Pierce County Residents Directory

The Pierce County Residents Directory helps you search public records tied to people who live, own property, or have court cases in Pierce County, Washington. You can look up recorded documents, property parcels, Superior Court files, and jail roster data from one place. Most sources point back to offices in Tacoma. The goal is simple. Find the right record, at the right agency, with the right link. This page pulls together the main public portals and tells you where to go next when a local tool falls short.

Pierce County Residents Directory Starting Point

The best place to start is the county's own index of open records. Pierce County keeps a single hub that links to each department portal in one spot. You can reach it at Pierce County Records Available Online. It lists property data, court files, sheriff reports, permits, and more. The page is a map, not a database. Use it to jump straight to the right office.

Before you file a formal records request, check this hub. Most people find what they need here without any paperwork. The county asks users to try the online tools first to save time on both sides.

Here is a screenshot of the main records hub for Pierce County.

The page groups each record type under the right office, which makes the Pierce County Residents Directory much easier to use.

Recorded Documents in the Pierce County Residents Directory

The Pierce County Auditor serves as the county recorder. The office holds deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, liens, easements, covenants, plat maps, surveys, and UCC filings. You can see more at the Auditor Recorded Documents page. Records go back to 1984 in the online index. Older files are kept on paper and film at the office.

To search online, use ARMS Web. You can look up documents by name, date, or document type. Images shown online are redacted for privacy and are not certified. If you need a certified copy, the fee is $5 for the first page and $1 for each added page. Uncertified copies can be viewed and printed online at no cost.

Here is the ARMS Web search screen used by the public.

The tool is free to use and is the fastest way to pull a deed or lien tied to a Pierce County address.

The office sits at 2401 S. 35th Street, Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98409. The phone is 253-798-7440. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Recording fees are set by RCW 36.18.010 and run from about $110 to $228 for most standard documents. The Auditor also issues marriage licenses, passports, and pet licenses.

Pierce County Court Records and LINX

The Clerk of the Superior Court holds all civil, criminal, probate, and family cases filed in Pierce County. The main tool for looking up case info is LINX, the Legal Information Network eXchange. LINX lets you search by party name or cause number. You can see charges, docket entries, court dates, and judgments.

Cases with documents filed in 2002 or later can be viewed and printed for free through the public access terminals at the Clerk's office. Attorneys can subscribe to view, print, and download documents from their own office. The LINX system also hosts a jail roster. You can search inmates by last name, see booking charges, and click through to tied Superior Court files.

Below is the LINX public entry page.

LINX is the core Pierce County Residents Directory tool for court files and is kept up to date by the Clerk's office in Tacoma.

The Clerk's office is at 930 Tacoma Avenue S, Tacoma, WA 98402. The phone is 253-798-7455. As of December 1, 2025, phone calls are taken only until 3:30 p.m. In-person hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can email the office at pcclerk@piercecountywa.gov. Court records are governed by Washington Court General Rules GR 31 and GR 31.1 rather than the main Public Records Act at RCW 42.56. You can also use the statewide Odyssey Portal to cross-check case data across counties.

Property Records in the Pierce County Residents Directory

The Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer keeps tax rolls, parcel data, owner names, sales history, and exemption info. You can start at the main Assessor-Treasurer page. For parcel searches, use the Assessor-Treasurer Information Portal (ATIP). Search is free. You can look up a parcel by address, parcel number, or owner name.

The office sits at 2401 S. 35th Street, Room 142, Tacoma, WA 98409. The phone is 253-798-6111. Staff can help at the public service counter, but research by phone or mail is not offered due to limits on time. Senior and disabled owners may qualify for tax relief. Call the hotline at 253-798-2169 to check.

Under RCW 42.56.070(9), the commercial use of owner lists pulled from Assessor records is barred. That rule applies to the full Pierce County Residents Directory of property data. Appraisers drive white marked vehicles and wear photo ID when they visit a parcel.

Note: Tax title and foreclosure lists are posted online each year and are a good source for tracking delinquent parcels in Pierce County.

Sheriff and Law Enforcement Records

The Pierce County Sheriff's Office handles requests for witness statements, photos, and investigative files. Start at the Sheriff Public Records page. For incident reports, CAD data, traffic tickets, and 911 call audio, requests go through South Sound 911. Audio is kept for about 90 days, so act fast.

You can email the Sheriff's Public Disclosure Unit at SHRpublicrecords@piercecountywa.gov. Mail and fax requests go to Pierce County Sheriff's Department, Attn: Public Disclosure Unit, 3602 Pacific Avenue S. #100, Tacoma, WA 98418. The fax is 253-798-7366. Paper copies cost $0.15 per page. A CD or DVD is $1.15 per disk plus postage. Checks and money orders are made out to Pierce County.

Most jail records, including booking photos, are kept private under RCW 70.48.100. The public jail roster only shows name, booking date, charge, warrant type, court, and bail. To get personal inmate records, the inmate must sign an Authorization for Release form. Medical records need a separate release.

Common redactions under the law include victim names, data tied to minors, and Social Security numbers. You can also run a name-based criminal history check with the Washington State Patrol at WATCH for $11 per search, as set under RCW 10.97.

Vital Records and Other State Tools

Birth and death certificates for Pierce County are held by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, not the Auditor. Marriage and divorce certificates from 1968 forward are also held at the state level through the Washington Department of Health. Fees are about $25 for the first copy and $20 for each added copy of the same record. Only self, close family, or legal reps can get certified birth and death copies under RCW 70.58A.560.

For older records, try the Washington State Digital Archives. It holds early county records, court files, and some birth and death entries from 1890 to 1907. Many files can be viewed for free. You can also pull business filings from the Secretary of State Corporations and Charities Filing System. This is useful when a Pierce County resident owns a business or serves as a registered agent.

Need a statute? The full Revised Code of Washington sits at the Washington State Legislature site. The Public Records Act sets default copy fees at $0.15 per page for paper and $0.10 per page for scans under RCW 42.56.120. Agencies must reply within five business days under RCW 42.56.520.

Cities in the Pierce County Residents Directory

Pierce County covers Tacoma and many nearby cities. Most public record requests for people who live in these cities flow through the same county offices in Tacoma. Use the city pages below for local details.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Pierce County. If your record is tied to a person just outside the county line, one of these may be the right next stop.