Lakewood Inmate Population and Pierce County Jail Records
Lakewood inmate population records are housed at Pierce County Jail, which books people arrested by the Lakewood Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the county. Pierce County provides two public search tools for the current jail population: the LINX online roster and the Pierce County Sheriff's inmate search. This page explains both tools, how to use them, and where to look when a Lakewood arrest record is not showing up in the county system.
Lakewood Jail Overview
Where Lakewood Arrests Are Processed
Lakewood has its own police department at 9401 Lakewood Drive SW, Lakewood, WA 98499. When Lakewood Police make an arrest, the person is transported to the Pierce County Jail at 910 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402. The jail phone is 253-798-4590. Pierce County runs this facility and handles pre-trial detainees, people serving sentences under one year, and others held on county warrants or state corrections holds.
Lakewood is located in the southwestern part of Pierce County, directly adjacent to Tacoma. It is one of the larger cities in Pierce County by population. The city does not operate its own jail facility, so all custody goes through the county system in Tacoma. This means the Pierce County jail population includes people from Lakewood, Tacoma, Puyallup, University Place, and many other parts of the county.
| Facility | Pierce County Jail |
|---|---|
| Address | 910 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402 |
| Phone | 253-798-4590 |
| Lakewood Police | 9401 Lakewood Drive SW, Lakewood, WA 98499 |
| Pierce County Jail Info | piercecountywa.gov/1673 |
| Pierce County Sheriff | piercesheriff.org |
Pierce County operates the jail facility directly through its own county government structure. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office manages custody and security at the facility. That is separate from Pierce County's court system, which handles the legal proceedings for people booked at the jail. If you need to know the status of a court case for a Lakewood arrest, the jail system and the court system are two different places to look.
How to Search Lakewood Inmate Population Records
There are two public search tools available for Pierce County jail records. The first is the LINX online roster. The second is the Pierce County Sheriff's inmate search. Both are free to use and do not require registration.
The LINX system is available at linxonline.co.pierce.wa.us. LINX is the county's law enforcement information network, and the jail roster function shows the current population at Pierce County Jail. You can search by name and view each inmate's charges, booking date, arresting agency, and bond information. Lakewood Police bookings appear here alongside those from other Pierce County agencies.
The screenshot below shows the Pierce County LINX jail roster, which is the primary database for Lakewood inmate population records at the county jail in Tacoma.
This view of the LINX roster gives you a clear picture of how to run a search and what type of information each booking record contains.
The second tool is the Pierce County Sheriff's inmate search at piercesheriff.org/inmate-search. This portal is maintained by the Sheriff's Office and also searches the current jail population by name. Both LINX and the Sheriff's tool pull from the same underlying data, so results should be consistent between the two systems. Some users find one interface easier to use than the other; try both if you have trouble locating a specific person.
Note: Both portals show only current in-custody individuals. If the person you are searching for is not listed, they may have been released or transferred to a state DOC facility after sentencing.
Public Records Access for Lakewood Inmate Population
Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, gives all members of the public the right to request government records without stating a reason. Jail booking logs, arrest records, and inmate rosters are covered. Agencies must respond within five business days and either provide records, give a timeline for completion, or ask for clarification about the scope of the request.
Under RCW 70.48.100, county jails must maintain a public register of all confined persons. The register must show each person's name, date and time of booking, and manner of release. Pierce County's LINX roster and the Sheriff's inmate search both satisfy this requirement and are accessible without a formal public records request for current data.
To request archived or detailed records, contact the Pierce County Jail at 253-798-4590 or visit the Pierce County Jail information page. For Lakewood Police arrest records, contact the department at 9401 Lakewood Drive SW, Lakewood, WA 98499. Written requests process faster than walk-in requests for records not available online.
VINE Custody Alerts for Lakewood Inmates
VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a free, anonymous service that tracks custody changes at Pierce County Jail and Washington State DOC facilities. If you need alerts when a Lakewood inmate is released, transferred, or has a court event, register at VINELink.com. You can set up alerts by phone, text, or email. You do not need to share your name or contact information with the jail to register.
VINE updates approximately every 15 minutes for jail bookings and releases. If a Lakewood inmate is convicted of a felony and transferred to a Washington State DOC prison, VINE will continue to track that person in the state system as well. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs operates VINE statewide. It is available for Pierce County Jail and all other county jails in Washington.
Court Records for Lakewood Cases
Jail records and court records are kept by separate agencies. A jail record shows what happened at booking. A court record shows what happened during legal proceedings. To look up court case records for Lakewood arrests, use the Washington Courts public case search at courts.wa.gov. This portal is free and covers all Washington courts by name or case number.
Felony cases from Lakewood are heard at Pierce County Superior Court. Misdemeanor cases go to Lakewood Municipal Court or Pierce County District Court, depending on the charge. All are searchable at courts.wa.gov. Court records include the charges, hearing dates, whether a plea was entered, and the final case outcome. That information is separate from the jail roster and does not appear in the LINX or Sheriff's inmate search tools.
One practical point: someone may still have an open court case even after they are released from jail. If a person is not in the jail roster but you believe they had a recent arrest in Lakewood, check courts.wa.gov separately to see if a case was filed.
State Resources for Lakewood Inmate Searches
If a Lakewood resident was convicted of a felony and sentenced to more than one year, they will be in a Washington State DOC facility. The Washington DOC incarcerated person search covers all 10 state prisons and reentry centers. You can search by name or DOC number and see the current facility, sentence information, and projected release date.
The Washington State Patrol WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov provides fingerprint-based statewide criminal history searches for $11 each. WATCH covers conviction records and recent arrests still pending court action. It is the most thorough public option available for verifying someone's criminal background in Washington and is more reliable than a name-only search alone.
The Washington statutes governing public access to jail and arrest records are RCW 42.56 and RCW 70.48.100, available at the Washington State Legislature website.
Pierce County Inmate Population Records
Lakewood is in Pierce County, and all Lakewood arrests are processed at Pierce County Jail. The county page has full details on LINX, the Sheriff's inmate search, and other resources for searching Pierce County inmate population records.
Nearby Cities
These Pierce County cities are near Lakewood and use the same county jail and LINX system for inmate population records.