Des Moines Busted Mugshots
Look up Des Moines busted mugshots, arrest records, and jail roster data through the Des Moines Police Department and the King County jail system. Des Moines sits in King County on the south Puget Sound. Most booking photos and inmate records tied to a Des Moines arrest flow through county jail sites. You can search by name, pull a recent Des Moines arrest, or file a public records request for older files. This page walks through the tools, offices, and steps to find Des Moines mugshots, arrest records, and booking photos.
Des Moines Police Records
The Des Moines Police Department handles city arrest records and booking photos through a public records process set under RCW 42.56. The city home page sits at desmoineswa.gov. From there, you can find the police page, the records request form, and the city clerk contact. The department releases files in installments for big jobs.
Files include incident reports, arrest records, collision files, and body worn camera video. Court files are not part of the Public Records Act release. You must ask the Des Moines Municipal Court direct for case files. A clear case number, date, and full name cuts the wait.
Note: The city responds to most requests within five business days under RCW 42.56.520.
King County Jail Roster
People booked in Des Moines land at the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle or at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The jail roster is public under RCW 70.48.100. The roster lists the name, date, hour, and cause of each booking plus discharge data. Call the jail at (206) 296-1234 for a booking check. For county tools, see the King County busted mugshots page.
Booking photos are held back from open release in most cases. State law carves out two uses. The jail can release a photo to help with an active case. It can also release one when a registered sex offender heads back into the community. Note: RCW 10.97.130 limits commercial use of booking photos.
Des Moines City Records Source
The image below shows the Des Moines city home page. It links to the police page, the clerk, and the records request form.
View the live page at desmoineswa.gov. From there you can jump to the police page and the request portal.
Each request must name an identifiable file. Provide titles, dates, full names, site addresses, or case numbers. The city has five business days to respond. Staff cannot do legal research.
Des Moines Court Case Files
The Des Moines Municipal Court holds case files for city-level arrests and charges. Court files are not subject to the state Public Records Act. So you must ask the court direct. Most Des Moines charges show up through the state court name and case lookup on the Odyssey portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov. King County Superior Court cases tied to felonies are not on Odyssey, so use the county eCourt site for those.
Des Moines Mugshot Search Tips
A Des Moines mugshot search works best with a few facts up front.
- Full name of the person booked
- Date of birth
- Rough date of the arrest
- Case or booking number
- Arresting agency
Start with the King County jail roster for current bookings. Move to the Des Moines Police records request for the full file. Check Odyssey for charge data. Use WATCH at watch.wsp.wa.gov for a state conviction check. Non-conviction data over one year is not open under RCW 10.97.
State Tools for Des Moines Arrest Records
State tools fill gaps in the city-level data. WATCH gives conviction history for a small fee. The Department of Corrections holds state prison data. VINELink sends free alerts when custody status changes. The Washington State Patrol holds collision reports at wsp.wa.gov.
The Odyssey portal covers most counties but not King County, so Des Moines Superior Court cases need the King County eCourt. Municipal Court cases use the local clerk. RCW 10.97.130 limits the commercial use of mugshots, mainly to block fee-for-removal sites.
Fees for Des Moines Booking Records
The fees for Des Moines booking records follow state caps under RCW 42.56. Inspection is free. Paper copies run $0.15 per page. Scans cost $0.10 per page. Electronic files cost $0.05 per four files. Large batches run $0.10 per gigabyte. Body worn camera redaction carries a high per-minute staff cost. Payment is by cash, check, or card. Card fees may apply.
Note: Records come back in installments for big asks, so log in and pull each part within thirty days.
King County Handles Des Moines Bookings
Des Moines sits in King County. The county jail books most adults arrested in the city. For county tools, jail data, and sheriff records, see the King County busted mugshots page.
Des Moines Data Tips
When you run a Des Moines mugshot search, start broad and then narrow it down. Use a full name and a date range first. Then add a middle name if the list is long. Most Des Moines arrest records also have a tied 911 call log at the King County dispatch center. That file is separate from the police report and must be asked from dispatch direct.
The daily King County jail roster is the fastest hit for a fresh Des Moines booking. Court data lags a few days behind. Note: A Des Moines arrest on SR-509 or I-5 may also have a state patrol file in addition to the city police file.