Des Moines Criminal Records

Criminal records in Des Moines, Washington are held by the Des Moines Municipal Court, the King County District Court, and the King County Superior Court depending on the type of case. Misdemeanor violations and city ordinance infractions go through the municipal court located on Marine View Drive South. Felony cases move to the King County Superior Court in Seattle. You can search case records online through the statewide Washington Courts case search or through King County's own portal. This page explains how to find what you need and where each type of record is kept.

Des Moines Municipal Court Records

The Des Moines Municipal Court is the first stop for misdemeanor criminal violations and city ordinance cases. The court sits at 21290 Marine View Drive South and handles cases arising from Des Moines city limits. That includes misdemeanor charges, traffic infractions, and violations of local ordinances. If a person was cited or arrested for a minor offense in Des Moines, this court processed that case.

Court records at the municipal level include charge information, hearing dates, plea entries, verdicts, and sentencing. These are public records in most cases. You can contact the court directly to ask about accessing a specific file or checking the status of an active case. Call (206) 870-6871 during business hours to reach the court clerk.

Municipal court criminal records in Des Moines become part of a person's Washington State criminal history if they result in a conviction. Those convictions are then reflected in any WATCH background check search run through the Washington State Patrol. Non-conviction records follow different access rules under state law.

King County Courts Serving Des Moines

Des Moines sits in King County, which means the county court system handles cases that go beyond the city's jurisdiction. The King County District Court manages state-level misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors. Felony charges go to King County Superior Court. Both courts maintain public records that you can search online or request in person.

The King County Superior Court Clerk maintains the official case files for felony matters originating in Des Moines. That courthouse is at 516 Third Avenue in Seattle. You can also run a name search using the King County eCourt case lookup tool, which is accessible through the county's public website. Case information typically includes filing dates, charges, court dates, and case status.

The statewide Washington Courts case search portal lets you look up cases from municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts all in one place. You can search by name, case number, or attorney. This is often the fastest way to get a broad view of a person's court history across Washington.

The King County court portal lets you search case records specific to King County courts. The screenshot below shows the county's public case search interface, which covers both superior and district court cases.

You can run a name search through this portal to find case records tied to Des Moines criminal matters processed in King County courts.

For the most complete picture of someone's court history in Washington State, use the statewide courts search below. It pulls from courts across all 39 counties.

The Washington Courts case search covers municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts across the state, including all courts that handle Des Moines criminal cases.

Des Moines Police Department Records

The Des Moines Police Department maintains arrest records, incident reports, and police reports for events that occur within the city. These records are separate from court records but can complement a search if you are looking for information about a specific arrest or incident. The police department is located at the same address as the municipal court on Marine View Drive South.

Police records are subject to Washington's Public Records Act under RCW Chapter 42.56. You can submit a public records request to the Des Moines Police Department to obtain copies of reports. Some records may be withheld if an investigation is active or if disclosure would harm a third party. The standard process involves submitting a written request and waiting for the agency to respond within five business days.

Note: Police reports and arrest records are distinct from court case records. A person may have an arrest record without a court conviction, and those records are treated differently under RCW Chapter 10.97, Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act.

Washington State Criminal History Search

Washington State provides two main tools for looking up criminal history records statewide. The first is the WATCH system, which stands for Washington Access to Criminal History. It is run by the Washington State Patrol and gives you conviction-based background check results in seconds. The fee is $11.00 per name search, payable online by credit or debit card.

WATCH searches are based on name and date of birth. The system returns results that include Washington State criminal convictions, sex and kidnapping offender status, and Department of Corrections information. It does not return non-conviction records or out-of-state charges. If the name and date of birth you enter match someone in the system, you get a full RAP sheet showing their Washington conviction history. Visit watch.wsp.wa.gov to run a search.

The WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov is the fastest way to check Washington State conviction history for someone with ties to Des Moines or any other part of the state.

For more detailed background check requests, the Washington State Patrol also accepts mail-in applications. A name and date of birth search costs $32.00 by mail. A fingerprint-based search costs $58.00. Mail requests to the WSP Identification and Criminal History Section at PO Box 42633, Olympia, WA 98504-2633. You can also visit their Olympia office in person at 106 11th Ave SW, Suite 1300. Call (360) 534-2000 to reach the WSP records section.

Sex Offender Registry in Des Moines

Washington's sex offender registry is public for Level II and Level III offenders. The registry is administered by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and is accessible at waspc.org/sex-offender-information. King County Sheriff handles local registration for Des Moines area offenders. You can also search the national registry at nsopw.gov.

Offenders must register with the county sheriff within three business days of moving into the area. Level I offenders are low risk and their information stays with law enforcement only. Level II and III offenders appear on the public site. Failure to register is a criminal offense under state law.

Department of Corrections Records

The Washington Department of Corrections publishes information about currently incarcerated individuals. If you are looking for someone who is currently serving a sentence in a state prison, the DOC's incarcerated data search lets you search by name or DOC number. You can see their location, custody status, and age. This system only covers state prison inmates, not county jail holds or federal detainees.

For records requests from the DOC, contact the Public Disclosure Unit by email at publicdisclosureunit@doc1.wa.gov or by phone at (360) 725-8213. Their physical office is at 7345 Linderson Way SW, Tumwater, WA 98501.

Note: County jail records for Des Moines area inmates are maintained by the King County Correctional Facility, not the state DOC.

King County Criminal Records

Des Moines is part of King County, and the county court system handles all felony cases and many misdemeanor matters for the city. King County Superior Court and District Court maintain the bulk of criminal case records for Des Moines residents. For more information on the county-wide court system and how to access those records, visit the King County criminal records page.

View King County Criminal Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Des Moines also handle criminal records through King County courts or their own municipal courts.