. If your records request concerns court files rather than police records, those are held separately. Court records must go to the County Clerk at 350 Court Street #7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, by telephone at (360) 378-2163. The court clerk handles Superior Court files and related judicial records. The Public Records Officer handles administrative and Sheriff's Office records.
There is no fee for inspecting records in person. The county charges reasonable fees for copies under its published fee schedule. For complex requests or those covering a large number of documents, the Public Records Officer may provide a cost estimate before processing begins. This lets you decide whether to narrow your request or proceed with the full scope.
Types of San Juan County Police Records Available
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office maintains a broad set of law enforcement records. Incident reports document the details of calls that deputies responded to, from minor traffic stops to more serious offenses. Arrest records show who was taken into custody, the charges listed, and other basic booking details. Jail booking records track who was processed at the county jail, when they arrived, and when they were released.
Some records are not available to the public. Active investigation files may be withheld to avoid compromising a case. Victim and witness information is often redacted to protect safety. Records involving juveniles face stricter rules under state law. Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act, RCW 10.97, governs how criminal history information can be shared and what portions must stay private. The county will redact exempt material and release the rest rather than withholding a full document when only part of it is protected.
Case reports and accident reports that involve Sheriff's Office response on the islands are processed through the San Juan County public records system. The island geography of San Juan County means that in some cases, a deputy may have traveled by ferry to reach a scene, and the report may note that delay. These details do not change how or where you submit your request.
Superior Court and District Court Records
Criminal cases in San Juan County that go to trial or result in a conviction create court records that are separate from the original police reports. The Superior Court Administrator is Jane Severin, who serves as Superior Court Public Records Officer and can be reached at (360) 370-7480. Judicial administrative records requests must be in writing using the Request for Administrative Records form available from the court.
The Washington Courts name and case search tool lets you search for cases by party name or case number across the state. Not every case type appears in the online system, so you may need to contact the San Juan County Superior Court or District Court clerk directly for older files or cases not yet indexed online. Police records and court records are kept by different offices and require separate requests.
Statewide Criminal History Checks
For a full Washington State criminal history search rather than just local San Juan County records, use the WATCH system run by the Washington State Patrol. WATCH stands for Washington Access to Criminal History. The fee is $11, and results come back quickly online. The system covers convictions across the state, recent arrests with pending charges, and sex offender registry data. Access the system at the WSP WATCH portal.
WATCH does not include out-of-state records. If you need a broader background search, you would need to contact other states directly. The WSP Criminal History Records page explains all options for obtaining criminal history, including mail-in and fingerprint-based requests. Name-based searches cost $32 in person or by mail. Fingerprint checks cost $58 and are more accurate because they cannot be confused by name similarities.
Collision Reports for San Juan County
Traffic collision reports in San Juan County are processed through the Washington State Patrol rather than the Sheriff's Office. If you were in a crash on any of the islands, the WSP likely holds the official report. You can order a copy through the WSP collision records page. The fee is $10.50 per report under RCW 46.52.085. The WRECR online system lets you search for and purchase reports without visiting a WSP office in person.
In some cases, a Sheriff's deputy responded to the crash and wrote a separate incident report. That document would be held by the Sheriff's Office and is different from the official WSP collision report. If you need both, send one request to WSP and a separate request to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office. The two offices do not share records automatically.
Washington Public Records Act and San Juan County
The Washington Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, gives any person the right to inspect and copy public records held by government agencies in Washington State. San Juan County follows this law for all records requests. The law requires a response within five business days, though that response may be an acknowledgment with a timeline rather than the records themselves. Large or complex requests often take longer, and the county may send estimates and interim releases as records are gathered.
You have the right to inspect records in person at no cost for the inspection itself. Copying fees are allowed and vary by format. If a request is denied in whole or in part, the county must specify which exemption applies. You can appeal a denial to the county's Prosecuting Attorney, who handles administrative review. If that review is unsatisfactory, you can seek judicial review in superior court under RCW 42.56.550.
The MRSC guide on law enforcement records explains how police records work under Washington law. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) also provides guidance for agencies and the public on handling police records requests across the state.
Nearby Counties
San Juan County is surrounded by water and accessible from several neighboring mainland counties. Find police records resources for nearby counties below.