Camas Residents Directory Lookup
The Camas Residents Directory is a free way to find public records kept by the City of Camas, the Camas Police Department, and state offices. The City Clerk is the Public Records Officer under RCW 42.56. The clerk handles most requests. Police and fire use their own record desks. The Camas Residents Directory lets residents look up council minutes, ordinances, permits, and police files. Camas is in Clark County, on the north bank of the Columbia River. Most searches can start online through the city's public records portal.
How the Camas Residents Directory Works
The City of Camas has a formal records policy. It follows the Public Records Act. The Camas City Clerk's Office supports the council, the staff, and the public. The office coordinates agendas, minutes, and legislation. It also runs the public disclosure process. Camas splits its records work between three desks. The clerk takes general city files. The police records unit takes police files. The fire office handles fire reports.
Within five business days, the clerk must give one of five answers. Make the file ready, send copies, give a time estimate, ask for more detail, or deny the request with a reason. That rule comes from RCW 42.56.520.
The screenshot above shows the City Clerk landing page, where most Camas Residents Directory searches begin.
Camas City Clerk Records
The city clerk's office sits inside Camas City Hall at 616 NE 4th Avenue. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. The clerk keeps council minutes, resolutions, ordinances, contracts, and legal notices. The clerk also keeps the records retention schedule and makes sure files get kept or tossed on time.
You can file a records request in three ways. Use the online portal. Fill out the paper form and mail it. Drop off a form in person. Camas prefers the online route. It tracks each request from start to finish and cuts down on paper.
The Camas Public Records Index is a guide to the records the city keeps. There is no single master list of every file. The city says a single index would be too costly to build. Instead, the index page points you to the most common record sets.
This image shows the Public Records Index page for the Camas Residents Directory, with four different ways to find files.
Camas Police Department Records
The Camas Police Department handles its own records requests. You can file a request online, by phone at 360-834-4151, or in person. The department follows the same five business day rule from RCW 42.56.520. The records clerk will send copies, set up an inspection, ask for clarification, or deny the request.
Police reports are subject to some extra exemptions. Active investigation files may be held back under RCW 42.56.240. Once a case closes, most of the file becomes open. You can read the rules on the Camas Police records request page.
The screenshot shows the Camas Police request page, an important part of the Camas Residents Directory for public safety files.
Note: Witness names, juvenile data, and medical details in police files are often redacted to protect privacy under state law.
Camas Historical Records
Older Camas files are kept at the Washington State Archives Camas Clerk collection. The collection covers minutes and meeting records from 1973 to the present. There are over 2,000 records on file. You can search by keyword, year, or date range. Access is open for research. The files are free to view online.
This image shows the Digital Archives entry for the Camas Clerk's minutes, a deep source for the Camas Residents Directory.
For help with older files, you can contact the Southwest Regional Branch at 360-753-1684. The branch keeps paper copies that never made it online.
Camas Residents Directory Fees
Copy fees match the state default in RCW 42.56.120. The city charges $0.15 per printed page, $0.10 per scanned page, and $0.10 per gigabyte for electronic file transfer. Inspection of files at City Hall is free. You only pay if you want copies.
The city does not charge extra for staff time in most cases. Very large requests may get split into batches. The clerk will give an estimate before work starts.
Camas Residents Directory Statewide Tools
Some Camas files live in statewide systems. The Washington Courts Odyssey Portal lists case info for many superior and district courts. The Clark County Superior Court hears felony and family law cases from Camas. The WATCH tool from the Washington State Patrol shows conviction history for a fee.
For vital records, go to the Washington Department of Health. That office keeps birth and death certs from 1907 forward. Older Camas vital records may be at the county auditor in Vancouver.
Businesses can be looked up at the Secretary of State CCFS portal. The search is free and covers every registered entity in Washington.
Legal Basis for the Camas Residents Directory
The Camas Residents Directory rests on the state Public Records Act at RCW 42.56. The law opens most files to the public. RCW 42.56.070 is the key provision. It says each agency must make its records open unless a statute says no. The city clerk is the designated records officer under RCW 42.56.580.
Court records use a different path. General Rule 31 and GR 31.1 govern access to court files. The court clerk, not the city clerk, handles those. For tax and property files, the Clark County Assessor and Treasurer are the main contacts. You can browse the Washington Department of Revenue property tax directory for links to the county offices.
If the city denies a request, you can ask for review. If that fails, you can take the case to superior court. The city must show that the file is exempt. That rule keeps the Camas Residents Directory open in most cases.
Camas Residents Directory Channels
Different files come from different offices. The list below shows the main desks.
- Camas City Clerk at 616 NE 4th Avenue
- Camas Police Records Unit at 360-834-4151
- Camas-Washougal Fire Department at 360-834-2262
- Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch
- Clark County Clerk for superior court files
Each desk keeps its own queue. If you send a request to the wrong desk, staff will route it. But that adds days to the wait.
Clark County Residents Directory
Camas is in Clark County. Many files in the Camas Residents Directory link to county level records for deeds, marriage licenses, and superior court cases.