Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, with about 11,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Port Townsend offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 2 city office pages for Port Townsend, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, City Hall, Records requests and Questions.
City or county record: where Port Townsend records are kept
- Kept by the City of Port Townsend: council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Jefferson County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Jefferson County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Port Townsend City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Port Townsend.
- Website: cityofpt.us/administration/page/city-clerks-office (page title: City Clerk's Office | City of Port Townsend Washington)
- Phone: (360) 379-5083
- Address: 250 Madison Street, Suite 2, Port Townsend, WA 98368
- Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 4:00pm
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Port Townsend City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: cityofpt.us/community/custom-contact-page/community-contact-informa... (page title: Community Contact Information | City of Port Townsend Washington)
- Phone: (360) 385-3000
- Address: 250 Madison Street, Suite 1 Port Townsend, WA 98368
- Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Port Townsend
Washington public records law applies to the city government of Port Townsend. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
Port Townsend Arrest Records
The Port Townsend arrest records guide covers the agency that reports Port Townsend's arrests to the FBI and the 219 arrests it reported for 2025. It also says where a person arrested in Port Townsend is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.
Port Townsend Records Guides
SearchSystems has eight more guides to Port Townsend, each written from the city's own offices and figures: Port Townsend warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Port Townsend inmate search (the custody page of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Port Townsend criminal records (the court file, the Washington criminal history and the local arrest records), Port Townsend court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Port Townsend traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Port Townsend DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Port Townsend divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Port Townsend property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Port Townsend website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Port Townsend offices listed above, and the city's own website is cityofpt.us; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
Where do I find Port Townsend city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at cityofpt.us, phone (360) 379-5083. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Port Townsend?
Port Townsend cases are heard by the courts that serve Jefferson County, and people arrested in Port Townsend are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Jefferson County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Port Townsend?
From the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. Washington public records law applies to city governments.