SearchSystems Editorial

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 September 24, 2026.

About this guide

King County, Washington, has about 2.3 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from King County depends on where the incident happened: the King 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, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.

Related guides: King County public records, King County arrest records, King County warrants, King County inmate search, King County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.

Which Agency Holds a Report from King County

The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.

In King County that is the King 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.

The FBI's list also carries the University of Washington (campus police) and the Port of Seattle (other agency), each with a records office of its own.

The Milton Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including King County, so its arrests are not broken out for King County here.

Reports from the King County Sheriff's Office

The King County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 396 violent and 2,342 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,579 arrests for 2025.

Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (206) 296-1234. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at data.kingcounty.gov/Jail/Names-dates-charges/yri2-fef8 (page title: Names, dates, charges | King County | Open Data), phone (206) 296-1234, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.

Reports from the City Agencies in King County

The 37 cities the FBI lists in King County with a reporting agency of their own, the largest twelve first, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:

A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.

The rest: Issaquah, SeaTac, Des Moines, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Kenmore, Tukwila, Covington, Woodinville, Snoqualmie, Lake Forest Park, Enumclaw, Newcastle, Duvall, North Bend, Pacific, Black Diamond, Normandy Park, Algona, Clyde Hill, Medina, Carnation, Yarrow Point, Beaux Arts Village and Skykomish.

How Many Reports: King County in 2025

The 36 agencies in King County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 7,939 violent and 60,850 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.

Together, the 36 agencies in King County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 31,397 arrests to the FBI that year, 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.

Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at kingcounty.gov/en/dept/executive-services/about-king-county/busines... (page title: Submit a Public Records Request | King County, Washington).

A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Prosecuting Attorney, 206-477-1200, handles discovery for pending cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a police report in King County?

From the agency whose officer took it: the King 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 King 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 King County Sheriff's Office?

From its records unit, reached through the office at (206) 296-1234. Under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) the answer is due within 5 business days.

Is this the official King 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.