Search Tacoma Jail Roster

The Tacoma jail roster is the public booking log for people arrested in Tacoma and held at the Pierce County Jail at 910 Tacoma Avenue South. Tacoma is the third largest city in the state, and the Tacoma Police Department makes thousands of bookings each year. Use this page to look up an inmate by name, check a booking date, or find a current custody status after a Tacoma arrest. The city police make the stop and the transport, and the jail roster data lives in the county LINX system.

How the Tacoma Jail Roster Works

Tacoma is the county seat of Pierce County. The Tacoma Police Department runs a full force with patrol, investigations, and a records desk. The city does not run a long term jail. When a Tacoma officer makes an arrest, the person is booked into the Pierce County Jail at 910 Tacoma Avenue South. That jail is run by the sheriff. The live roster for a Tacoma arrest is the county roster, not a city page.

To search the roster, use the Pierce County LINX system. LINX stands for Legal Information Network eXchange. It is the Pierce County tool that ties together jail, court, and warrant data in one site. Search by last name. The record shows the booking date, the time, the charges at intake, and the bail amount when set. LINX also links out to the court file tied to the same case.

The Tacoma Police Department site has a records page with links to report requests and arrest data. The screenshot below shows the page.

From there you can reach LINX, the records desk, and the public records request form.

Tacoma Police Records

The Tacoma Police Department keeps the city side of the arrest file. The police file has the incident report, the officer name, and the cause of the stop. The jail file has the booking log, the charges, and the release data. Two agencies, two files, same case.

To get a copy of a Tacoma police report, file a public records request with the city. Under RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act, the city must reply within five business days. The reply may be the record, a denial, or a time estimate. Some parts can be held back. Juvenile names, some witness data, and active case notes are often redacted.

For Tacoma city code cases, the Tacoma Municipal Court is the court of record. That court handles misdemeanors and city code violations.

Note: The Tacoma jail roster is the Pierce County booking log, not the city police report, so the two files come from two offices.

Searching the Tacoma Jail Roster Online

Start with a name. Try last name first. Add the first name if you get too many hits. A middle name or a date of birth helps when the last name is common. If the person used an alias at booking, LINX may list both. The system may show more than one record for the same person if the case was booked more than once.

If you do not see a match, the booking may not be up yet. Jail intake can take an hour or more. Check again in a bit. You can also call the Pierce County Jail booking desk to ask. For out of state holds or federal cases, the county roster may not show the person at all.

The Tacoma Police Department does not run a separate booking page. There is no short term city holding jail that posts its own roster. Every Tacoma booking flows into LINX. That makes the search simple, since there is one place to look.

Court Data Tied to a Tacoma Arrest

After a booking, the court file opens the next court day. Use the Odyssey court portal to find the case. Search by name. The portal shows the case number, the filing court, the next hearing, and the judge. For Tacoma city code cases, the Tacoma Municipal Court is the court of record. State law charges are heard at Pierce County District Court or Superior Court.

Pair the jail roster with the court docket. The roster says where the person is. The docket says what comes next.

Custody Alerts for Tacoma Inmates

The VINE service is the free statewide tool for custody status alerts. Sign up with a name and a phone. VINE sends a call, a text, or an email when the person is booked, moved, or let out. It works for both the Pierce County Jail and the state prison system.

VINE is not instant. There can be a short lag from the jail log to the alert. Call the Pierce County Jail booking desk for the most current data.

Note: VINE alerts are free and confidential and run for all Tacoma jail roster bookings.

Public Records and the Tacoma Jail Register

Under RCW 70.48.100, every Washington jail must keep a jail register that is open to the public. The log lists the name of each person held, the hour and date of the booking, the cause, and the hour, date, and manner of release. The Pierce County Jail follows that rule for all Tacoma bookings. The full inmate file is not open. Medical records, mental health records, and security plans stay sealed.

The state DOC was set up under RCW 72.09. The DOC runs state prisons and adult supervision. A Tacoma arrest that ends in a prison term will show up in the Washington DOC Incarcerated Search after the court hands down a sentence.

Criminal history is a different record set. For a Washington conviction history, use the WATCH service from the State Patrol. WATCH is the official source for conviction data in the state.

Statewide Tools for Tacoma Jail Lookups

The DOC Search Resources page links out to state and federal inmate tools in one spot. That is a good fallback when the county roster has no match and you think the person moved to a state or federal facility.

For federal inmates, the page links to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons locator and the ICE detainee locator.

Nearby Cities and Counties

Tacoma is part of Pierce County. For countywide jail data, see the Pierce County page. You can also check the jail roster pages for nearby cities.