Spokane County Police Records
Spokane County police records, including incident reports, arrest logs, and booking information, are handled by the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and the county's Public Records Office in Spokane, Washington. The county uses the GovQA online portal for public records submissions, which lets requesters file, track, and receive records electronically. Spokane city and other incorporated municipalities maintain separate police records through their own departments. All requests are governed by Washington's Public Records Act.
Spokane County Police Records Overview
Spokane County Sheriff's Office Records
The Spokane County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement for unincorporated areas of the county and contracts to serve the cities of Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake. The Sheriff's Office maintains records for all incidents, arrests, and bookings that fall under its jurisdiction. If you need police records from unincorporated Spokane County or from those contracted cities, the Sheriff's Office is the right agency to contact.
The Sheriff's Office Public Records Department can be reached at (509) 477-1721. Records requests can also be submitted online through the GovQA Public Records Portal. The Sheriff's Office is located at 1100 W Mallon Ave, Spokane, WA 99260. They also operate the Spokane County Jail, and inmate information is available through the online jail roster on the Sheriff's website. For direct questions about a specific records request, call the Sheriff's Office public records line during business hours.
Spokane County established a centralized Public Records Office in 2018 to assist the public with records requests. That office is located in the Human Resources Building at 824 N Adams St, Spokane, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. You can reach the office by telephone or email during those hours. For Sheriff's Office records specifically, the Sheriff's Public Records Department handles requests directly at (509) 477-1721, while the main Public Records Office coordinates other county department requests through the GovQA portal.
How to Submit a Spokane County Police Records Request
The fastest way to request Spokane County police records is through the GovQA Public Records Portal. The portal lets you submit a request online, attach supporting information, track the status of your request, and download records electronically when they are available. You will need an email address to create an account and submit through the system.
You can also request records in person at the Public Records Office at 824 N Adams St or by contacting the Sheriff's Office records department directly by phone or mail. When filing, be as specific as possible about what you need. Include the date range, case number if you have it, names of parties involved, and the type of records you are looking for. Vague requests take longer to process because staff have to clarify the scope before they can begin searching.
The county must respond within five business days under RCW 42.56. The response could be the records, an estimate of the timeline, a request to clarify your submission, or a denial with the applicable exemption cited. If records are partially exempt, the county will redact those sections and release the rest. Large or complex requests often take longer, and the office will communicate estimated completion dates as the request is processed.
Spokane City Police Records
The City of Spokane operates its own police department and maintains records separate from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. If the incident or arrest took place within Spokane city limits, contact the Spokane Police Department for those records. The county and the city are separate agencies with separate records systems.
Spokane Valley, which is served by the Spokane County Sheriff under a service contract, routes police records requests through the Sheriff's Office. Liberty Lake is in a similar situation. If you are unsure which agency handled a specific incident, contact the Sheriff's Office and they can direct you to the correct agency.
Both Spokane and Spokane Valley have their own pages in this directory with additional information about police records access in those cities.
Spokane Regional Emergency Communications Records
Spokane Regional Emergency Communications (SREC 911) is the custodian of emergency, non-emergency, and dispatch audio for Spokane County. SREC holds call audio from the dispatch center. They do not hold police reports, investigative files, dash camera footage, body camera footage, or CAD notes. Those records are held by the originating law enforcement agency.
If you need dispatch audio or recordings from the Crime Check non-emergency line, contact SREC directly at srecpublicrecords@srec911.org or by phone at (509) 532-8911. Requests can also be mailed to: ATTN: Records Custodian, SREC 911, 1620 N Rebecca, Spokane WA 99217. SREC has its own records portal and responds under the same five-business-day requirement as other agencies. Do not send requests for police reports or investigative files to SREC, as they will not have them.
Types of Spokane County Police Records
The Spokane County Sheriff's Office holds a broad range of law enforcement records. Incident reports document the details of calls, from traffic stops to serious crimes. Arrest records show who was taken into custody and what charges were listed at the time of booking. Jail booking records track intake dates, release dates, and charge information for everyone processed at the Spokane County Jail.
Some records are not available for release. Active investigations can be withheld to prevent compromising a case. Victim and witness information is often redacted for safety. Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act, RCW 10.97, limits how criminal history data, especially nonconviction information, can be shared. Conviction records are generally public. Records of arrests that did not result in charges or were later dismissed face tighter rules.
Statewide Criminal History in Spokane County
For a statewide criminal history search rather than just Spokane County records, the Washington State Patrol WATCH system is the right place to start. WATCH provides conviction records, recent arrests with pending charges, and sex offender registry data across Washington. The fee is $11 online. Access it at the WSP WATCH portal.
For mail-in and in-person options, including fingerprint-based searches, see the WSP Criminal History Records page. Name-based checks by mail or in person cost $32. Fingerprint checks cost $58. WATCH results are fast but limited to Washington State records. For records from other states, contact those agencies directly or use a federal system.
Collision Reports and Traffic Records
Traffic collision reports in Spokane County go through the Washington State Patrol, not the Sheriff's Office. Order them through the WSP collision records page. The cost is $10.50 per report under RCW 46.52.085. The WRECR online system makes it easy to search and purchase without a mail submission or visit to a WSP office.
If a Spokane County deputy or Spokane Valley officer also responded and wrote a separate incident report, that document is held by the Sheriff's Office. You need to send separate requests to WSP and to the Sheriff's Office to get both reports. They are different documents created by different agencies and are not automatically shared between them.
Washington Public Records Act and Spokane County
The Washington Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, gives any person the right to inspect and copy public records from Spokane County agencies, including the Sheriff's Office. You do not need to state why you want the records. In-person inspection is free. Copying fees apply under the county's fee schedule. If a request is denied, the county must cite a specific exemption. Appeals go first to the Prosecuting Attorney and then to superior court if needed.
The MRSC law enforcement records guide explains how police records work under Washington law. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs also has resources for requesters dealing with police records across the state. Court records from Spokane County cases can be searched at the Washington Courts name and case search tool.
Nearby Counties
Spokane County borders several counties in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Find police records resources for neighboring counties below.