Pierce County Jail Roster Lookup
The Pierce County jail roster is the public booking log for the Pierce County Corrections Bureau in Tacoma. You can search it by name through the LINX system, pull a booking page, and even link out to Superior Court cases tied to the inmate. The Pierce County Sheriff runs the jail and keeps the register open under state law. This page shows you how to search the Pierce County jail roster fast, how the court case link works, and what to do when a record is not posted online.
Pierce County Jail Roster Overview
Pierce County LINX Jail Roster
The Pierce County jail roster lives inside a tool called LINX, short for Legal Information Network eXchange. LINX lets you view the full Pierce County Corrections jail roster or search by an inmate's last name. The search form asks for a "last name, first name" format. For example: Smith, John. The system then pulls up each inmate entry with booking charges and links to the Superior Court case.
LINX is not just a roster. It ties the Pierce County jail roster to court dockets, judgments, and proceedings. You can view the criminal calendar with trial dates. You can pull the In-Custody Arraignment List for inmates pending a first court date. You can view the Superior Court Readiness Docket for case outcomes. This makes LINX one of the deepest county jail roster tools in the state.
There is one key limit. The Pierce County jail roster in LINX only lists people currently in custody. It does not include people who have been released. For a past release date, call the jail at (253) 798-4668. The roster also does not list people held in other facilities like SCORE or Nisqually.
LINX is the main public tool for the Pierce County jail roster and the related Superior Court case data, and it runs daily updates.
The Pierce County LINX site is the main source for current Pierce County jail roster data and Superior Court case links.
Note: The LINX data is copyright Pierce County, and bulk copying for resale is not allowed under the site's terms.
How to Search the Pierce County Jail Roster
Open LINX and choose the jail roster view. You can show the full current roster or run a name search. Type the last name first, then the first name, with a comma in between. The Pierce County jail roster will return matching inmates, each with a booking date, current charges, and a bail amount when set.
When a judge issues one bail amount to cover several charges, LINX shows the bail for the first charge and marks the rest "CRNT" or "Concurrent." This keeps the roster tight. If you need the full case file, click the court case link. That takes you into the Superior Court record with attorneys, docket, and judgments.
For more background, the Pierce County Records Available Online page lists the jail roster alongside other public data sets. The Pierce County jail roster FAQ is a short page that answers the most common search questions.
If the name is not on the Pierce County jail roster, the person may have been released, booked in another county, or held in a federal facility. Try VINE for a release alert. Try the DOC Incarcerated Search for state prison data. Try the Odyssey court portal for district or municipal cases.
Pierce County Corrections Bureau and Jail
The Pierce County Corrections Bureau runs the main jail in downtown Tacoma. The facility houses both pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates. The jail also takes people booked by city police in Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, and other parts of the county. Each booking flows into the Pierce County jail roster through LINX.
Pierce County is the second most populous county in Washington, so the jail roster is busy. Staff log new bookings throughout the day. Some entries update more than once as charges are added or bail is set by a judge. The roster is also tied to the in-custody arraignment list, which is the first court date for a new booking.
The Pierce County Clerk keeps the Superior Court file for each inmate. The clerk's records desk is in Room 110 in the County-City Building at 930 Tacoma Avenue South. Copy fees are $2 for the first page and $1 for each extra page. The records division phone is (253) 798-7717.
Note: Beginning December 1, 2025, the Pierce County Clerk's Office will no longer take phone calls after 3:30 p.m., though in-person hours stay the same.
What the Pierce County Jail Roster Shows
Under RCW 70.48.100, each Washington jail must keep a public register. The Pierce County jail roster follows the same rule. It logs each booking, the cause, and the release. The full inmate file is not public. Medical notes, mental health data, and security plans stay out of the public record.
A typical Pierce County jail roster entry lists:
- Inmate name and age
- Booking date and time
- Housing unit or cell block
- Charges and case numbers
- Bail or bond amount
- Links to related Superior Court cases
- Next court date when set
The Pierce County jail roster is one of the few in the state that ties each booking to a court case link. This saves a lot of time. You do not need to run a second search in the Odyssey court portal for most Superior Court cases.
Pierce County Public Records Requests
For older Pierce County jail roster data, file a records request with the sheriff or the Pierce County Corrections Bureau. Under the Public Records Act in RCW 42.56, the agency must reply within five business days. The reply may be the record, a denial, or a time estimate.
Write a short note that names the inmate, the booking dates, and the records you want. You can ask for the jail register, the booking photo, or a copy of the release record. Medical records are not part of the public roster and need a separate request.
The Washington DOC was set up under RCW 72.09. For state prison data on a former Pierce County inmate, file with the DOC Public Records Office.
State Tools and Custody Alerts
Pair the Pierce County jail roster with the Washington DOC Incarcerated Search for state prison data. Use WATCH from the State Patrol for a Washington criminal history with conviction data. For court dates outside Superior Court, use the Odyssey court portal.
Set up free custody alerts through vinelink.com. VINE sends a call, text, or email when a Pierce County jail inmate is booked, moved, or released. Crime victims can also call the DOC Victim Services Program at (800) 322-2201 for advanced notice of release.
The DOC Search Resources page is a good starting spot for state and federal inmate tools in one place.