Des Moines Washington Background Check

Des Moines background check records are available through the Des Moines Police Department and the King County court system. The Police Department at 21290 Marine View Drive S handles local law enforcement records, fingerprinting, and incident report requests. Felony cases go to King County Superior Court, while misdemeanors are handled by the Des Moines Municipal Court at the same address as the police station. Washington State Patrol's WATCH system and the free Washington Courts case search portal round out the picture for people with records across the state. This page walks through each resource.

Des Moines Police Department Records

The Des Moines Police Department is the city's primary law enforcement agency and the place to start for local background check records. The Records Division at 21290 Marine View Drive S handles requests for incident reports, arrest records, and related documents. Staff accept requests in person during business hours and also process mail requests. For non-emergency law enforcement questions, call (206) 870-6871. The department provides fingerprinting services for CPL applications and other background check needs.

The Des Moines PD runs its own department separate from the King County Sheriff, unlike some smaller King County cities that contract out their police services. This means city-specific incident reports and arrest records are held locally at the Marine View Drive location. For statewide or federal background check purposes, the PD fingerprinting goes through Washington State Patrol for processing and certification. Officers also work with King County on felony investigations that result in Superior Court filings.

The Des Moines Police Department website at desmoineswa.gov/police has contact information and details on requesting public records from the department. You can review what types of records are available and find guidance on how to submit a request by mail if you cannot visit in person.

For background check searches that go beyond incident reports, the department can direct you to the appropriate county or state agency. Most requests for certified criminal history eventually route through Washington State Patrol regardless of where you start.

Des Moines Municipal Court Records

The Des Moines Municipal Court is co-located with the Police Department at 21290 Marine View Drive S. The court handles misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and city code violations. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Reach the court directly at (206) 870-6867. Municipal court records are public documents and cover case dockets, hearing dates, sentencing records, and dispositions for city-level offenses.

When running a Des Moines background check, municipal court records show local misdemeanor history. The court clerk can search by name or case number. Some Des Moines Municipal Court records appear in the statewide Washington Courts case search at dw.courts.wa.gov, allowing you to do a basic check online before visiting in person. More detailed records and certified documents require a direct request to the court.

Note: Des Moines Municipal Court only covers city-level misdemeanors. Felonies involving Des Moines residents are filed at King County Superior Court in Seattle or Kent.

Des Moines Public Records Requests

The Des Moines City Clerk serves as the Public Records Officer under RCW 42.56, Washington's Public Records Act. General city records including permits, council minutes, and administrative documents go through this office. You can reach the City Clerk at (206) 870-6527 and submit requests in person, by mail, or by email. The city must respond within five business days under state law, either with the records or with a timeline for delivery.

Police department records are handled separately by the DMPD Records Division. The City Clerk and the Police Records Division are two different contact points for two different categories of records. If you are not sure where to start, call the police non-emergency line at (206) 870-6871 and they can point you in the right direction. Most background check requests for police records go to the PD, while requests for city government documents go to the Clerk.

Washington's RCW 10.97 sets rules for how criminal history records can be accessed and used. Public court records are generally accessible under the Public Records Act, but detailed law enforcement criminal history data has additional restrictions. Standard court case records do not fall under RCW 10.97 the same way that compiled criminal history databases do.

Statewide Background Check Tools for Des Moines

City records cover Des Moines and King County, but a complete background check often requires statewide data. Washington State Patrol operates the WATCH system at wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history. WATCH pulls criminal history from all 39 Washington counties in a single search. Online self-requests cost $11. Mail submissions cost $32. Fingerprint-based checks, which give the most complete and certified result, run $58. WATCH is the most reliable single source for Washington State criminal history data.

The free Washington Courts case search at dw.courts.wa.gov is a good first step. It covers Superior Court and District Court records across the state. You can filter by county or court type. Search by name to find cases filed anywhere in Washington. For Des Moines specifically, look for cases in King County. The portal shows case types, filing dates, court locations, and dispositions. No account is needed and there is no cost.

Start with the courts portal for any Des Moines background check. If results look promising, pull full case documents from the court clerk or run a formal WATCH request for certified criminal history. The courts portal is free and does not require submitting a formal request form.

Two more tools complete a thorough search. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs runs the sex offender registry at waspc.org. The Department of Corrections offender database at doc.wa.gov covers current and former state inmates. Both are free. Combined with WATCH and the courts portal, these give a solid picture of someone's Washington background.

King County Court Records for Des Moines

Des Moines is in King County, and any felony case originating in the city goes through King County Superior Court. The King County Superior Court Clerk holds those records and provides public access at two locations: the main courthouse at 516 Third Avenue in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Kent is significantly closer to Des Moines than the Seattle courthouse. Criminal records at the Superior Court level are searchable through the King County courts portal and through dw.courts.wa.gov.

The King County Sheriff's Office Public Disclosure Unit also holds law enforcement records relevant to the broader county. Unlike Burien, which contracts with the Sheriff for city police services, Des Moines runs its own police department. But King County Sheriff records can still be relevant if incidents crossed city lines or involved county-level law enforcement response. The Sheriff's Public Disclosure Unit is at 516 3rd Avenue, Room W-116, Seattle.

• Des Moines Municipal Court - city misdemeanors at Marine View Drive
• King County Superior Court (Kent location) - felony cases, closer to Des Moines
• Des Moines Police Department Records - local incident reports
• King County Sheriff Public Disclosure Unit - county law enforcement
• WSP WATCH system - statewide criminal history from all counties

Note: The Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent at 620 W James St handles many King County cases south of Seattle and may be easier to visit than the main Seattle courthouse for Des Moines residents.

King County Background Check Records

Des Moines is in King County, and felony cases are handled by the King County Superior Court. The county page covers the Superior Court Clerk at both Seattle and Kent locations, King County Sheriff records, and all other county-level resources for background checks.

View King County Background Check Records

Nearby Cities

These qualifying cities are near Des Moines. All of them except Auburn share the King County court system.