Lewis County 72 Hour Booking
Lewis County 72 Hour Booking records are kept by the Sheriff in Chehalis. The Sheriff runs the county jail at 345 W. Main Street and books in arrests from across the county. Lewis does not host an online jail roster, so the main route to a recent booking is to call the Sheriff or send a written records request. This page covers how to search, what records are open, and which state tools fill in the gaps when local data is not online.
Lewis County Booking Snapshot
Where to Find Lewis County 72 Hour Booking Records
Start with the Sheriff. Call (360) 740-1275 to ask about a current inmate or recent intake. Staff can confirm whether someone is held at the Chehalis jail and read off the booking date and basic charges. They will not release the full booking file by phone. For that, send a written request.
Lewis County does not run a live online roster. The jail logs each booking in an internal system. The Sheriff has to follow the same statewide rules as larger agencies. The Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, sets the response time and fee rules. The jail records statute, RCW 70.48.100, controls booking photos and other items that are not public.
Lead-in: county-level resources for the Sheriff, jail, courts, and clerk are linked from the Lewis County website.
The county home page is the entry point for any office that touches a booking.
Lewis County Sheriff and Jail
The Sheriff's office is at 345 W. Main Street, Chehalis, WA 98532. Phone (360) 740-1275. Fax (360) 740-1282. The county jail shares the same address. The facility serves the entire county. Centralia Police, at 118 W. Maple Street, phone (360) 330-7680, and Chehalis Police, at 350 N. Market Boulevard, phone (360) 748-8600, also bring city arrests to the same county jail.
Visits are by appointment. Mail goes to the jail address with the inmate name on the envelope. Call the jail before driving out to confirm hours and rules. The Sheriff is also the place for warrants, civil paper service, and other criminal justice matters in the county.
Visit the Lewis County Sheriff page for direct contact info.
The Sheriff page is the main hub for jail records, public records requests, and visit info.
Note: Booking photos are not part of routine releases, since mug shots are restricted under RCW 70.48.100.
Public Records Requests in Lewis County
To request a booking file, write to the Lewis County Sheriff at 345 W. Main Street, Chehalis, WA 98532. Spell out the inmate name, the booking date, and the booking number if you have it. Include your contact info and what records you want, such as the booking sheet, charge list, or release record. The Sheriff has five business days to send a first response. Copies are about $0.15 per page.
Some items are exempt. Active investigation files, juvenile records, and material covered by RCW 10.97, the Criminal Records Privacy Act, are not always released. The Sheriff will tell you which records were held back and why. You can ask the agency to review the call.
For statewide criminal history, use the Washington State Patrol Criminal History system. WSP runs the official state repository for arrest and conviction data.
Lewis County Court Cases Tied to Bookings
Most bookings turn into court cases within a day or two. Lewis County District Court is at 345 W. Main Street, Chehalis, phone (360) 740-1236. Superior Court shares the same address, phone (360) 740-1207. District Court hears misdemeanors and traffic. Superior Court hears felonies and major civil cases.
To check court dates, use Find My Court Date. The Odyssey Portal covers many local courts. The Washington Courts site is the statewide hub for case search and forms.
Booking data also flows up to the WASPC JBRS booking system. The MRSC law enforcement records guide spells out which jail records each agency has to release under state law.
State and Federal Tools
If your search runs outside Lewis County, try the state and federal systems. The DOC Incarcerated Search covers state prison inmates. The DOC Warrant Search shows open state warrants. Federal cases are searchable through PACER. The WASPC main site links to other criminal justice tools used by sheriffs across the state.
Each tool has limits. The DOC search only shows people in state custody after sentencing. PACER only covers federal cases. The WSP repository only covers confirmed criminal history. For fresh county bookings in Lewis, the Sheriff is still the best place to start.
Mail, Phones, and Visits
To send mail, address the envelope to the inmate's full name at Lewis County Jail, 345 W. Main Street, Chehalis, WA 98532. Use a return address. Phone calls run through a third-party provider. Family and friends set up a prepaid account to take calls.
Visits are by appointment only. Call the jail to schedule. Slots are limited. Attorneys can schedule legal visits with ID and a bar card. The jail screens all mail.
Money for an inmate account can be sent through the jail's contracted provider. Ask the booking desk which service the jail uses. Most jails accept money orders by mail with the inmate name and booking number on the front. Cash and personal checks are usually not allowed at the front desk.
Property left at booking is held until release. The booking officer logs each item. Family members usually cannot pick up property unless the inmate signs a release form. Call ahead before driving to Chehalis to confirm the rules.