FAQs for public disclosure

No. Once the King County Sheriff’s Office receives a public records request, that request itself becomes a public record of the King County Sheriff’s Office. Someone else may make a public records request for that document and we will provide it.

The day the request is received does not count, nor do weekends or holidays observed by the County. 

Within five business days after receiving your request, we will:

• Provide the record(s) (or an installment of the records);
• Or acknowledge your request and give you a reasonable estimate of how long it will take to respond;
• Or deny the request in writing, stating the reasons for the denial (this could also include a denial of part of your request and a granting of the remainder).

Pursuant to King County Ordinance 18949 and the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.120, the KCSO is allowed to charge the following fees in response to Public Records Act requests:

We process requests in the order in which they are received as closely as possible. Once the records have been collected, we will notify you of any copying charges. Any records or portion of records that are exempt from disclosure will be withheld or redacted. We will specify the exemption that applies to any documents withheld or redactions made. We may provide you an estimate of time for further response or provide documents in installments. Factors may include, for example, time needed to:

• Get clarification from you if necessary.
• Search for records.  More time may be needed if request is large or complex.
• Assemble and review records.
• Provide notice to affected third persons/agencies if necessary.
• Prepare an exemption log if necessary.
• Perform other essential agency functions, considering agency resources including staff availability.

If we cannot produce all the records at once (particularly for large requests), we will provide records in installments. If the records have an associated per page fee, we may request a deposit up front (not to exceed 10 percent).

For security and verification purposes, you may need to pick up the materials in person and present valid identification.

A public record is any record containing information relating to the conduct of government business, which is prepared, owned, used or retained by an agency. This includes, but is not limited to, electronic media, paper, e-mail, microfilm, audiotapes, videotapes, magnetic tapes, and disks (CDs/DVDs). A valid public records request is a request for a specific and identifiable public document. A request for general information is not a valid public records request. You do not have to identify the records you want with exact precision, but the more information you are able to give us will help us to locate your records quickly and provide them to you in a timely manner. A request for “any and all records” may take much longer to process than a request for specific records. Please contact our staff to assist you in clarifying your request.

Each record must be reviewed to determine whether it is exempt from production. Most exemptions are listed in RCW 42.56.230-42.56.480. However, certain statutes outside public records laws also provide exemptions from disclosure or prohibitions on disclosure of particular records. When the King County Sheriff’s Office denies a request for production of a public record, the specific statutory exemption on which the denial is based must be identified along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies.

Department Manual - (also known as the General Orders Manual or GOM)

The policies published in this manual have been adopted for the guidance of the members of the King County Sheriff's Office. Department members have the responsibility to know and abide by these policies and procedures.

KCSO General Orders Manual;

RCW 42.56.520 provides that a response to a request for public records must be made by the agency within five business days. Within five business days (excluding holidays) after receiving a request, we will:

• Acknowledge receipt of the request and provide a reasonable estimate for further response; or
• Fulfill the request; or
• Provide an internet address and link to the records on our website; or
• Seek clarification; or,
• Deny the request with an accompanying written statement of the specific reasons.

King County Superior Court records: