Find Arrest Records in Olympia
Olympia arrest records are public under Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, and are maintained by the Olympia Police Department, which serves Thurston County's state capital city. You can request police reports online, in person at OPD's front desk, or by submitting a formal public records request through the city's portal.
Olympia Overview
Olympia Police Department Records
The Olympia Police Department handles records requests for incidents that occurred inside Olympia city limits. The department's online services page includes options to report non-emergency crime, request police reports, submit public records requests, access body camera information, and view the daily crime bulletin. You can contact OPD by phone at their non-emergency number, 360-704-2740, or their business line, 360-753-8300. The department's email for general correspondence is olympiapolice@ci.olympia.wa.us.
The Olympia Police Department homepage describes the department's approach to accountability and transparency. The department has multiple layers of internal and independent oversight, and that commitment to openness carries over to records access. Staff are trained in crisis intervention, procedural justice, de-escalation, and fair policing.
Emergency calls go to 9-1-1. For non-emergencies in the city, call 360-704-2740. If you just need to reach the department for administrative business, including records questions, call 360-753-8300 or send an email to olympiapolice@ci.olympia.wa.us. OPD also publishes a daily crime bulletin with brief summaries of recent incidents, which you can access online without filing a formal request.
| Non-Emergency | 360-704-2740 |
|---|---|
| Business Line | 360-753-8300 |
| olympiapolice@ci.olympia.wa.us | |
| Emergency | 9-1-1 |
| Governing Law | RCW 42.56 |
Police Reports and Accident Records
The Olympia Police Reports page covers the two main ways to get a copy of a report. Accident reports are often available immediately after the reporting officer completes the report. You can search for them online or walk in to the OPD front desk. Police reports for other incident types typically require a formal public records request. You can submit that request online or in person.
When you request a report, it helps to have as much identifying information as possible. Case number, date of incident, time, address, and the names of people involved all help staff locate the correct record quickly. If you only have partial information, staff will try to help, but a specific case number is the fastest path.
Fee schedule for Olympia police records: paper copies under 20 pages are free. Paper copies over 20 pages cost $0.15 per page. Electronic records are also free unless the request exceeds 80 files or 1 gigabyte of data. For large electronic requests, the city may charge for the actual cost of staff time to locate and compile the records.
Once a request is submitted, allow five business days for the city to respond. They may make records available right away, or they may send an acknowledgment with a timeline. Either way, you should hear something within that five-day window. If the response deadline passes without word, follow up with the records unit directly.
Exemptions and Special Cases
Not all police records are releasable. Washington law carves out several categories that remain closed to the public even under RCW 42.56. Ongoing investigations are the most common reason a record may be withheld temporarily. Once a case is closed, many of those records become available, though some identifying information may still be redacted.
Victims of crimes can request that their personal information be kept confidential. If a victim has made that request and the city has honored it, their names, addresses, and contact information will be redacted before the report is released. You will still get the core incident information, but some details may be blocked out.
Juvenile cases follow different rules. Records involving minors are generally not public. If a juvenile was arrested or named in a police report, that information is typically sealed or heavily redacted. Court records for juvenile cases are handled separately and have their own access rules under Washington law.
If the city denies a request, it must give a written reason citing the specific statute or exemption. You can challenge a denial by appealing to the Public Records Officer or by filing in Superior Court. Washington courts take public records access seriously, and wrongful denials can result in penalties against the agency.
Criminal History and Statewide Resources
Olympia Police Department records cover incidents within the city. For a full picture of someone's criminal history across Washington State, you need to go through the Washington State Patrol. The WATCH portal provides name-based conviction record searches for $11.00 per search. WATCH only shows conviction records, not arrests that did not lead to a conviction.
Court records for cases that went through Thurston County District Court or Superior Court are searchable through the Washington Courts public name search. That database includes case filings, dispositions, and sentencing information from courts across the state. It is free to search and does not require registration.
For information about whether someone is currently in custody at a Washington State correctional facility, the Department of Corrections maintains an inmate search tool. Local jail records for Thurston County are held by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office and are governed by RCW 70.48.100.
Victims and witnesses seeking notification about a person's release from custody can register with VINELink. This free service sends alerts when an offender's custody status changes at a jail or correctional facility. Registration is confidential.
Daily Crime Bulletin
Olympia Police Department publishes a daily crime bulletin that summarizes recent incidents handled by OPD. The bulletin is available online without filing a records request. It typically includes incident type, general location, and a brief description. It does not include full police reports or personal identifying information for victims.
The daily crime bulletin is a good first stop if you are trying to find out whether an incident was reported in a general area. It covers only incidents within Olympia city limits. For incidents in nearby unincorporated Thurston County or in Lacey or Tumwater, you would need to check those agencies separately. The department also publishes data and metrics on crime trends, response times, and other performance indicators through its online services portal.
Thurston County Arrest Records
Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County. For county-level arrest records, Sheriff's Office information, and Thurston County Jail booking records, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
Other cities in the South Puget Sound area with arrest records resources include Lacey and Tumwater.