Tacoma Felony Records Lookup
Tacoma felony records are filed and maintained at the Pierce County Superior Court in downtown Tacoma. As Washington's second-largest county by population, Pierce County handles a high volume of criminal cases, and the county has invested in online tools to make those records more accessible. Tacoma is the county seat and the location of both the Superior Court and the Pierce County Clerk's office. If you need to find a felony case from Tacoma, you can search online using the Pierce County LINX system or visit the courthouse in person. The Tacoma Municipal Court handles city-level criminal matters separately from Superior Court felony cases.
Tacoma Overview
Tacoma Felony Court: Pierce County Superior Court
All felony cases in Tacoma are handled by the Pierce County Superior Court. The court is located in the County-City Building at 930 Tacoma Avenue South, which is also where the Pierce County Clerk's office is based. The Clerk handles all case filings and record requests for Superior Court. You can reach the Clerk's office at piercecountywa.gov/170/Clerk.
Separate from Superior Court, the Tacoma Municipal Court handles city ordinance violations and misdemeanor matters within Tacoma city limits. The Municipal Court is also located in the County-City Building at 930 Tacoma Avenue South. For city-level criminal matters, visit the Tacoma Municipal Court page. The court offers virtual hearings in some cases.
| Office | Pierce County Superior Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 930 Tacoma Avenue South Tacoma, WA 98402 |
| Website | piercecountywa.gov/170/Clerk |
| Municipal Court | tacoma.gov Municipal Court |
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office at piercecountywa.gov/447 handles law enforcement for unincorporated areas of Pierce County and also maintains jail records. If you need booking records or arrest information rather than court case files, the Sheriff is the right contact.
Tacoma Felony Records Online: LINX System
Pierce County offers one of the more robust public case search tools in Washington. The LINX system at linxonline.co.pierce.wa.us provides access to Pierce County Superior Court case records going back to 2002. You can search by name or case number. Results show party information, charges, case status, and hearing dates. LINX is free to use and does not require registration.
In addition to LINX, Pierce County maintains an online records page at piercecountywa.gov/5554/Records-Available-Online that lists all the types of records you can access online, including criminal case records, court records, and more. The county has made significant efforts to put records online, so there's a good chance you can find what you need without a trip to the courthouse.
The statewide Washington Courts docket search at dockets.courts.wa.gov also covers Pierce County and allows cross-county searches. For a statewide conviction history check, the WSP WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov runs a name-based search for $11 and returns results from courts across Washington.
The image below shows the Tacoma Municipal Court portal, which handles city-level criminal cases separately from Pierce County Superior Court felony records.
The Tacoma Municipal Court handles misdemeanor and city ordinance criminal cases, not felonies, which go to Pierce County Superior Court.
Make sure you're using the right court when searching. Felony cases are at Pierce County Superior Court; city criminal matters are at Tacoma Municipal Court.
Tacoma Public Records Office
The City of Tacoma maintains a Public Records Office for city department records. This is the right place to request records held by the Tacoma Police Department, city administration, and other city agencies. The Public Records Office is separate from the court system. Court case files must still be requested from the Pierce County Clerk or through LINX.
The Tacoma Public Records Office can be found at tacoma.gov/government/departments/public-records-office. This office handles requests under Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56. Police department records, including incident reports and arrest records that are not part of an active investigation, are generally public.
The screenshot below is from the Tacoma Public Records Office page, which is the starting point for records requests involving city agencies.
Submit public records requests for Tacoma city departments through the Tacoma Public Records Office page.
Pierce County Public Records requests for Sheriff records can be submitted at piercecountywa.gov/5243/Public-Records-Request. The first ten pages are free; additional pages cost $0.50 each.
Statewide Resources for Tacoma Felony Records
Beyond the Pierce County systems, several statewide tools are useful for Tacoma felony record research. The WSP WATCH system provides conviction records from all Washington courts, including Pierce County. The $11 search fee covers a name-based lookup that returns felony and misdemeanor convictions.
The DOC Offender Search locates individuals currently in Washington state prisons. If someone with a Tacoma felony conviction is currently incarcerated, they will appear there. The DOC Warrant Search lists outstanding warrants issued by the Department of Corrections. The VINE notification service at vinelink.com is available to victims and interested parties who want to receive alerts about custody status changes for specific individuals.
The Washington State Digital Archives holds historical court records from Pierce County and may be useful for older cases. Under RCW 10.97, conviction records are public. Nonconviction data like dismissed charges is generally not available to the public. Individuals with eligible convictions can petition to vacate them under RCW 9.94A.640 by filing in Pierce County Superior Court.
Below is a screenshot of the WSP WATCH system, which is one of the most commonly used tools for confirming Washington conviction history, including records from Tacoma and Pierce County.
The WSP WATCH online portal provides statewide conviction records for $11 per name-based search.
WATCH results are considered official criminal history records for most purposes within Washington State and cover cases from courts across the state, including all Pierce County Superior Court convictions.
Pierce County Felony Records
Tacoma is in Pierce County, and all felony cases filed in the city go through the Pierce County Superior Court. For a full breakdown of court contacts, online tools, Sheriff records, and more for Pierce County, visit the county felony records page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Tacoma. Felony cases for each are filed through their respective county court systems.