Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Columbia County, Washington, has about 4,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Columbia County depends on where the incident happened: the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, cities, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Columbia County public records, Columbia County arrest records, Columbia County warrants, Columbia County inmate search, Columbia County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Columbia County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Columbia County that is the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
Reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 1 violent and 25 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 49 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at columbiacountyso.policetocitizen.com/Inmates/Catalog (page title: Police To Citizen), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 1, 2026.
Cities in Columbia County
The FBI lists no city in Columbia County with a reporting agency of its own.
The cities and towns in the county are Dayton and Starbuck.
How Many Reports: Columbia County in 2025
The one agency in Columbia County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1 violent and 25 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office reported 49 arrests to the FBI for 2025, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) Requires
Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the agency must answer a request within 5 business days, and it may charge for copies at 15 cents a page, and set fees for electronic records. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, (509) 382-1197, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Columbia County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.
How long does an agency in Columbia County have to answer?
Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56), within 5 business days. It may charge for copies at 15 cents a page, and set fees for electronic records.
How do I get a report from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Columbia County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.