Yakima County, Washington Arrest Records
Yakima County arrest records are official legal documents that show when a person is taken into custody by law enforcement and booked into a detention facility. These records are created at the time of arrest by the arresting officer and booking staff. Their main purpose is administrative and public facing. They help law enforcement agencies track custody actions internally while also providing transparency about how and when an arrest is made.
Under Washington law, arrest records are generally treated as public records under the Washington Public Records Act (PRA) codified in RCW chapter 42.56. The law presumes that government held records are open to the public unless a specific exemption applies.
Arrest records in Yakima County may be maintained at both the county and city level, depending on where the arrest occurred. The primary agencies include the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees county jail operations and booking records, and major municipal departments such as the Yakima Police Department, which manages arrests within the city of Yakima. Another key agency is the Sunnyside Police Department,which operates its own city jail and maintains separate arrest and booking records from the county system.
Are Arrest Records Public Information in Yakima, Washington?
Yes, arrest records are accessible to the public under the Washington Public Records Act (PRA) codified in RCW chapter 42.56.
Under RCW 42.56.070, government agencies are required to make public records available for inspection and copying during normal business hours. There is no residency requirement, meaning anyone can request access. Agencies must also respond to received requests within 5 business days, as provided by RCW 42.56.520, either by providing the records, acknowledging the request or issuing a denial with a legal statement.
However, access is limited. A restriction applies to jail records under RCW 70.48.100. While basic custody details like jail rosters may be public, more detailed records such as booking photographs are typically confidential and only released with authorisation or a court order.
Additional information may also be withheld to protect investigations, privacy, or sensitive data, including non conviction records under RCW 10.97.060 which governs criminal history information in Washington.
What Do Public County Arrest Records Contain?
Under Washington law, the publicly available portion of an arrest record generally include basic booking and custody details that confirm an arrest occurred.
Typical informations found in arrest records include:
- Full name of the arrested individual
- Time and date of booking or arrest
- Arresting agency
- Charges filed at the time of booking
- Current custody status
- Location of the arrest
- Booking or inmate identification number
- Warrant details, if applicable.
However, not all information is publicly accessible. Certain records may be withheld or redacted to protect privacy, safety or ongoing investigations such as booking photographs are typically confidential and only released with the individual’s consent or a court order
Information that may be restricted includes:
- Records related to active investigations
- Details that could endanger victims, witnesses, or officers
- Sealed court records
- Juvenile records
- Personal and sensitive data, such as Social Security numbers or medical information
Yakima County, Washington Arrest Search
In Washington, the right search method varies by case stage with state and federal resources. Outside the county, there are two state-level resources available.
If an arrest resulted in formal charges, the Washington Courts Case System is typically the first place to check. The Washington state administrative office of the court maintains a public case search portal that provides public access to records from superior, district and municipal courts across states. Users can search by name or case number to view charges, court dates, case status, and outcomes. However, it does not include arrests that led to prosecution.
For criminal history information, the Washington State Patrol operates the Washington Access To Criminal History (WATCH) system. This is the state’s official online source for conviction records. It requires registration and anyone can run a name based search at a fee of $11 and a finger print search at a fee of $58. Results are immediate and it includes conviction records plus arrests less than a year old with pending dispositions.
For federal records, the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) isn’t directly accessible to the public. But because Washington state patrol forwards fingerprint data and dispositions to the FBI, federal background checks will reflect Washington state arrests.
Yakima County Inmate Locator
The Yakima County Department of Corrections operates the county inmate lookup tool. It is free and open to the public. Users can search by name, booking number or release dates. Search results typically include booking date, charges, bond information and current housing location.
The county runs two main facilities. The Yakima County Detention Center is the primary jail, holding up to 1,000 inmates. It is operated under the authority of the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. The Yakima Valley Justice Center handles minimum security detainees. Both facilities operate under the Yakima County Department of Corrections.
For direct inquiries or records requests that cannot be resolved through the online tool, contact the Yakima County Department of Correction.
Yakima County Department of Corrections
111 N. Front Street
Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 574-1700
To access the official inmate lookup tool, visit the Yakima County Inmate Lookup page. It is updated regularly and includes individuals released within the past 24 hours. This roster documents custody status and charges at the time of the booking. It doesn’t include the final resolution of any criminal case.
Individuals in need of detailed arrest reports or booking records, may need to submit a formal written request to the Yakima County Department of Corrections. For inquiries, the public records officer may be reached at
128 North 2nd Street, Room 211
Yakima, WA 98901
Phone: (509) 574-1200
Email: recordsrequest@co.yakima.wa.us
Active Warrant Search in Yakima County
An arrest warrant is a court order authorizing law enforcement to take someone into custody. A judge issues it after finding probable cause that a crime was committed and the individual needs to be apprehended. In Washington, warrants are issued under Criminal Rule 2.2.
A standard arrest warrant contains:
- The full legal name of the individual
- The description of the alleged offense
- The issuing court and judge’s name
- The date of issuance
- Instructions to law enforcement regarding custody.
Bench warrants are issued when someone skips a court date. Most warrants stay active until they are served, recalled by the court or the suspect shows up willingly.
The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t maintain a publicly searchable live warrant database online. For the DOC-Related warrants tied to supervision violations, the Washington State Department of Corrections Warrant Search provides a free public online tool. Additionally, warrant related case information may be accessible through the Washington Courts Name and Case Search System.
The public may inquire about active warrants through the following:
- Yakima County Sheriff’s Office:
1822 S. 1st Street, Yakima, WA 98901.
(509) 574-2500
Mon- Fri 8:00AM - 5:00PM
- Yakima County Superior Court Clerk:
128 N. 2nd Street, Room 117, Yakima, WA 98901.
(509) 574-1430
- Yakima County District Court:
128 N. 2nd Street, Room 225, Yakima, WA 98901.
(509) 574-1804
- Yakima County Police Department (city warrant)
(509) 574-2500
Individuals are advised to bring government issued ID cards and any relevant case information when making in person warrant inquiries.
How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Yakima County
There are free options available for accessing arrest records in Yakima County, though information is limited. The county’s inmate lookup tool is the most direct free tool available. It is maintained by the Department of Corrections which allows users to search by name or booking number without registration or payment. At the state level, the Washington Courts case search portal provides free access to criminal cases tied to arrests that led to charges.
Members of the public may also visit the Sheriff’s Office or local police departments to inspect arrest logs or submit records requests. However, these tools mainly reflect current detainees or recent activity and often exclude older records. Searches typically require accurate identifying details, such as a full name, to return useful results.
While online tools do not require identification, ID may be required for in-person requests or certified copies. Free resources do not include sealed, expunged or juvenile records and are limited to local and state data only.
Yakima County Arrest Report
An arrest record and an arrest report get used interchangeably, but they are very distinct from each other.
An arrest record is a basic, administrative legal entry created when a person is booked into custody. It appears in jail systems, court databases, and criminal history tools, and is used to confirm that an arrest occurred. It usually includes key details like the person’s name, booking date, charges, and custody status. For most people, this is the first place they look when checking if someone has been arrested.
An arrest report, on the other hand, is much more detailed. It’s written by the arresting officer and explains what actually happened during the incident. This includes the officer’s observations, the events leading up to the arrest, any statements made, and the motive behind the arrest.
In Yakima County, these reports are kept by the agency that made the arrest and are typically requested through a formal public records request. However, access may be limited as some parts may be withheld or redacted to protect ongoing investigations, witness identities, or other sensitive information.
How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Yakima County
In Yakima County, Washington does not use traditional “expungement” the way many states do. Instead, two primary forms of reliefs are available namely:
- Vacation of conviction through the court (RCW 9.96.060)
- Deletion of non-conviction records through the Washington State Patrol (RCW 9.94A.640)
For misdemeanors, eligible individuals may petition the court to vacate a conviction. If granted, the case is smeared and the individual is permitted to state that they have not been convicted of that offense. Eligibility generally requires completion of all sentencing conditions, a clean record for a specified period, and no active protection orders. Certain offenses, including DUI, violent crimes and sex offenses, are not eligible.
For felony convictions, the process is more restrictive. A Certificate of Discharge must first be obtained, and only qualifying lower-level felonies may be vacated after meeting statutory waiting periods and eligibility requirements.
For arrests that did not result in conviction, individuals may request deletion of the record from the state system after the required waiting period.
How Do You Remove Yakima County Arrest Records From the Internet?
Clearing a record under Washington law, whether through vacating a conviction or deleting non- conviction data, removes it from official state databases. However, this does not automatically require privately operated websites to remove information they have already published. Government agencies and third party platforms are governed by different legal standards and courts or agencies orders do not bind private sites.
To request removal, individuals are generally required to submit proof of identity along with documentation confirming that the record has been vacated or deleted. In most cases, a specific URL where the information appears must be provided. Each platform reviews requests independently, so response time and outcome vary.