Columbia County, Washington Public Records

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Columbia County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Columbia County. Ask that agency for its record. Under RCW 70.48.100 the jail register (name, date, time and cause of confinement, and release) is open to the public, but other records of a person confined in jail are confidential and go only to criminal justice agencies and the others the law lists. Law enforcement may use booking photographs to investigate crimes, and photographs of people convicted of a sex offense may be released under the sex offender notification laws.

The Washington criminal history record comes from the Washington State Patrol, Identification and Background Check Section. Run a name and date of birth search online through WATCH (Washington Access to Criminal History), or send the Request for Conviction Criminal History form or a fingerprint card to PO Box 42633, Olympia WA 98504-2633. Fee: $11.00 for a WATCH name search online; $32.00 for the Request for Conviction Criminal History form; $58.00 for a fingerprint card.

Search the Washington Sex Offender Public Registry (Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Register with the county auditor (the county elections office; King County Elections in King County) or through the Washington Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Online and mail registrations must be received 8 days before Election Day; you can register in person at a county elections office until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Columbia County are kept by the Columbia County auditor. Property values are set by the county assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.

Certified birth and death certificates for Washington come from the Washington State Department of Health Vital Records. Local health departments in Washington also issue certificates; check with your local health department for the certificates it offers and whether it serves people in person. By mail with check or money order to PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507, online or by phone through VitalChek, or in person by appointment at the Tumwater office. Fee: $25 for each certified or informational birth certificate.

Business entity filings are searched with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division. More than 200 cities and towns, and some counties for their unincorporated areas, issue their business license endorsements through the state Business Licensing Service at the Department of Revenue; a city or county not on its lists must be contacted directly.