Skagit County Court
Skagit County Arrest Records

Skagit County, Washington Arrest Records

When an individual is arrested for a crime in Skagit County, information about the incident and the person’s identity is recorded in arrest records maintained by the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office. Skagit arrest records are also produced by officers of city police departments like the Mount Vernon Police Department and the Anacortes Police Department (the two biggest police departments in Skagit County).

Arrest records in Skagit County are viewed as public records according to the Washington Public Records Act (PRA) Chapter 42.56 RCW, which governs arrest records in the county. However, the release of criminal offender record information is also controlled by the Washington Criminal Records Privacy Act, Chapter 10.97 RCW.

Both PRA and RCW are statutes of the state of Washington that provide completeness, accuracy, security, and confidentiality of criminal history record information, particularly for records of arrests that did not lead to a conviction.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Skagit, Washington?

Skagit County arrest records are made accessible to the public for inspection by authority of the Washington Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW. The statute mandates that unless the record has been exempted by law, public agencies must make arrest records in Skagit County available for public inspection and copying during normal business hours.

Concurrently, the Washington State Patrol regulates the maintenance of the central repository of criminal history records for the state of Washington, including arrest records from Skagit County. According to the Washington Criminal Records Privacy Act, Chapter 10.97 RCW, conviction records must be freely disseminated to the public. However, non-conviction records that did not result in a conviction are disclosed.

To view arrest records in Skagit County, individuals must submit a public records request at the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, provide a valid identification, and pay applicable fees. Police report requests or criminal history records are free for the first 6 pages and $0.15 for additional pages.

What Do Public Skagit County Arrest Records Contain?

The public-facing elements of Skagit County arrest records are simply the standard information that document an individual’s interaction with law enforcement during an arrest. Skagit County arrest records contain the following types of arrest data:

Full legal name
Mugshot
Date of birth, gender, race and physical description
Date, time, and location of arrest
Booking number and facility
Arresting agency (for example, Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Vernon Police, Anacortes Police)
Criminal charges filed and description
Bond type and bail amount
Current detention status

Some information in arrest records may be redacted or withheld under exceptions in Washington law, as set forth in RCW 42.56.240. The statute authorizes agencies to withhold these exempt records, especially where their disclosure would disrupt an ongoing investigation or put a witness at risk. Below are the arrest records that are redacted and withheld:

Non-conviction records are undisclosed under RCW 10.97.050
Juvenile records are exempt under RCW 13.50.050
Identity of the victim and witness
Body-worn camera recordings are not to be disclosed for the protection of the right to privacy
Pre-service search warrants
Medical and mental health information
Records sealed by court order

Skagit County, Washington Arrest Search

State and federal resources are made available for individuals searching for arrest information in Skagit County. Aside from county-level resources, the Washington Access to Criminal History (WATCH) System serves as a statewide database for criminal history information. It is maintained by the Washington State Patrol under RCW 43.43.700. Individuals can use WATCH online to quickly access recent arrests or conviction records for $11 per search (via credit or debit card).

Additionally, persons can register on the Washington’s statewide Victim Notification Network (VINE) to get notified of custody status changes.

The federal resource available in Washington is the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator that provides information on currently incarcerated inmates in federal facilities in the state and country as a whole. The Washington State Department of Corrections Warrant Search is another federal platform that individuals can use to locate inmates currently held and supervised by the Department of Corrections (DOC). Inmates can be looked up by their first name, last name, and DOC number.

Skagit County Inmate Locator

The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office provides a jail roster and booking report for citizens to access Skagit County arrest records online via their website. The Skagit County Jail Roster and Booking Report contains the arrest data of inmates held at the Skagit County Community Justice Center.

The website does not provide a search bar to look up inmates by their credentials; instead, it displays a full report of bookings within the last 26 hours. The report is generated every day by 7am, and it lists names and basic case information of persons booked into the Skagit County Jail. Access to the roster is completely free; no registration or fee is required.

Below is the Sheriff’s Office address and directory:

Skagit County Sheriff’s Office

600 S. 3rd Street,

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Phone: (360) 416-1911

Skagit County Community Justice Center

201 Suzanne Lane,

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Phone: (360) 416-1960

The reception area of the Sheriff’s Office is open weekdays, Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, not including holidays.

Active Warrant Search in Skagit County

An arrest warrant is a legal document issued by a judge when probable cause exists that a person has committed a crime. The warrant authorizes law enforcement to take the proposed offender into custody. Washington laws align with the purpose of an arrest warrant, particularly where Washington Criminal Rule 2.2 and RCW 10.88.320 state that arrest warrants are issued when there is probable cause.

Arrest warrants in Skagit County are usually issued by Skagit County Superior Court or District Court judges, and Skagit County Sheriff’s Office is mainly responsible for executing them. Also, arrest warrants contain the following information:

Defendant’s name, date of birth, and physical description
Name of the issuing court (In this case, Skagit County Superior Court or District Court)
Criminal charges (statutory citation included)
Date of issuance and issuing officer’s signature
Case number for easy tracking

Warrant information is generally public in Skagit County, Washington. This is made possible because of the provision of Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) that guarantees free access to warrants. However, its public accessibility depends on the type of warrant, case status, and certain exemptions. Pending arrest warrants are exempted from disclosure under RCW 42.56.240(1). Also, search warrants remain sealed until they are executed.

The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) provides an online warrant-search tool to find persons under the supervision of the DOC in Washington. The following are the criteria to lookup active warrants:

First Name
Last Name
DOC Number
Crime Category
County

Although it is not an official warrant search page, the Washington Courts Case Search can be used to check warrant status in case records. Another resource that could be used to confirm an active warrant is the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office Most Wanted List. It displays information on persons with outstanding warrants.

Searchers can obtain warrant information offline by contacting the Skagit County Sheriff’s Records Division at (360) 416-1911 or submit a formal public records request. Individuals can also visit or call the Skagit District Court (at (360) 416-1250) to check for misdemeanor warrants. For Superior Court warrants, defendants or searchers can call the Court Clerk at (360) 416-1700, or visit the Skagit County Office of Assigned Counsel.

Agency/Resource	Purpose	Search Methods	Notes
Skagit County Sheriff’s Office	Serves warrants and maintains the most-wanted list	Phone, in-person, and online most-wanted list.	Obtain warrant information from the Records Division at the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office or the Office of Assigned Counsel
Skagit County Clerk of Court	Issues court order and bench warrants	Phone, in-person,	Visit: 205 W. Kincaid Street, Room 103, Mount Vernon Phone: (360) 416-1800
Washington Courts Case Search	Statewide case search tool. It could be used to confirm warrant status	Go to the person search page and search by full name	Visit: dw.courts.wa.gov
Washington State Department of Corrections	Manages a warrant search page for individuals under the supervision of the DOC	Search by first and last name, DOC number, crime, and county.	Visit: doc.wa.gov

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Skagit County

There are several options for members of the public to access Skagit County arrest records without paying a fee. It can be done in person and online:

1. In-person Inspection

Skagit County Sheriff’s Office: Individuals can request to inspect arrest records for free at the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office during business hours. A valid form of identification is required, and note that only copying fees apply.

Skagit County Sheriff’s Office

600 S. 3rd Street,

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Phone: (360) 416-1911

Skagit County Courthouse: The Courthouse provides public access terminals that persons can use in the Court Clerk’s office (Skagit County Superior Court). At no charge, persons can search court cases and basic case information related to arrests.

Skagit County Courthouse

205 W. Kincaid Street,

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Phone: (360) 416-1200

2. Online Inspection

Skagit County Online Jail Roster: The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office hosts a jail roster on its website where users can view current inmates and recent bookings for free. Information available on the page is limited to only recent reports.

Certified copies of arrest records require a formal request and a fee.

Skagit County Arrest Report

An arrest record and an arrest report are distinct documents that are sometimes used incorrectly. An arrest record is a summarized entry maintained in custodial or case management systems. It displays the fact that a person was arrested and booked into custody. It contains data such as name, booking number and date, holding facility, and custody status. Arrest records are usually found in Sheriff jail rosters or court case searches.

An arrest report on the other hand, is a document that narrates the events leading to arrest and details of the alleged offense, the observation and action of the officer, witness statements, and evidence retrieved. In Skagit County, Searchers interested in an arrest report must send an official arrest report request to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office. Pursuant to RCW 42.56.240, some arrest reports are withheld and exempted from public inspection.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Skagit County

Unlike other states, Washington state does not offer the regular expungement of adult convictions. It provides alternatives such as vacating convictions, deleting non-conviction records, and sealing juvenile records; which perform the function of an expungement.

Under RCW 9.96.060 (Washington’s New Hope Act), eligible individuals can petition to vacate misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor convictions. Violent offenses, sex offenses, and DUI are excluded. To be eligible, one must have completed all sentence terms, have no pending charge, and wait 3-5 years after completing sentence.

RWC 9.94A.640 regulates the process for felony convictions. Most Class A and some violent crimes are ineligible for vacation. Under RCW 10.97.060 and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 446-16-025, individuals with non-conviction arrest records can request for deletion directly from the law enforcement agency that conducted the arrest. Sealing is available under RCW 13.50.260 for juvenile records. In Skagit County, vacating and sealing petitions are filed with the Skagit County Superior Court Clerk.

How Do You Remove Skagit County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Deletion, vacating, and sealing arrest records are effective ways to remove arrest records from the internet. Once a court grants the vacation of an arrest record under RCW 9.96.060 or RCW 9.94A.640, the Court Clerk sends the order to the Washington State Patrol that is required to update its records and then inform the FBI. Consequently, state and local law enforcement are expected to stop the disclosure of vacant arrest records on their online platforms.