Whatcom County Booking Reports

Whatcom County booking reports come from the Bureau of Custody and Corrections Services in Bellingham. The county jail at 311 Grand Avenue holds about 245 people each day. The Sheriff runs a live jail roster you can search online. Whatcom County also keeps a booking and release database that goes back to 1996. So you can pull old Whatcom County booking reports too. Most jail roster fields are public under state law. Some inmate file items stay private. Use the tools below to start your Whatcom County booking reports search by name or by date.

Whatcom County Jail Roster

The Whatcom County jail roster is the main online tool for live Whatcom County booking reports. Each row shows an inmate name, the booking date, the facility, the floor, the cell, and the name ID. Tap any row for more detail.

Open the Whatcom County jail roster search page to begin. The page has expand all and collapse all controls. The format is a clean table that loads fast. The roster covers people held by the Bureau of Custody and Corrections Services.

The jail address is 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225. Phone: (360) 778-6500. The bureau is the bigger office that runs the jail. It also runs the Interim Work Center. Both sites count as part of Whatcom County booking reports for the live roster.

For background on the corrections side, see the Whatcom County Corrections page. The page covers facility security level, daily count, and contact info.

Whatcom County Booking Databases

Whatcom County keeps a deeper database for booking and release data. This is where you go for older Whatcom County booking reports. The data starts in 1996 and runs to today. That is a long history that few counties match in Washington.

Open the Whatcom County inmate databases page. You can pull jail bookings by date or check the jail releases list. Both tools cover the same wide date range.

The county also runs a daily bookings page. The Whatcom County bookings page lists fresh bookings as they happen. This is helpful when you want to track new arrests in near real time.

Note: most Whatcom County booking reports are open per RCW 70.48.100. Some inmate file items stay private under RCW 10.97 and the public records exemptions in RCW 42.56.

Cost of Whatcom County Records

If the live tools do not have what you need, file a public records request. The county has a clear fee schedule. Inspection of records is free. Black and white copies cost $0.15 per page. Scanned copies cost $0.10 per page. Body worn camera footage runs $0.55 per minute. Mailing fees are charged at actual cost.

See the full schedule on the Whatcom County cost of records page. Credit card processing adds 2.35% or $2.00, whichever is more. Large requests may need a 10% deposit.

Be specific in your request. Name the person, the date, and the type of report. The county must respond within 5 business days. Vague Whatcom County booking reports requests slow things down.

Whatcom County Corrections Bureau

The Whatcom County Corrections Bureau runs the Whatcom County Jail and the Interim Work Center in Bellingham. The main jail is a maximum security facility. It holds about 245 prisoners on an average day. The Interim Work Center holds about 130 minimum or low medium custody inmates. Another 30 inmates a day serve time on Electronic Home Detention. Correction Deputies handle booking, population control, meals, medical care, prisoner transports, and court security. Alternative sentencing programs include home detention, work crew, and work release. Read more on the Whatcom Corrections Bureau page.

The bureau uses ICSOLUTIONS at 1-888-506-8407 for prepaid inmate phone service. Bail bonding companies should call 360-778-6500 before posting bond. Whatcom County booking reports cover both jail sites. The roster shows people held at either the main jail or the work center.

Whatcom County Booking Data Going Back to 1996

The county runs a public booking database with records back to 1996. You can pick a date and view all bookings from that day. Click any record for more detail. The database fields include name, booking date, release date, booking agency, and name ID. View the data on the Whatcom County jail bookings page. The current Jail Roster is at the Whatcom Jail Roster Search page. State law under RCW 70.48.100 keeps the jail register open. RCW 42.56 covers full records requests. RCW 10.97 limits some criminal history data. Note: Use the historical database when you know the booking date.

Whatcom County Booking Reports and Court Records

Every Whatcom County booking that leads to charges creates a case in the local courts. Felony cases go to Whatcom County Superior Court. Misdemeanors go to Whatcom County District Court or the Bellingham Municipal Court. The Washington State Courts directory lists contact info for all Whatcom County courts. Cross check a booking number from the jail roster against the court docket to find the full case history.

The booking report and the court file are two different records. The booking report shows the arrest and the first charges. The court file tracks hearings, motions, plea deals, and the final outcome. Charges can change after the prosecutor reviews the case. That means the booking report and the court file may not match on every charge. Both records are public, but different rules apply to each. The jail register follows RCW 70.48.100. Court records follow the Public Records Act under RCW 42.56.

Whatcom County booking reports also feed into the statewide criminal history system. The WATCH system from the Washington State Patrol pulls conviction data from all 39 counties. Once a case closes in Whatcom County court, the disposition goes to the state file. The Criminal Records Privacy Act under RCW 10.97 controls what shows up. Non-conviction data has tighter rules. If charges are dropped, that record may not appear in a standard background check.

The Whatcom County Corrections Bureau handles booking at both the main jail and the Interim Work Center. The bureau also runs the Electronic Home Detention program. About 30 inmates per day serve time on home detention instead of jail. Those inmates still have a Whatcom County booking report on file. The report stays in the system even though the person is not behind bars.

Whatcom County Booking Reports Privacy Notes

State law balances open access with privacy. Names, booking dates, and charges stay open. Booking photos in Whatcom County are not always posted online. Medical and mental health notes stay private. Juvenile case files are held back too.

The county must respect victim privacy. So victim names may be cut from any release. The records office can tell you what gets cut before you pay any fee.

Cities in Whatcom County

Whatcom County booking reports cover the city of Bellingham and the smaller towns nearby. All city police book inmates to the Whatcom County Jail.

Smaller cities such as Ferndale, Lynden, and Blaine also use the county jail. Each city police office keeps its own incident records on top of the county booking file.

Nearby Counties

Counties around Whatcom County keep their own booking reports.