Washington, Cowlitz County
Where Kelso's records are kept. Kelso has its own city government; county and state offices keep its other public records.
Start here
The cards below include Kelso's own offices, along with State of Washington offices; the Cowlitz County offices are on our Cowlitz County page. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Police & jail
Washington State Department of Corrections Mailing Address: Post Office Box 41100, Mail Stop 41100 Olympia, Washington 98504-1100 Physical Address: 7345 Linderson Way SW Tumwater, WA 98501-6504
Open official site Find An Offender StatewideState records
A division of the Office of the Secretary of State that preserves Washington's public records, offering online records, an archives catalog, Ask an Archivist help and five regional branches.
Open official site Washington State ArchivesCounty court
Hears bankruptcy cases from Washington west of the Cascades, between the Oregon line and Canada, at courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma; links cover PACER case lookup, proof of claim filing and document copies.
Open official site U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of WashingtonVital records
The Center for Health Statistics issues certified Washington birth, death, stillbirth, marriage and divorce certificates; online orders go through VitalChek, its only approved vendor, and office visits are by appointment.
Open official site Washington State Department of Health Vital RecordsPolice & jail
Department of Corrections search of people now incarcerated or wanted for arrest by the department, plus Washington's wanted list and a tips form; you must accept its terms before searching.
Open official site Washington Department of Corrections Incarcerated Data SearchPolice & jail
Posts active alerts and lists of missing children, Indigenous people and other missing persons, takes tips on a 24 hour toll free line and helps families once local police have a report.
Open official site Washington State Patrol Missing and Unidentified Persons UnitPolice & jail
Washington State Patrol list of wanted people with downloadable posters; do not contact anyone shown, since they may be armed, and call 911 or the agency listed with each person.
Open official site Washington State Patrol Most WantedPolice & jail
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs explains state registration rules and risk levels and links the public registry at wasor.org, which shows Level II and III offenders and some Level I.
Open official site WASPC Registered Sex Offender InformationPolice & jail
WSP sells conviction records: an instant WATCH search online for $11, or mail requests by name for $32 or by fingerprints for $58; public results show convictions and recent arrests still pending.
Open official site Washington State Patrol Criminal History RecordsFederal
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts table for the city of Kelso, Washington: 12,720 people in the 2020 Census, the latest population estimate, and figures on age, sex, housing, income and local businesses.
Open official site U.S. Census Bureau QuickFactsCity records
City of Kelso site with the online permit center, utility payment, city council meetings, records requests, GIS maps, the library, park reservations and police FAQs. City Hall: 203 S. Pacific Ave, 360-423-1371.
Open official site City of KelsoPolice & jail
The city police department at 201 S Pacific Avenue takes crime reports and public records requests, with citizen crime report and identity theft forms, found property, community policing and alarm information.
Open official site Kelso Police DepartmentEverything else, organized
13 more Kelso sources not listed above.
Local record guide
Local profile
Kelso, a place of 12,720 people, is the seat of Cowlitz County. Court and property records sit with Cowlitz County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of Washington. Kelso's own offices are in the cards above, and our Cowlitz County page lists each county office.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 3 named mine sites inside the city or town limits, 3 of them worked out or abandoned. The minerals the records name are construction sand and gravel; crushed stone.
A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Washington has no state abandoned mine land program page; the survey's coal mine maps are the record.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Voter registration in Washington is run by the Washington Secretary of State and local election officials. Its site lists the registration deadline, online voter registration, polling places and the local election office for Kelso.
Deeds for property in Kelso are recorded by the Cowlitz County Auditor, and the county office that assesses property keeps the tax values. Our Cowlitz County page lists the county offices.
Businesses that operate in Kelso register with the Washington Secretary of State, which runs the state business entity search. A local business license, where Kelso requires one, comes from the town or Cowlitz County.
Same county
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.