We make our records available to the public, as required by Washington law. OPD processes requests and provides records in compliance with Washington Supreme Court General Rule 31.1, which governs public access to administrative records of the judicial branch of government.
Make a Request
You can request public records in writing:
Form: Download, complete, and save the request form
Email: PublicRecordsOfficer@opd.wa.gov or,
Mail:
Washington State Office of Public Defense
Attn: Public Records Officer
PO BOX 40957
Olympia, WA 98504-0957
What Happens Next
We will respond within 5 business days. We will:
- provide the records, or
- let you know when they'll be ready, or
- ask for more information, or
- explain any fees, or
- explain why some records can't be shared
Fees
There may be fees for fulling your request. If fees apply, we will tell you the cost before we continue.
What We Can Do
We can give you records we already have as long as we are allowed to by law.
What We Cannot Do
- create new records
- research or answer questions
- give legal advice
- share records that are protected by law
Records We Do Not Have
- criminal history
- court case files
- individual attorney files
Try contacting:
- the court
- your public defense agency
- your attorney
Exemptions
Some records may include information that is protected by law (exempt). If this happens, we will:
- redact (black out) the protected information.
- withhold the record.
- explain why we withheld or redacted information.
If you Disagree With Our Response
If you disagree with our response, you can ask for a review. We will include instructions in our response.
Additional information is available in the OPD Public Records Policy.