Search Vancouver Booking Releases
Vancouver booking releases come from a few key sources. The Vancouver Police Department Records Division holds police reports and arrest records tied to city arrests. The Clark County Jail holds the booking data once a person is in county custody. The City of Vancouver Public Records Center routes general records asks. To find a Vancouver booking release you can use the city public records center, call the VPD Records Division, or look up an inmate on the Clark County jail roster. This page walks through each path.
Vancouver Overview
Vancouver Police Booking Releases
The Vancouver Police Department is the first stop for Vancouver booking releases tied to a city arrest. The VPD Records Division is at the West Precinct, 2800 NE Stapleton Rd., Vancouver, WA 98660. The phone is 360-487-7398. The email is vpdpdr@cityofvancouver.us. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. The main police mailing address is PO Box 1995, Vancouver, WA 98668-1995.
Visit the Vancouver Police Records page for the records request process and the forms. The Records Division is open to the public during normal business hours. Public services at the division include concealed pistol licenses, firearms dealer licenses, and local background checks.
Note: Department body worn camera footage may be exempt from disclosure in certain cases under state law.
City of Vancouver Records Center
The City of Vancouver runs a centralized public records center. It handles non-police city records and routes some requests to the right department. Anyone may make a request for records online, by mail, fax, in person, or verbally. The Public Records Officer is responsible for memorializing all verbal requests. The City Records Manager is Sarah Leffler. Phone is 360-487-8480. Email is citypdr@cityofvancouver.us.
Use the Vancouver Public Records Center to file. The system tracks your request from start to finish. Within five business days of getting the request, the Public Records Officer will do one of the following: make the records available for inspection or copying, send copies if payment has been received or waived, give a timeline, ask for clarification, or deny the request with a reason.
For full rules, review the Vancouver Public Records Act rules PDF. It covers definitions, fees, and exemptions.
Fees: black and white copies are $0.15 per side. Color copies are $0.52 each for 8.5 by 11 inch pages at actual cost. Mailings are billed at actual postage. The city may require a deposit of up to 10 percent of the estimated cost. The city does not charge for retrieval or inspection of records.
Clark County Jail Booking Releases
Vancouver sits in Clark County. Anyone booked into the county jail goes through the Clark County Sheriff's Office Corrections Bureau. Look up a Vancouver arrestee on the Clark County jail roster. The tool shows booking info tied to each inmate currently in custody.
The Clark County Jail Services page has visiting rules, inmate services, release info, and Corrections Bureau contacts. The Clark County Sheriff page links to records requests and department contacts.
The roster is the quickest way to check on a Vancouver arrestee in current county custody.
Court Records for Vancouver Arrests
Clark County Superior Court holds the case files for felony charges filed against Vancouver arrestees. Visit the Clark County Superior Court page for forms and case info. For misdemeanors the Clark County District Court handles the case. The district court moved to 210 E. 13th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660 effective February 2026. The Presiding Judge is Hon. Derek J. Vanderwood. Phone is 564-397-2150.
The Clark County Courthouse is at 1200 Franklin St., Vancouver, WA 98660. Mailing address is PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney files charges and handles victim services.
State Sources for Vancouver Booking Releases
Beyond the local sources, the state holds extra data. The Washington DOC Incarcerated Search is free. It shows people held in state prison. Use it when a Vancouver arrestee has moved past county jail. The DOC runs a Wanted for Arrest page with active warrants.
Criminal history conviction records for the state of Washington may be obtained through the Washington Access To Criminal History (WATCH) program from the Washington State Patrol. Use the WSP Criminal History page to order a report. The VINELink site is a free victim notification tool.
Statutes and Vancouver Records Limits
Under RCW 70.48.100 jail records are confidential. The jail only releases the arrestee name, the date and time of booking, the reason for booking, the date and time of release, and the reason for release. All other jail data is held back.
The Public Records Act at RCW 42.56 covers the rest of the police records held by Vancouver PD. The Act forces the city to respond in five business days. Some records are exempt. Ongoing investigation files are one example.
In Person Visits for Vancouver Booking Releases
You can drop in during normal business hours to ask about Vancouver booking releases. Bring a photo ID and the case number if you have one. Staff can check the file and tell you if it is ready to release or still part of an open case. The Vancouver Police Department handles most walk-in questions tied to Vancouver. Plan to spend a bit of time at the counter if the file is older or needs a fresh review.
The VPD Records Division is a good first contact if you need to know which office holds a specific file. Call 360-487-7398 ahead of time to confirm hours and any holiday closures. A phone call before the visit saves a wasted trip when the office is closed for lunch or for training.
Note: If you need a case number to start a search, ask the front desk to run a name lookup. Staff can often find a case tied to a recent Vancouver booking in just a few minutes.
Older cases may take longer since the file could be in archive storage. Archive retrieval can add a few days to the turnaround. The office will let you know up front if the file needs to be pulled from an off-site location.
For Clark County arrests that moved from a Vancouver traffic stop into the county jail, the fastest path is to check the county jail roster first, then file a separate records request with the agency that made the arrest.
Booking releases for Vancouver often come up in a few common life events. A family member may need to find out where a loved one has been taken after an arrest. A lawyer may need the booking data to prepare a case. A reporter may need the records for a news story. Each of these asks goes through the same public records path, but the forms and fees stay the same no matter who is asking. The Washington Public Records Act treats each request equally.
When you fill out a Vancouver records request, give clear dates and full names. Staff cannot guess which file you mean. A vague ask gets pushed back for clarification and adds days to the turnaround. A sharp, specific ask usually gets a clean response inside five business days. That matters when you are trying to get info fast on a Clark County booking.
Note: Keep a copy of the tracking number from your Vancouver records request. That number is the fastest way to check status or ask a follow up question later.
Clark County Booking Releases
Vancouver is in Clark County, and the county runs the jail and the sheriff records tied to the city. For the full county overview and more sources, visit our Clark County booking releases page.