Clark County Arrest Records

Clark County arrest records are official documents generated by law enforcement agencies that provide information about an arrest, the arrested person, and the alleged crime. Under Washington's Revised Code (Chapter 10.31 (RCW), Clark County law enforcement officers have the power to arrest persons suspected of committing a crime. Generally, there are three broad categories of offenses in the County and State: misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies.

Following an arrest incident, officers will take the suspect to the nearest police precinct or jail for booking. During this process, a police department collects and records information about a suspect in a system, such as their personal information and description, photograph, fingerprints, possessions, DNA, and details of the alleged crime.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for generating arrest records. Non-exempted arrest records are public documents accessible via Clark County Court Records. Arrest records are distinct but related to other public records, such as court and criminal records, forming a complete view of an individual’s interactions with the law enforcement system.

Are Arrest Records Public in Clark County?

Yes. Washington's Public Records Act (PRA) safeguards the rights of residents, taxpayers, and other constituents to access different types of records collected and maintained while carrying out the "public's business".

However, the PRA restricts certain arrest records from public disclosure to ensure an equitable and fair justice/judiciary system, preservation of individuals' privacy rights, and protection of the lives and safety of specific persons.

Clark County arrest records exempted from disclosure to the public include:

• Driver's license and social security numbers
• Essential intelligence information for effective law enforcement or privacy protection
• Law enforcement records essential for criminal justice or privacy
• Active law enforcement investigation
• Biometric identifiers such as fingerprints, facial recognition, and DNA.
• Financial information such as credit and debit card numbers
• Crime victim or witness identity
• Records relating to juvenile offenses
• Names, addresses, and photographs of child victims and witnesses
• Rights of child victims and witnesses
• Vulnerable Adult Investigative Records
• Dash and body-worn camera recordings

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Clark County, the arrest and booking details of a person in detention are classified under RCW 70.48.100, aside from information in the Jail Roster.

Consequently, Clark County arrest records available to the public under the Public Records Act include:

1. Suspect's name
2. Booking date and location
3. Charges against suspect
4. Description of charges against a suspect
5. Class of offense
6. Arresting agency
7. Citation/warrant
8. Court date and location
9. Bail type and amount
10. Release date

Clark County Crime Rate

According to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the Clark County Sheriff’s Office reported 329 violent crime incidents in 2022. This figure represents an increase of 0.92% compared to the 2021 figures (329 incidents).

A breakdown of the violent crime incidents in 2022 showed that aggravated assault constituted almost half (48.92%) of all reported violent offenses. Other significant violent crime types were rape (92 incidents), robbery (72 incidents), and homicide (4 incidents), constituting 27.78%, 21.88%, and 1.22%, respectively.

The NIBRS statistics further indicated that the property crime rate in Clark County increased by 20.49% between 2021 (3,617 incidents) and 2022 (4,357 incidents). Further analysis showed that larceny theft (2,682 incidents) was the most prevalent property crime. Others include motor vehicle theft (978 incidents), burglary (497 incidents), and arson (20 incidents), with 22.43%, 11.40%, and 0.46%, respectively.

Clark County Arrest Statistics

According to the Revised Constitution of Washington, RCW 70.48.100, Clark County arrest statistics requesters can only access the Jail Roster for such information. The statute makes all other arrest records confidential.

The Clark County Jail Records Unit is responsible for processing court orders, calculating sentences, and processing releases for county inmates. According to an Annual Report from the Sheriff’s Office, the Jail Records Unit recorded 5,061 inmate bookings in 2021. Additionally, the Unit processed 4,951 jail releases and 31,550 court slips during the same period.

Find Clark County Arrest Records

Since most arrests and bookings occur locally, requesters may wish to contact police departments and precincts with jurisdiction within Clark County, including the County Sheriff's Office. However, requesters should note that the quantity of arrest data they can access under the state's Public Records Act is restricted.

Clark County arrest records available in the public domain through the County Sheriff's Inmate Lookup tool include:

1. Suspect's name
2. Booking date and location
3. Charges against suspect
4. Description of charges against a suspect
5. Class of offense
6. Arresting agency
7. Citation/warrant
8. Court date and location
9. Bail type and amount
10. Release date

Requesters may also choose to inspect this roster in person at the jailhouse located at:

707 West 13th Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
Email: cntyjailservicesadmin@clark.wa.gov

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 5000
Vancouver, WA 98666

At the state level, requestors searching for arrest records should browse the Department of Corrections Inmate Search. They can find arrest and booking details on individuals convicted by the state courts. The State Inmate Lookup permits the public to access selected information on incarcerated persons, including the inmate's name, DOC number, and correctional facility.

For additional information about current and former inmates, inquirers should contact the Department of Correction. Additional inmate details they provide include:

• Name
• Age
• Birthdate
• County jail credit time
• Release date
• Supervision conditions
• Date of conditional discharge from supervision
• Date of execution
• DOC number
• Fines imposed (legal financial obligation)
• Good time
• Mandatory release date
• Parole date
• Race

Requestors may search for arrests made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) using the Federal Inmate Locator or Online Detainee Locator System, respectively.

Free Arrest Record Search in Clark County

The Public Records Act empowers interested members of the public access to free Clark County arrest records through the inspection of the jail roster. Interested members of the public can view the jail roster for free online or by visiting the county detention center for an in-person inspection.

In addition to the jail roster, inquirers can find more arrest information on suspects declared wanted through the Warrant Search tool on the Department of Correction (DOC) site. This data includes the offender's complete name and birthdate, DOC Number, crime type, and physical description (height, weight, eye and hair color, and race).

These records are available for free from the respective law enforcement agencies. However, please note that under state laws, there are charges for producing copies (15 cents per page) or paper copies scanned to electronic format (10 cents per page).

Get Clark County Criminal Records

Criminal records are comprehensive official documents comprising fingerprint-based and details of dispositions submitted by criminal justice agencies and courts.

In Washington State, the Washington Access To Criminal History (WATCH)—available on the Washington State Patrol's portal—is the official online source for criminal history conviction records. Interested persons can run a criminal background check and retrieve the result immediately via WATCH.

Requesters may also request conviction Criminal History Record Information by mail or in-person visitation. This step involves submitting a completed Request for Conviction Criminal History Form and the relevant fees to the WSP's Identification and Background Check Section.

Individuals who wish to inspect their criminal history records may do so at the Washington State Patrol Office in Olympia. The WSP may require such requesters to submit fingerprints for identification and impose a payment for fingerprinting.

Clark County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Like most of the State, Clark County requesters often misconstrue the terms "arrest records" and "criminal records". However, there is a clear distinction between the two types of records. Below are a few characteristics that differentiate the concepts:

Arrest Records

• An arrest record details the history of a person's arrest. The record shows that law enforcement officers detained the individual in question.
• An arrest record does not disclose whether the individual was guilty of the alleged criminal offense.
• Arrest records are subsets of criminal history records accessible through criminal background checks or court case searches.

Criminal Records

• A criminal record includes information on the conclusion of an arrest, whether it culminated in a conviction, acquittal, or dismissal.
• Criminal records are extensive compared to arrest records. They consist of fingerprint-based data and details of disposition provided by law enforcement bodies and courts in Clark County.

In summary, while arrest records focus solely on the arrest process, criminal records offer a more holistic view of a person's encounters with the legal system.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Washington State has no fixed timeframe for sealing or expunging arrest records. Therefore, if a person does not seal or expunge their arrest records, they can stay on record for a lifetime. For example, a driving under-influence (DUI) offense stays on record for 99 years, while felonies and child molestation offenses have no time limit.

Expunge Clark County Arrest Records

In Clark County, persons seeking to seal or expunge arrest must understand that Washington State law stipulates requirements for various offenses.

For adult criminal cases, the court may seal or redact a court record after a conviction has been vacated or in a situation with a convincing privacy or security concern that outweighs the need to make the documents accessible to the public (General Rule 15). Nevertheless, the current legislation does not allow for the destruction of court records related to a criminal action against an adult that results in a judgment or adverse outcomes.

Under RCW 10.97.060, the courts may order the deletion of an individual's criminal history record on file with a law enforcement agency. However, the file must consist of only non-conviction records and must have been on record for at least two years since a favorable disposition was granted to the defendant.

Requesters seeking information on sealing and expungement of criminal history records should visit the Washington State Patrol website to access their Expungement Checklist. In addition, the Washington State Courts site provides a detailed guide on how to file for expungement and vacation a conviction in the state.

Clark County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant in Clark County and, by extension, Washington State is a legal document issued by a judge or magistrate. It gives law enforcement agents the legal backing to arrest an individual who has allegedly committed a crime.

The Sheriff's Criminal Records Unit offers police deputies round-the-clock assistance and streamlines criminal justice processes with courts and other law enforcement agencies. The unit is also responsible for entering information about wanted individuals into state and national criminal databases.

Washington State law authorizes the secretary of the Department of Corrections to issue a warrant for the capture of specific individuals within the department's domain.

Clark County arrest warrants typically comprise custody information (name, DOC number, supervision county, and crime type) and offenders' characteristics (age, birthdate, height, weight, etc).

Clark County Arrest Warrant Search

The Clark County Sheriff's Office maintains an active list of all Sex Offenders who have either neglected to register with the Office or have arrest warrants. Interested parties may obtain this information by visiting the Office's sex offender registration page. Furthermore, individuals searching for active warrants may contact the Warrants Division at (564) 397-2397 or email mostwanted@clark.wa.gov.

Alternatively, interested parties can access active Clark County warrants through the State DOC website. The DOC publishes information on people with pending secretary's warrants.

Visitors can browse the active warrants list using the search tool by first and last name, DOC number, crime, or county. When they click on any result, the search reveals more details on the warrant's subject.

Do Clark County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, they do not expire. If they did, that would encourage offenders to evade arrest or prosecution. An arrest warrant will be active until the subject named in the warrant dies or the judge quashes the warrant.