Search Vancouver Jail Mugshots
Vancouver jail mugshots come from arrests made by the Vancouver Police Department and booked into the Clark County Jail on West 13th Street. If you want to find a booking photo, a current jail roster entry, or an arrest record tied to Vancouver, you will work mostly with Clark County tools. The Vancouver Police Records Unit holds the incident reports. The county jail holds the roster and the booking photos. This page walks through both sides so you can get to the mugshot you want without wasting time on the wrong agency.
Vancouver Overview
Vancouver Police Department
The Vancouver Police Department is the largest municipal police agency in Clark County. VPD runs two precincts. The West Precinct sits at 2800 NE Stapleton Road, Vancouver, WA 98661 and covers Districts 1 and 2. The East Precinct is at 520 SE 155th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98684 and covers Districts 3 and 4. VPD administration is at 605 E Evergreen Boulevard, but that office is by appointment only. Arrests made by VPD officers are booked into the Clark County Jail, not a city jail. VPD does not run its own lockup.
The department has specialty units that touch many of the cases that generate mugshots, including Major Crimes, Domestic Violence, Property Crimes, Cybercrime, and Special Investigations. Patrol officers in each district handle the bulk of the street arrests that feed the jail roster each day.
Note: VPD precincts also serve as Safe Exchange Zones for online transactions, which cuts down on disputes that can turn into arrests.
Vancouver Police Records Division
The Vancouver Police Records Division is where you request an incident report or an arrest report tied to a Vancouver case. The Records Unit counter is at the West Precinct and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can submit a request online, by mail, in person, or even by phone. Police Records can be reached at 360-487-7598 or vpdpdr@cityofvancouver.us.
The Vancouver Police Records page lists services, fees, and request forms.
Fees follow the city unified schedule. Black and white copies are $0.15 per side. Color copies are $0.52. Mailings run at actual postage. A deposit of up to ten percent can be required for large requests. Under RCW 42.56, the agency has five business days to respond.
Records also handles Concealed Pistol Licenses, firearms dealer licenses, and local criminal history searchs. Local criminal history searchs do not include conviction or court disposition data. For statewide history, the Records Division points people to the Washington State Patrol WATCH program under RCW 10.97.
Clark County Jail Inmate Roster
Every arrest made in Vancouver ends up at the Clark County Jail at 707 West 13th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660. The Clark County Jail inmate information page is the main public lookup. It lists every person booked by Vancouver Police, the Clark County Sheriff, and any other agency using the jail. You can search by name or booking number. The roster shows charges, booking date, bail amount, and release information once the person is let go.
The roster updates throughout the day. It is not live to the minute, but it is close. For inmate inquiries by phone, call the jail at 564-397-2406. Staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and give limited release information.
Booking photos are tied to the jail record, not the police report. If you want the mugshot, start with the jail roster. If the person has already been released, their entry drops off the public roster. You can still request a copy of the booking record under the Public Records Act. The state jail register law is RCW 70.48.100, which keeps the basic booking information public.
Vancouver Municipal Court Records
The Vancouver Municipal Court handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases for offenses committed inside Vancouver city limits. The court is located at 310 E 8th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660. Court records are public. You can search them online or visit the clerk at the court building. The court also accepts online payments for fines and fees.
Felony cases move to Clark County Superior Court. Those filings are searchable through the Washington Courts case search. You can look up a name across every court in the state from one page. That is often the fastest way to see which jurisdiction is holding the paperwork.
The municipal court clerk can confirm warrants, hearing dates, and case status. For the mugshot itself, go back to the jail roster. Court staff do not hold booking photos. Those are Sheriff records.
How to Search Vancouver Jail Mugshots
Start with the Clark County Jail roster. Type in a last name and see what comes up. If the person is still in custody, their record will show with charges, booking time, and bail. If they are out, you will get no hit. At that point, move to the Vancouver public records request portal and ask for the arrest report. Be clear about what you want. A good request includes full name, approximate date of arrest, and any known case number.
Useful tips for a search that gets results:
- Use the full legal name, not a nickname
- Try last name only first
- Note any dates you already know
- Keep your case number if the court has assigned one
For victims or family members, the Washington VINELink system sends free alerts when a Clark County Jail inmate is released, transferred, or scheduled for a hearing. VINELink covers every county jail in the state.
Note: Public records requests for Vancouver police matters must include enough detail for staff to find the record without guesswork.
Vancouver Public Records Policy
The Vancouver Public Records Request page spells out the rules for all city records, including police files. The city defines a public record as any writing with information related to the conduct of government. That includes department emails, paper and electronic files, reports, and city council agendas. Inspection is free. Copies cost the unified fee above.
Under RCW 42.56.070(9), lists of individuals may not be disclosed for commercial purposes. The city will ask you to confirm the purpose of your request when it looks like a list. Large reproduction jobs may be sent to an outside vendor. The requestor pays the vendor directly in that case.
Sarah Leffler is the City Records Manager. Raelyn McJilton serves as the Public Records Officer. For general city records, call 360-487-8480 or email citypdr@cityofvancouver.us. For police records specifically, use the VPD contact above. Both paths follow the same response timeline under state law.
Statewide Tools for Vancouver Arrests
If the county and city tools run out, the state has several backups. The Washington DOC incarcerated search covers state prison inmates. The Washington State Patrol WATCH program runs official statewide criminal history checks. The Washington Courts public access site lets you pull case records from any court in the state.
These are all free or low cost and do not require you to live in Washington. For an older Vancouver mugshot from a case that is closed, the combo of WATCH plus the court search is often the fastest path. The court file will point back to the original booking agency, and you can then send a targeted records request to VPD or Clark County.
Note: Always match a name to a second field like date of birth before you rely on an online hit, because common names cause false matches.
Clark County Jail Mugshots
Vancouver is the county seat of Clark County, and every city arrest ends up in the Clark County Jail. The county page has the full breakdown on the jail, the Sheriff's office, and countywide records requests.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities file their own arrests through nearby jails and county systems.