Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Port Townsend, Washington, in Jefferson County, has about 11,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Port Townsend is held at the county jail, run by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Port Townsend public records, Jefferson County inmate search, Port Townsend arrest records, Port Townsend warrants, Port Townsend criminal records, Port Townsend court records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Port Townsend
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Port Townsend is held at the county jail, run by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at co.jefferson.wa.us/174/Jail-Inmate-Search (page title: Jefferson County, WA), phone 360-385-3831, 79 Elkins Road Port Hadlock, WA 98339, Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 1, 2026.
That page is the place to look for someone booked recently. A person cited and released at the scene, or held only a few hours by a city department, will not be on it.
The Jefferson County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2021 the jail held about 20 people, down from about 44 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2019, the last year with a capacity figure, was 57 beds, and it ran at 77 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Jefferson County has about 34,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 6 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Jefferson County Jail
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Port Townsend (filed by the FBI as Port Townsend Police Department) make the arrests that end in a booking in and around Port Townsend.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Port Townsend's 219 for 2025 and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office's 185 for 2025.
Together, the two agencies in Jefferson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 404 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Port Townsend arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Washington State Department of Corrections lists its inmates at doc.wa.gov/records/incarcerated-data-search/incarcerated-search.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Port Townsend?
Look on the custody page of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at co.jefferson.wa.us/174/Jail-Inmate-Search, or call 360-385-3831. It covers people booked into the county jail.
How many people are in the Jefferson County jail?
About 20 on an average day in 2021, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 57 beds.
What is the phone number for the Jefferson County jail?
360-385-3831, the number on the page of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Jefferson County go?
To a facility of the Washington State Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at doc.wa.gov.
Is this the official Port Townsend website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.