Yakima County Police Records
Yakima County police records, including incident reports, arrest logs, and booking information, are held by the Yakima County Sheriff's Office and the county's Public Records Office in Yakima, Washington. Yakima County is a large agricultural county in central Washington, and the Sheriff's Office patrols unincorporated areas while the city of Yakima operates its own police department. Both the Sheriff's Office and the county Public Records Office use an online portal for submissions under Washington's Public Records Act.
Yakima County Police Records Overview
Yakima County Sheriff's Office Police Records
The Yakima County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Yakima County and operates the county jail. The Sheriff's Office maintains incident reports, arrest records, and booking information for all law enforcement activity under its jurisdiction. Public records requests for Sheriff's Office records are submitted through the online Public Records Portal, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Yakima County Sheriff's Office Public Records Manager is Chief CarriAnn Ross. The public records team can be reached at (509) 574-2625, and the office is at 1822 S 1st St, Yakima, WA 98903. Public hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed weekends and holidays. A printable request form is also available for those who cannot use the online system. Requests can be emailed to tracy.hyatt@co.yakima.wa.us if you prefer to submit by email rather than through the portal.
The Yakima County Public Records Officer for general county records is Patricia Andersen, located at 128 N 2nd Street, Room 211, Yakima, WA 98901. Phone: (509) 574-1200. Fax: (509) 574-1201. Email: recordsrequest@co.yakima.wa.us. The county Public Records Office handles requests across all departments. For Sheriff's Office records specifically, the Sheriff's public records team at 1822 S 1st St is the right contact. Both offices use the same online Public Records Request Portal.
How to Request Yakima County Police Records
The best way to request Yakima County police records is through the online Public Records Portal. The system is secure and available at any time. When making your request, be as specific as possible. Include the date range, the names of any people involved, the type of record you need (incident report, booking record, arrest log), and any case or incident number you already have. Specific requests are processed faster than broad or vague submissions.
The county will respond to your request within five business days. That response may be the records themselves, a timeline estimate if the request is complex, a request to clarify what you are looking for, or a notice of denial with the applicable exemption cited. For traffic collision reports specifically, the Sheriff's website notes that completed police traffic collision reports for insurance purposes can be obtained through LexisNexis Police Reports, which may be faster than a public records request for that specific type of record.
If you cannot use the online portal, call (509) 574-2625 during business hours for assistance. The Sheriff's public records team can walk you through the process and help you submit by other means if needed. A printable form is available on the county website for mail-in submissions.
Yakima County Sheriff's Public Records Section
The Yakima County Sheriff's Office has a dedicated public records section that handles all records requests for law enforcement files. The Sheriff's Office public records page at yakimacounty.us/2279/Sheriffs-Public-Records is the direct starting point for submitting requests for Sheriff's records. This page links directly to the Public Records Portal and provides the contact information for the records team.
Records from the Yakima County Jail are also processed through the Sheriff's Office. If you need booking records for someone who was held at the county jail, submit your request to the Sheriff's public records team. The jail roster may provide basic current inmate information. For historical booking data or more detailed records, a formal request is required.
City of Yakima Police Records
The city of Yakima has its own police department and maintains records separate from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. If an incident happened within Yakima city limits, the Yakima Police Department holds those records. Contact the Yakima Police Department directly for city incidents. The Sheriff's Office handles unincorporated county areas only and will not have records from city police calls.
If you are applying for a Concealed Pistol License and you live within the city limits of Yakima, the Sheriff's website notes you should apply through the Yakima Police Department's website rather than through the Sheriff's Office. This is a good example of how city and county records and services are separated in Yakima County.
The city of Yakima has its own page in this directory with additional information about police records access within city limits.
Types of Police Records and Exemptions
The Yakima County Sheriff's Office holds incident reports, arrest records, and booking information for all law enforcement activity in unincorporated county areas. Incident reports detail the nature of a call, the deputy's response, and any follow-up actions. Arrest records document who was taken into custody and the charges at booking. Booking records include entry and release dates for the county jail.
Some records are not available. Active investigations may be withheld to avoid jeopardizing a case. Victim and witness information is often redacted. Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act, RCW 10.97, limits how criminal history and nonconviction data is shared. Conviction records are generally public. Arrests that did not result in charges face tighter disclosure rules. The Sheriff's records team follows all state exemptions and will redact protected portions rather than withholding complete documents when only part of a record is exempt.
Statewide Criminal History in Yakima County
For a statewide criminal history check rather than just Yakima County records, the Washington State Patrol WATCH system is the right tool. WATCH covers convictions across the state, recent arrests with pending dispositions, and sex offender data. The fee is $11 online. Access it at the WSP WATCH portal. Results come back quickly and the system is available around the clock.
Mail-in and fingerprint-based options are available through the WSP Criminal History Records page. Name-based checks by mail cost $32. Fingerprint checks cost $58 and are more reliable. WATCH covers Washington only. For records from other states, contact those agencies directly or use a federal system. The MRSC law enforcement records guide explains how to use WATCH and other systems to build a complete background search.
Collision Reports and Court Records
Traffic collision reports in Yakima County go through the Washington State Patrol. Order them at the WSP collision records page. The fee is $10.50 per report under RCW 46.52.085. If a Sheriff's deputy also responded and wrote a separate incident report, that is held by the Sheriff's Office and must be requested separately. They are different documents.
Court records from Yakima County criminal and civil cases are maintained by the Superior Court and District Court clerks, not the Sheriff's Office. Use the Washington Courts name and case search tool to search for cases by name or case number. For files not in the online system, contact the Yakima County court clerk directly. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs offers additional guidance for people requesting police records across Washington State.
Nearby Counties
Yakima County is in central Washington and borders several other counties in the region. Find police records resources for neighboring counties below.