Find Jail Mugshots in Whatcom County

Whatcom County jail mugshots and booking photos are held by the county Sheriff's Office Corrections Bureau in Bellingham. The jail roster is live and public. It lists names, booking dates, facility, and cell info. You can search the roster at any time of day. This page shows you how to search Whatcom County jail mugshots, request booking records, and work with the county's inmate databases. The quick search widget below pulls public records fast, so you can start your inmate lookup in seconds.

Whatcom County Sheriff's Office Jail Mugshots

The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office has a staff of over 200 employees under Sheriff Donnell "Tank" Tanksley. The office runs three bureaus: Law Enforcement and Investigations, Corrections, and Civil and Support Services. The Corrections Bureau is the one that handles jail mugshots, booking photos, and daily jail operations. It also runs the Division of Emergency Management for natural and man-made events.

The Corrections Bureau operates the Whatcom County Jail and the Interim Work Center. The main jail is a maximum-security facility. It holds about 245 prisoners a day. The Interim Work Center is lower security. It averages 130 minimum or low-medium custody inmates. About 30 inmates a day serve time on Electronic Home Detention. Corrections Deputies oversee booking, population control, meals, medical care, prisoner transport, and court security.

The main jail address is 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225. Phone: 360-778-6500. Lobby hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Interim Work Center is at 2030 Division Street, Bellingham, WA 98226. Phone: 360-778-6450.

The Sheriff's homepage above links to jail roster tools, inmate visitation info, and the records request portal. It is the main hub for all jail-related lookups in the county.

Search the Whatcom County Jail Roster

The Whatcom County Jail Roster Search is the live list of people now held in custody by the county. The page is mobile-friendly and loads new data on the fly. You can click on any name to see more detail about that inmate. The columns include Name, Booking Date, Facility, Floor, Cell, and Name ID. The roster has current bookings only. Older cases drop off after release.

To search the Whatcom County jail roster, you do not need to log in. Just open the page and scroll. To see details on a booking, tap the inmate's name. You will see the charges and the bond amount. Facility codes show if the person is at the main jail or the work center.

Above is the roster tool. Use it for live inmate lookup. Update often, since bookings and releases change during the day.

Note: The Whatcom County jail roster shows only current inmates, so for older arrest records you must look at the Jail Bookings by Date database.

Whatcom County Inmate Databases

The Whatcom County Inmate Databases page is the portal for three tools: the jail roster, Jail Bookings by Date, and Jail Releases. Booking data is online from 1996 to the present. Release data is also online from 1996 to the present. You pick a date to view the bookings or releases from that day. This is how you pull old jail records.

You can also cross-check releases with VINELink. VINE alerts you when an inmate is released or moved. The alert ties right into the local booking data. For cases that moved to state prison, check with the Washington State Department of Corrections. DOC tracks inmates past the county jail.

This portal is the one place to hit all three county databases. Save it as a bookmark. You will use it often if you follow jail bookings over time.

Whatcom County Jail Records Requests

Most inmate records in Whatcom County are kept private by law. Under RCW 70.48.100, the City and County Jail Act, only a short list of data is public. The public release list includes inmate name, booking dates, description of charges, offense dates, bail bond info, and the arresting agency. All other inmate records are confidential. They can only be released to the inmate, with the inmate's signed permission, or by a court order.

The Whatcom County Request Jail Records page walks you through the process. You can submit a request by mail, in person, online, by email at Jail_Records@co.Whatcom.wa.us, or by fax at 360-778-6451. Medical records are extra strict. You need a Release Of Information form signed by the inmate. No medical info is released without the form or a court order. Send medical records requests to: Whatcom County Jail, Attn: Medical Records Requests, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225. Medical records fax: 360-738-2466. State law under RCW 42.56.520 gives agencies five business days to respond.

The image shows the official records request page. Read it before you file, since each type of record has its own rules.

Whatcom County Inmate Services

Corrections Deputies make daily trips to Skagit and Snohomish County jails as part of the state-wide transport chain. The county also runs alternative sentencing programs. These include home detention, work crew, and work release. The goal is to move people out of the main jail when it is safe to do so.

Commissary funds go through JAILATM.COM or by calling 1-870-627-5476. Tablet movies and music come through GETTINGOUT.COM at 1-866-516-0115. Pre-paid phone accounts run through ICSOLUTIONS.COM at 1-888-506-8407. Bail bonding companies must call the jail before coming to post bond. The number is 360-778-6500.

Note: The Sheriff's Office warns of phone scams where callers claim to be deputies and demand money to cancel a fake warrant, so never pay anyone who calls you with these threats.

Whatcom County Courts and Case Lookups

Once a person is booked in Whatcom County, their case moves into the court system. Felony cases go to the Whatcom County Superior Court. Misdemeanor and traffic cases go to District Court. You can search court records through the Washington Courts Public Access portal. This site lets you find case files by name or case number. Link the booking data on the jail roster with the court case for a full picture.

For arrest reports from the city, contact the Bellingham Police Department. Each city in Whatcom County may keep its own arrest reports. The county jail still holds the booking record. Statewide criminal history is handled by the Washington State Patrol under RCW 10.97.

Cities in Whatcom County

Whatcom County covers Bellingham and a group of smaller cities. All bookings feed into the county jail at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham.

Bellingham is the county seat and is the biggest source of bookings. Other communities include Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Everson, and Nooksack. Most of these towns have their own police but use the county jail for holding. That means one roster covers arrests from across the whole county.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Whatcom County. Corrections Deputies make daily trips to Skagit and Snohomish jails for inmate transport, so it is common to find people moved between them.