Washington Background Check

Conduct a thorough criminal background check in Washington by searching criminal history, Washington court records, find current past addresses, check Washington prison, jail inmate records, and Washington department of corrections records. Also check Washington professional licenses and other credentials.



Free Background Check in Washington

The Identification and Criminal History Section is the central repository for criminal history record information (CHRI) for the state of Washington and was established during the 1972 Legislative Session.CHRI maintained by the Section consists of fingerprint-based records and disposition information submitted by law enforcement agencies and courts throughout the state.The Section provides complete, accurate, and accessible criminal history and expert technical services in the interest of public safety.

You can obtain criminal histories from the State Patrol in two ways:

  1. Going on-line by using WATCH (Washington Access To Criminal History). This feature requires either a credit card or a pre-established account. A $10 fee is charged for each name search, regardless of the outcome of the results of the search.

  2. Forms are available through the WATCH link above. Return the completed background forms to us through the US Postal Service. If setting up an account print and fill out an application packet and submit by mail or the fax number on the form.

Depending on the purpose, the Identification and Criminal History Section responds to public inquiries under two different statutes.

  • Criminal Records Privacy Act
  • Child and Adult Abuse Information Act

Criminal Records Privacy Act

Under the Criminal Records Privacy Act, conviction CHRI may be made public to anyone without restriction and without the consent of the subject of the record. The requestor must submit either a Request for Conviction Criminal History Record (using Form 3000-240-569 or WATCH) or a full set of the subject's fingerprints.

Child and Adult Abuse Information Act

Under the Child and Adult Abuse Information Act, requests for CHRI are limited to businesses or organizations licensed in the state of Washington; any agency of the state; or other governmental entities that educate, train, treat, supervise, house, or provide recreation to developmentally disabled persons, vulnerable adults, or children under 16 years of age.

The requestor may submit either a Request for Criminal History Information Child/Adult Abuse Information Act (using Form 3000-240-430 or WATCH) or a full set of the subject's fingerprints.



What Is an Washington Background Check?

An Washington Background Check offers a comprehensive search in public records for:

  • Vital records, like births, deaths, marriages, and divorces
  • Current contact information and previous addresses
  • Criminal records, convictions and prison records or sex offender registration
  • Civil court filings, like civil judgments
  • Tax liens and bankruptcies
  • Records of real estate ownership and registered assets
  • Professional and business licenses

Washington background check is available through the state or through premium data aggregation services who conduct public record data searches and provide you with a report.. Each state, and sometimes each county, has different rules on how much information is available and who can access background check data. Therefore a background check may still not contain every record about a person, however in most cases it is very thorough. Most premium background check services use multiple databases of public records in order to provide you with their background reports.



Learn More About Background Checks