Find Bellingham Busted Mugshots

Bellingham busted mugshots and arrest records come from the Bellingham Police Department and the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. Bellingham is the seat of Whatcom County in the far northwest corner of Washington. To find a Bellingham mugshot, search the Whatcom County jail roster, file a public records request with Bellingham PD, or check the state court portal. This page shows where each record lives and how to ask for a copy. Most online tools are free.

Bellingham Busted Mugshots Sources

Bellingham arrest records start with the Bellingham Police Department. The department headquarters sits at 505 Grand Avenue. Call (360) 778-8800 for general info. The Bellingham Police Records Bureau is the only records bureau in Whatcom County that runs 24-hour coverage. Specialists handle background checks, concealed pistol licenses, and public disclosure requests. They also enter and clear missing persons reports, warrants, and protection orders.

The best way to ask for a Bellingham police record is the online form at cob.org/gov/dept/police. The City Public Records Officer is Kelley Goetz, reached at (360) 778-8156 or publicrecords@cob.org. The first response comes within five business days. That is the standard set by RCW 42.56.520.

Booking photos are not held by the city. They live with the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office at 311 Grand Avenue, just down the block. Call (360) 778-6600 or email sheriffrecords@co.whatcom.wa.us. The sheriff runs the Whatcom County Jail and posts a current inmate list at whatcomcounty.us/1907/Current-Inmates.

Common records you can request from Bellingham PD:

• Police incident reports
• Collision and crash reports
• Body camera video
• Concealed pistol license records
• Background check letters

Note: The Bellingham Records Bureau also provides fingerprinting for background checks and concealed pistol applications.

Bellingham Police Records Process

Bellingham PD reviews each request for any exemption under RCW 42.56. Items often held back include juvenile data, child witness info, and parts of an active case file. The released record may be partial. Each redaction is logged. You can ask for the log to see what was held and why.

Records come in PDF most of the time. Body camera footage takes longer because of redaction work. Bellingham follows a fee schedule that matches state law. Inspection at the city office is free. Copies cost a few cents per page. Electronic delivery costs a small fee per file.

Court records are not part of the police records system. The Bellingham Municipal Court at 2014 C Street keeps its own files. Court records are exempt from the state Public Records Act under a state Supreme Court ruling. Access is governed by court rules.

The page links to records, fingerprinting, and the public disclosure form.

The records page lists hours, contact info, and the online request form.

Whatcom County Jail Roster

For booking photos, search the Whatcom County jail roster. The roster lists current inmates only. It shows name, booking date, charges, and bail. To find a past booking, file a records request with the Whatcom County Sheriff. The sheriff also runs the warrant database for the county.

Bellingham felony cases go to Whatcom County Superior Court. Misdemeanor cases stay in Bellingham Municipal Court. Both courts use the state Odyssey portal for public case data. You can search the portal at Washington Courts case search. Results show charges, hearing dates, and case status.

Note: Booking data and inmate lists are public under RCW 70.48.100.

Statewide Bellingham Mugshot Tools

The Washington State Patrol runs a statewide criminal history check called WATCH. Use it to pull a full conviction history for a person. Results come back fast. The fee is small. The data is governed by the state Criminal Records Privacy Act, RCW 10.97. The State Patrol also runs the sex offender registry and the most wanted list.

Selling mugshots or charging a removal fee is barred by RCW 10.97.130. The booking photo itself is public, but commercial publication and pay-to-remove sites cross a line under state law.

Search Tips

Spelling counts. Try the legal name first. Try a nickname. Try a date range. The Whatcom roster shows current inmates only, so start there if you think the booking is recent. For older bookings, file a records request with the sheriff or pull the case file from the court portal.

Whatcom County Busted Mugshots

Bellingham is the seat of Whatcom County. The county sheriff and Superior Court handle most of the data tied to a Bellingham arrest. For county-wide tools, see the Whatcom County page.

View Whatcom County Busted Mugshots

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Other cities with arrest record pages.