King County Jail Roster
The King County jail roster is the daily log of people booked into the two main jails run by the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. You can search the roster by name or booking number to find a person held in Seattle or Kent right now. Most jail roster entries show the booking date, the charges, the next court date, and the facility. This page walks you through how to look up an inmate, which tool to use, and who to call when the online King County jail roster does not give you what you need.
King County Jail Roster Overview
King County Jail Roster Lookup
The main tool for a King County jail roster lookup is the Jail Inmate Lookup Service, or JILS. This is a free, public database run by the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. You can search by last name, first name, or booking number. The system shows the current custody status, the facility, the charges, the book date, and the scheduled release date when one has been set.
JILS covers people held at the two main DAJD sites. The first is the King County Correctional Facility at 500 Fifth Avenue in Seattle. The second is the Maleng Regional Justice Center at 401 4th Avenue North in Kent. Both sites are run by the same department, but the jail roster entry will tell you where the person is housed. If you need more detail, call the jail info line at 206-296-1234.
Each booking gets a BA number. That is the booking number jail staff use to track a person through the system. Write it down. You will need it for visit requests, money deposits, and any follow-up call to the jail. The King County jail roster also ties into the data portal at data.kingcounty.gov, which has a dataset called Names, dates, charges that lists booking info for the DAJD jails.
Note: The King County jail roster does not include people held at SCORE Jail. Use the SCORE lookup for bookings out of Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Renton, SeaTac, or Tukwila.
King County Jail Facilities
King County runs two main adult jails. The King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in downtown Seattle is the main intake and booking site. It books close to 30,000 people each year and holds up to 1,250 at one time. The Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent serves south King County and holds about 650 people. Both show up in the King County jail roster under the same JILS search.
A third site, the Community Corrections Division, also in Kent, runs work release and home monitoring for people on alternative sentences. CCD does not appear in the standard jail roster, but you can reach the office at 206-477-0600. Juveniles in custody are held under a separate division. Call 206-477-9890 for the juvenile division.
The King County jail roster lead-in comes from the DAJD page at kingcounty.gov/courts/detention, which lists hours, contact info, and visit rules for each facility.
Bookmark that page. It is the starting point for any King County jail roster search, visit request, or inmate account deposit.
Searching the King County Jail Register
The King County jail register is the public log of each booking and each release. Under RCW 70.48.100, the jail must keep this register open to the public. You can pull the current register at kingcounty.gov jail register. The register lists each inmate, the hour and date of the booking, the cause of the booking, and the hour and date of the release.
To run a quick name search you usually need:
- Full first and last name
- Date of birth if you have it
- Booking number if known
If the person is not on the roster, the booking may not be in the system yet. New bookings can take a few hours to show up. Try again in a few hours or call the jail info line. You can also set up free alerts through the VINE service, which will ping you by phone, text, or email when the custody status changes.
Court Records Tied to the King County Jail Roster
The King County jail roster gives you the booking side. For the court side, pair the name with the Odyssey court portal. Odyssey covers Washington district and municipal court cases. You can search by last name and pull the next hearing date. For Seattle city cases, use the Seattle Municipal Court portal at web6.seattle.gov/courts/ECFPortal. For Superior Court cases, use the King County Superior Court site.
The Superior Court handles felony cases and the bigger civil matters. Most people who stay in the KCCF for more than a few days have a Superior Court case tied to the booking. The court docket shows the charges, the judge, the attorney of record, and the next court date. That lines up with the charge info on the jail roster entry.
Note: King County Superior Court runs interpreter services in more than 140 languages. Call 206-477-1415 to book a court interpreter.
Public Records Requests in King County
For records that are not on the public King County jail roster, file a public records request. Use the King County Public Records portal. Under RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act, the county must respond within five business days. They can give you the record, deny it, or ask for more time.
Jail medical records are kept apart from the rest of the file. They have their own process under HIPAA and state privacy law. Mental health records, security plans, and active investigation files are exempt. The basic King County jail roster data (name, booking date, charges, facility) is always public and does not need a formal request. That data lives on the JILS and the jail register page.
Detailed jail records can run past what is on the online roster. Things like visitor logs, phone call logs, and full housing histories need a formal request. Put the inmate name, booking number, and date range in the request.
Custody Alerts and Victim Services
VINE is the Washington statewide victim notification system and it covers King County jails. Sign up at vinelink.com to get a free alert when an inmate is booked, moved, or released. VINE is run with help from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. The service is free and confidential.
The state also runs the Department of Corrections. For people moved from the King County jail roster to a state prison after sentencing, use the DOC Incarcerated Search. The DOC was set up under RCW 72.09 and runs all state-operated adult prisons and the supervision of adults released to the community.
Federal Inmates Arrested in King County
Some people arrested in King County are held by federal agents. They will not show up on the King County jail roster. For federal inmates, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. For people held by ICE, use the ICE Detainee Locator. The DOC Search Resources page links out to both.
Cities in King County
Most King County cities have their own police and some run a short-term jail. Pick a city below to find the local roster.