Follow these steps to look up a person held in the county's two jails:

1. Open the county jail lookup.
2. On the first page, select Public, then Subject Lookup.
3. Enter the last name and, if the page asks, the first name.
4. Check each match against the birth date you know.
5. Write down the booking number. It helps staff locate the person.

Some cities keep a separate roster. Check these for city arrests:

• SCORE Jail roster for the Des Moines jail
• Kirkland jail roster
• Enumclaw jail roster
• The Inmate Lookup on the Kent corrections page, which the city says updates every 15 minutes

Several ordinary reasons can leave the result empty. Look at each:

• Still being processed. Intake paperwork may run for hours.
• A city lockup. Many cities keep people a short while before moving them.
• A citation. An officer can write a paper ticket and let the person drive away.
• Already out. A judge or a bond may have freed them.
• A regional jail, another county or the state has them.
• Age. Children under 18 are not taken to the adult jails.

Try other spellings and a middle name. Then call the county jail line at 206-296-1234, and ask the arresting police department which jail took the person.

Several jails take bookings here. Each has its own purpose:

• King County Correctional Facility, 500 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. This downtown jail books felony arrests and many misdemeanors. The county jail line is 206-296-1234.
• Maleng Regional Justice Center, 620 West James Street, Kent, WA 98032. It is the county's second adult jail, with courtrooms next door. It shares the same phone line.
• SCORE Jail, 20817 17th Avenue South, Des Moines, WA 98198, 206-257-6200. It is owned by Tukwila, SeaTac, Renton, Des Moines, Burien and Auburn, and it has 802 beds.
• Kent City Jail, 1230 Central Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032, 253-856-5960. It holds misdemeanor arrests and warrants from Kent Municipal Court.
• Kirkland City Jail, 11750 NE 118th Street, Kirkland, WA 98034, 425-587-3465. It has 70 beds for misdemeanor offenders from nearby areas.
• Enumclaw City Jail, 1705 Wells Street, Enumclaw, WA 98022, 360-825-8580. It has 25 beds, split 21 male and 4 female, for sentences of up to a year.
• Issaquah City Jail, 130 East Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027, 425-837-3265. Ask there about contract cities that send people.

People are sometimes moved between buildings, so check more than one list. Holds by federal or state agencies are explained near the bottom.

Call 206-296-1234 and ask if the county lookup shows mugshots for the person you need. In Washington, jail booking photos are confidential by state law (RCW 70.48.100). Police may still use them to investigate crimes. The one exception is a person convicted of a sex offense, whose photo may be shared.

Want a booking photo? Contact the department that carried out the arrest. Deputies belong to the Sheriff's Office, reachable at 206-296-3311.

• The ICE records request form takes requests for photos held by that agency.
• Federal mugshots stay private. Only the U.S. Marshals Service may let one out, rarely, such as while hunting someone on the run.

Yes. Washington's VINE service is free and never closes. It tracks people held in any city or county jail, in state prisons and at the Nisqually Tribal Jail, with fresh data about every 15 to 30 minutes.

• Sign up on VINELink or call 877-846-3492.
• Juvenile detention is not part of VINE, and neither are court dates.

For a faster answer, phone the jail that holds the person.

In this state the first idea is to send people home on their word that they will return. Limits like a stay-away order, regular check-ins or an ankle monitor are allowed only when the danger of flight or harm is real. A money bond comes last, and the judge has to weigh family income. A bond cannot demand all cash. The cash part tops out at one tenth of the bond.

• Without a warrant, an arrest needs a judge's review of the facts inside two days. In practice most people appear before the close of the next court day.
• Certain domestic violence calls require an arrest. The person then stays in a cell until a judge, bond money or a written promise opens the door.
• A judge may refuse bail altogether only now and then, and only following a hearing.
• Both county jails have a bail window open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Cash, cashier's checks and money orders work. Confirm by phone at 206-296-1234.
• At SCORE, 20817 17th Avenue South, Des Moines, WA 98198, the lobby window accepts cash or a bond on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• For Kent city cases during office hours, pay at Kent Municipal Court, 1220 Central Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032, 253-856-5730.

A bail bond agent must hold a state license (chapter 18.185 RCW). Verify one with the license lookup or by calling 360-664-6611. Get every fee written down. More help is on our bail page, with a wider view on Washington's bail laws.

The final charge often becomes clear after the first hearing. Try these steps:

1. Enter the person's name in the state court search. A hit tells you the case number and which court has the file.
2. Call that court's clerk for copies or the next date. District Court answers at 206-205-9200. The Superior Court Clerk is at 516 Third Avenue, Room E-609, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-296-9300.
3. Ask the prosecutor's office for the filing decision. The King County Prosecuting Attorney is at 516 Third Avenue, W400, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-477-1200. City cases are handled by that city's attorney.

The jail can also say what the person was booked for.

At the first hearing, the person has to ask for a lawyer out loud. A lawyer from the King County Department of Public Defense usually covers that day. Once charges are filed, income gets checked. Anyone getting certain public aid, anyone earning up to about one and a quarter times the poverty line, and anyone who simply cannot afford a lawyer can qualify (RCW 10.101.010).

• Main office: 710 2nd Avenue, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-296-7662
• Eligibility screening: 206-477-9727
• Advice from an on-call lawyer, any hour: 206-477-8899

City courts may use their own contract defenders. Ask the court clerk for that city's number. Families can also hire a private lawyer.

Rules differ at each jail, and they change. For the two county jails, call 206-296-1234 and ask about days, times, who may come and what ID to bring. Also read our visiting guide.

• SCORE: visits are by video. Register online, then book a slot 24 hours to 7 days ahead. Each visit lasts 25 minutes. Slots run daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The jail is at 20817 17th Avenue South, Des Moines, WA 98198, and the phone is 206-257-6200.
• Kent City Jail: apply online and wait about 72 hours for screening. Last names A to M visit Wednesday 6 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 to 11 a.m. Names N to Z visit Friday and Saturday 6 to 8:30 p.m. The jail is at 1230 Central Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032, 253-856-5960.
• Kirkland, Enumclaw and Issaquah: call each jail first. Numbers are in the answer on which jail holds them.

Account money pays for commissary buys like snacks and soap. How to add it, and how much, depends on the jail. For the county jails, call 206-296-1234. Give staff the full name and booking number. Our money guide and commissary guide cover usual methods.

Kent City Jail takes no money for people in general population, per the city's page. Call 253-856-5960 to ask about anything else. Never mail cash.

Every jail picks its own phone and video provider. Find out from the holding jail how to get calls, the cost of each, and if tablets or text messages exist. The county line is 206-296-1234.

SCORE offers video visits, and its number is 206-257-6200. Recording is common, so case details belong with the attorney. For more, open the jail phone page or the messaging page on our site.

Mail rules shift, so ring first. For the county jails, ask at 206-296-1234 for the right mailing address and what is allowed. Read our mail guide too.

• SCORE: address it to the person's full name and name number, SCORE Jail, 20817 17th Avenue South, Des Moines, WA 98198. Cash, checks, money orders, stamps and blank paper are not accepted. Up to six photos may come.
• Kent City Jail: address it to the person's name, Kent Correctional Facility, 1230 Central Ave. S., Kent, WA 98032.

Add your return address to the envelope. Cash should stay out of every envelope.

Clothes and items taken at booking sit in storage till the person leaves. Ask the holding jail who may take them and what ID is needed. For the county jails, the number is 206-296-1234.

Kent City Jail takes no property for general population, but it does accept labeled prescriptions. Its address is 1230 Central Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032, and the phone is 253-856-5960.

Ring the jail right away. Have the name, booking number, drug names, doses and the doctor's phone. Ask for the health staff to be told. Inside, the person may also file a request for medical care.

The county jail line is 206-296-1234. For SCORE, call 206-257-6200. Emergencies go to 911. If someone may hurt themselves, tell staff clearly.

Deputies from the Sheriff's Office, 206-296-3311, and city officers serve warrants. Read the District Court warrant page, or phone and ask. A clerk can confirm a case: District Court at 206-205-9200 or Superior Court at 206-296-9300. You can also try the statewide court case search. Speak to a defense lawyer first. Afterward, the court that issued it can arrange a surrender plan. Felony records sit with the Superior Court clerk, 516 Third Avenue, Room E-609, Seattle, WA 98104.

Ask the court that has the case. These are the main places:

• Superior Court (felonies): 516 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, and 401 Fourth Avenue North, Kent, WA 98032. The clerk is at 206-296-9300.
• District Court (county misdemeanors): all locations answer at 206-205-9200. The Kent courthouse is at 401 Fourth Avenue North, Room 1A, Kent, WA 98032.
• Seattle Municipal Court: 600 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-684-5600.
• Kent Municipal Court: 1220 Central Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032, 253-856-5730.
• Kirkland Municipal Court: 11740 NE 118th Street, Kirkland, WA 98034, 425-587-3160.
• Issaquah Municipal Court: 5415 220th Avenue SE, Issaquah, WA 98029, 425-837-3170.
• Enumclaw Municipal Court: 1339 Griffin Avenue, Enumclaw, WA 98022, 360-825-7771.

Our court page lists the other city courts.

Federal charges in this area are filed in Seattle, in the Western District of Washington. The courthouse sits at 700 Stewart Street, Suite 2310, Seattle, WA 98101. The clerk answers at 206-370-8400.

1. A judge rules at the detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142) on custody or freedom before trial.
2. Which facility has a federal prisoner? Ask the U.S. Marshals, 700 Stewart Street, Suite 9000, Seattle, WA 98101, 206-370-8600.
3. The Federal Public Defender, 1601 Fifth Avenue, Suite 700, Seattle, WA 98101, 206-553-1100, gives free help to people without money for a private lawyer.
4. After sentencing, the Bureau of Prisons locator accepts a register number or a full name.

With Form I-247A, a detainer (8 CFR 287.7(d)), ICE can request a hold. The jail may hold the person for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released. Under RCW 10.93.160, called the Keep Washington Working Act, a local jail may not hold anyone on a civil immigration warrant or detainer alone, or just to learn their status. ICE needs written consent before it can interview someone in custody on a matter that is not criminal. The same law rules out local 287(g) agreements.

• Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator by name and country, or by A-number.
• ICE Seattle Field Office: 12500 Tukwila International Boulevard, Seattle, WA 98168, 206-277-2000.
• Northwest ICE Processing Center: 1623 E J St SE, Tacoma, WA 98421, 253-396-1611.

Some people sentenced to prison remain in a county jail until a state reception center has room. Ask the jail. Then try the Department of Corrections search. Each result shows a DOC number, age, current location and housing unit.

The Department of Corrections is at 7345 Linderson Way SW, Tumwater, WA 98501, 360-725-8213, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read our Washington state prisons guide.

Teens are taken to the Clark Children and Family Justice Center, 1211 East Alder Street, Seattle, WA 98122. Detention information is at 206-263-9595.

Juvenile Court is at the same address, 206-263-8634. Until a charge is filed, a judge needs to check the hold inside three days of detention, skipping weekends and holidays. If that check is missed, the child goes free (JuCR 7.3). VINE skips juvenile detention, so phone the center.

The arresting officers can tell you which jail took your person. These offices work here:

• King County Sheriff's Office, 516 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-296-3311. Its deputies patrol the unincorporated areas of White Center, Skyway and Vashon. They also police contract cities, among them Kenmore, SeaTac, Shoreline, Sammamish and Burien.
• Seattle Police Department, 610 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-625-5011
• Enumclaw Police Department, 1705 Wells Street, Enumclaw, WA 98022, 360-825-3505
• Washington State Patrol: troopers work from district offices, listed on the patrol's contact page

If another city's officers made the arrest, ask the Sheriff's line or that city's jail.