Lewis County Inmate Population
Lewis County inmate population records are maintained by the Lewis County Sheriff's Office, which provides a public online roster through the county jail's dedicated web portal. The Lewis County Jail in Chehalis processes roughly 3,000 bookings each year, and the online system lets you search by booking or browse the full roster sorted by booking date. This page covers how to search the roster, how to submit a public records request, and how to use statewide tools to locate someone who may have moved beyond the Lewis County jail system.
Lewis County Jail Overview
Lewis County Jail Inmate Records
The Lewis County Jail is located at 345 W Main St in Chehalis. It is operated by the Lewis County Sheriff's Office and handles bookings from the Sheriff's Office, Chehalis Police, Centralia Police, Washington State Patrol, and other law enforcement agencies operating in the county. The jail phone number is 360-740-1275. The Lewis County Sheriff's Office main page is at lewiscountywa.gov/sheriff.
Lewis County processes approximately 3,000 bookings per year. That volume makes the online roster a practical tool for keeping track of who is in custody at any given time. The jail's public web portal is separate from the main county site and provides both a booking search and a full roster view. The roster is sorted by booking date, so the most recent arrivals appear at the top. You can also look up older bookings through the same interface by searching by name.
| Facility | Lewis County Jail |
|---|---|
| Address | 345 W Main St, Chehalis, WA 98532 |
| Jail Phone | 360-740-1275 |
| Annual Bookings | Approximately 3,000 |
| Online Roster | jail.lewiscountywa.gov |
| Sheriff's Office | lewiscountywa.gov/sheriff |
| County Clerk | lewiscountywa.gov/clerk (M-F 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM) |
The jail portal at jail.lewiscountywa.gov uses a tab-based layout, with one tab for booking searches and another for the full current roster. Both are free to use and require no login. The roster tab sorts by booking date with the newest entries at the top.
How to Search the Lewis County Jail Roster
The Lewis County jail portal is at jail.lewiscountywa.gov. The site has two main tabs. The first lets you search by booking, where you can type in a name to find a specific person. The second displays a full roster sorted by booking date, showing the most recently booked individuals first. Both views are public and accessible without an account or fee.
Using the booking search tab is the fastest way to find a specific person. Type in a last name, or a partial name, and the system will return matching entries. Each result shows the inmate's name, booking date, charges, and custody status. The roster tab is more useful if you want to see who has come in recently or if you are checking for someone booked within the past few days without knowing the exact date.
The Washington State DOC incarcerated person search below shows the tool used to track Lewis County inmates who have since moved to state custody after sentencing.
Individuals sentenced to more than a year in prison are typically transferred from the county jail to a state facility. At that point they will no longer appear on the Lewis County roster, but the DOC search will show their current location and custody status.
Note: The Lewis County online roster is sorted by booking date, with the most recent bookings listed first at the top of the page.
Court Records for Lewis County Bookings
Criminal case records tied to Lewis County bookings are handled by the Lewis County Superior Court and District Court. The County Clerk's office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and can be reached through lewiscountywa.gov/clerk. The Washington Courts portal at courts.wa.gov provides free online access to Lewis County court records by name or case number. A booking record shows charges at arrest, but court records show what actually happened with the case.
The screenshot below shows the Washington Courts portal, which covers Lewis County Superior and District Court case records and is available to the public at no charge.
Court records and jail booking records are separate systems. A booking record confirms someone was arrested and held. A court record shows the full case history, including charges filed, hearings, plea entries, sentencing, and outcomes. You may need both depending on what information you are trying to verify.
Public Records Requests in Lewis County
Under RCW 42.56, Washington's Public Records Act, the Lewis County Sheriff's Office must respond to public records requests within five business days. That response may provide the records outright, give a timeline for when they will be ready, or ask for clarification. The law covers booking logs, incident reports, and other government records. Some records may be withheld if they relate to an active investigation or fall under a statutory exemption.
Local jails are also required under RCW 70.48.100 to keep and share records of all persons confined. The online Lewis County roster is published under that requirement. The basic booking record with name, date, and charges is a public document. More detailed records, such as full incident reports, may require a formal written request.
To request records, call the Lewis County Jail at 360-740-1275 or contact the Sheriff's Office through lewiscountywa.gov/sheriff. For court documents, contact the Lewis County Clerk at lewiscountywa.gov/clerk during regular business hours.
VINE Victim Notification for Lewis County
VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a free automated service that lets you track the custody status of inmates held in Lewis County or anywhere in Washington. When you register, the system sends alerts by phone, text, or email when an inmate is released, transferred, escapes, or has a scheduled court date. You do not need to give your name. The service is fully anonymous.
Register or check inmate status at VINELink.com. VINE works across both county jails and state prisons in Washington. If someone moves from the Lewis County Jail to a state facility, the service continues tracking them and you will still receive notifications. This is the best option if you need ongoing updates without contacting the jail directly.
Note: VINE is free to use and anonymous, and it covers both the Lewis County Jail and Washington State correctional facilities.
State-Level Inmate Search Resources
If someone does not appear on the Lewis County jail roster, Washington State maintains several tools to help. The Department of Corrections provides a free incarcerated person search at doc.wa.gov. This covers anyone currently serving a state sentence in a Washington prison. When a person held in Lewis County is sentenced to state prison time and transferred, they will show up in the DOC search rather than on the county roster.
For Washington criminal history records, the WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov covers arrest and conviction history statewide. A fee applies for WATCH. For free court record searches covering Lewis County Superior and District Court cases, use the Washington Courts portal at courts.wa.gov. You can search by name or case number without an account.
Note: The DOC incarcerated person search costs nothing to use, while WATCH criminal history searches charge a fee per request.
Cities in Lewis County
Lewis County is a large county in southwestern Washington. Chehalis is the county seat, and Centralia is the largest city. Both are located along Interstate 5. Other communities include Morton, Winlock, Toledo, Napavine, and Pe Ell. Chehalis and Centralia are both below the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. All jail bookings in Lewis County are processed through the Lewis County Jail in Chehalis.
Nearby Counties
Lewis County is one of the larger counties in western Washington and shares borders with many surrounding counties. If the person you are searching for is not found in Lewis County, check the nearby county systems below.