How to Search the King County Jail Roster
The official tool is the DAJD Subject Lookup Tool. It can tell you whether an adult is currently in custody in King County, where the person is held, and the booking number, also called a Book of Arrest or B/A number. That number is often needed to contact someone in custody or send money. The tool also covers adults who were in custody within the past year, not just people held right now.
You do not need an account. The search is public and free. Have the person's full name ready, or a booking number if you have one.
- Open the DAJD Subject Lookup Tool.
- Enter a last name and first name, or a booking number.
- Add filters such as facility or custody status to narrow results.
- Open the matching record to confirm the facility and booking number.
- Use the booking number to send money or arrange contact.
You can reach the official starting point through the DAJD locate-a-person-in-jail page.
That page also lists the adult jail phone line and the separate youth custody line.
King County Inmate Search Fields
The Subject Lookup Tool offers several filters so you can find the right person even when a name is common. You can search broadly with a name, or precisely with a booking number or person number.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name / First Name | Text | No | Public name filter |
| DOB | Date | No | Date picker in M/d/yyyy format |
| Race | Dropdown | No | American Indian, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Other, Unknown, White |
| Gender | Dropdown | No | Male, Female, X, Unknown |
| Facility | Dropdown | No | KCCF, MRJC, EHD, and other listed sites |
| Currently In Custody | Dropdown | No | Yes or No |
| Booking / UCN | Text | No | Booking number or unique control number |
The live tool is the DAJD Subject Lookup Tool, which also has an expandable area for more options.
Setting the Currently In Custody filter to No helps when you are looking for someone recently released.
Reading King County Inmate Search Results
Search results return a row for each match, and each row carries a small set of fields. The table shows what appears for an adult in the jail roster.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| UCN | The unique control or person number |
| Name | Full name, usually in uppercase |
| Preferred Name | An alternate name field, often blank |
| Facility | KCCF, MRJC, or another listed site |
| Arresting Agency | The department for the current booking |
| Booking Number | B/A number in YYYY-NNNNN format |
| Booking Date | When the person was booked |
The public results screen does not show mugshots. Arresting agencies in the rows can include Seattle Police, the King County Sheriff's Office, Federal Way Police, and Kirkland Police, which shows how many agencies book into the county jails.
King County Jail Facilities
The county operates two adult detention facilities and a separate youth center. The King County Correctional Facility sits downtown in Seattle and opened in 1986. The Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent opened in 1997 and serves the south county. Use the Subject Lookup Tool first to learn which facility holds a person before you call or visit.
King County Correctional Facility
500 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
206-296-1234
Maleng Regional Justice Center
620 W. James Street
Kent, WA 98032
206-296-1234
Clark Children & Family Justice Center
1211 E. Alder Street
Seattle, WA 98122
Youth custody 206-263-9595
The adult jails page describes both jails, gives directions, and posts a scam warning.
The Booking Number and B/A Number
The booking number is the key to most jail tasks. The county also calls it the B/A number, short for Book of Arrest. It appears in the YYYY-NNNNN format on the roster. You usually need it to send money to a person in custody or to set up a call. The unique control number, or UCN, identifies the person across bookings.
If you cannot find a person, the booking may not be entered yet, or the person may be held by another agency. Try again later, or call the adult jail line at 206-296-1234.
How Booking and Release Work in King County
Custody starts with a booking. After an arrest, the arresting agency books the person into the King County Correctional Facility, the Maleng Regional Justice Center, or another regional jail, depending on jurisdiction and the charge. The booking creates the record you see in the Subject Lookup Tool. From that point, the person may be released on bail, released on their own recognizance, or held pending a hearing.
The roster updates as these events happen, but there is a lag while staff process each step. A very recent booking may not show right away, and a release can take time to reflect in the public tool. The county notes that the lookup also covers adults who were in custody within the past year, so a recent release can still appear with a custody status of No. When the tool is unclear, the adult jail line at 206-296-1234 is the fastest way to confirm a person's current status.
Bail and Posting Money
Bail is one of the most common reasons families search the roster. King County publishes an official pay-bail process, and posting bail correctly depends on the booking number and the specific case. Accepted payment methods should be confirmed on the county's pay-bail page before any money changes hands, because scam callers prey on people in a hurry.
The county warns directly about schemes that promise to release someone or place them on Electronic Home Detention in exchange for a payment. No legitimate process works that way over the phone. If someone claims they can speed a release for cash or a prepaid card, treat it as a scam and call the jail at 206-296-1234. Sending money to a person in custody is a separate task from posting bail, and it also relies on the booking number.
Court Dates Are Not Jail Records
This is the most common mix-up. The county is clear that detention staff do not have information about court cases or hearings. The roster shows custody, not the calendar. For a court date, you use the court that handles the case: KC Script for Superior Court felonies and family matters, the District Court portal for misdemeanors and infractions, or the city municipal court for city cases. The jail tool and the court portals draw from different systems, so a person can show as in custody while their next hearing sits only in the court record.
For the underlying charge and case, see arrest records and court records. For warrant status, see warrant records.
Visitation Rules at King County Jails
Limited in-person visitation is available at both adult jails. Schedules and some rules are specific to each facility, so confirm the visit times for the jail that holds the person. Every visitor needs valid government-issued photo identification and must follow the dress code.
| Facility | Visit Type | ID | Dress Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| KCCF Seattle | Limited in-person; video visit available | Government photo ID | Shoes required; no revealing attire |
| MRJC Kent | Limited in-person; video visit available | Government photo ID | Shoes required; no revealing attire |
The dress code bars miniskirts and similar attire, low-cut or revealing necklines, bare midriffs, and exposed undergarments. Use the Subject Lookup Tool first so you go to the right jail.
The adult jail visitation page posts the current rules and facility visit sections.
Money, Mail, and Phone Contact
The county links separate tasks for paying bail, sending money, phone calls, video visits, and victim notification. Most of these need the booking number. The county warns about scams that promise release or home detention for a payment, so families should call 206-296-1234 directly and use only published county numbers.
Reception at the Seattle jail closes briefly each afternoon from 2:20 to 2:40 p.m., and staff will not start new business during that window. Plan visits and drop-offs around that short closure. Professional visitors who leave during the reception break can still exchange a badge for identification, but no new business begins until reception reopens.
Phone, video visit, mail, and commissary services each have their own process, and the exact providers and rates are posted on the county's dedicated task pages rather than guessed at here. Before you set up a call or send funds, confirm the current method on the official King County jail-services pages. Detention staff handle these services separately from court business, so the same booking number that helps with money does not unlock court-case details.
Transfers, Notifications, and State Custody
Sometimes a person is no longer in a King County jail because they were transferred. If someone may have moved to state prison, the Washington Department of Corrections runs its own incarcerated search by first name, last name, or DOC number.
The Washington DOC incarcerated search returns the DOC number, name, age, location, and a VINE notification link. The department explains what it publishes on its resource hub.
The DOC search resources page covers related criminal-history and registry tools. To get an alert when custody status changes, register with VINELink.
The VINELink system sends free notifications about custody changes where the service is supported. For release searches, see the released inmates page, and for jail population data, see inmate population.
Regional Jails Outside King County
Not everyone arrested in the region lands in a King County jail. Booking rows in the lookup tool sometimes show arresting agencies from outside the county, such as the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, which is a reminder that custody can sit with a different jurisdiction. A person arrested by a city police department may be held in a city or contract facility, and a person facing federal charges may be held in federal custody instead.
If the King County tool returns nothing, widen the search. Check the Washington Department of Corrections for state prison custody, the Bureau of Prisons for federal custody, and the jurisdiction named on any paperwork you have. The arresting agency listed in a booking row tells you which department to contact for an arrest report, since that report is an agency record rather than a court file. For federal and state release searches, the released inmates page gathers those tools in one place.
Privacy Limits and Juvenile Custody
Adult custody data is public, but youth data is not. If you believe a youth under 18 is in custody, the county directs you to call 206-263-9595, a line that runs 24 hours a day. Juvenile custody and juvenile court records are more restricted than adult information under RCW 13.50 and related court rules. The adult roster also follows state law and county code that limit cooperation with civil immigration enforcement.
Note: The roster updates as bookings are processed, so a very recent arrest may not appear right away; call the jail line to confirm.