Police Department - Frequently Asked Questions

In Person:

At the customer service desk located in the Main Station at 601 4th Avenue E during regular business hours; Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., except city recognized holidays.

By Phone/Email:

Emergency; 9-1-1
Non-emergency; 360.704.2740
Business; 360.753.8300
olympiapolice@ci.olympia.wa.us

By Mail:

(All facilities, divisions, and units)
Olympia Police Department
P.O. Box 1967
Olympia, WA 98507-1967

For directions and more information please visit the Contact Us page.

If you want a copy of an OPD police report, you will need to complete and submit a records request form. When completing the form, please try to provide as much information as possible about the report you are requesting, such as: the case number, date, time, address where the incident took place, names of people involved, or any other information that could help identify the report you're seeking.

Completed forms can be submitted at the OPD front desk during regular business hours, can be faxed to 360.570.5843 or can be mailed to: Olympia Police Records, P.O. Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507-1967. If the report is over twenty (20 pages) the cost for a copy of a report is $0.15 per page, payable at the time of pick-up or a billing invoice will be sent to you. If the report is twenty (20) pages or less, there is no charge. Please allow five (5) business days to receive a response to your request. You will be notified in writing if your request will take longer than five (5) business days to complete.

The Olympia Municipal Jail is located in the Lee Creighton Justice Center at 900 Plum St. SE.

Please visit the Comments on Service page.

Yes! For more information please visit the Volunteers page.

• Tumwater Police Department: 360.754.4200
• Lacey Police Department: 360.459.4333
• Thurston County Sheriff's Office: 360.786.5500
• Washington State Patrol (Records): 360.586.1999
• The Evergreen State College Police Department: 360.867.6140

The Olympia Police Department does not manage parking enforcement. Please visit the City of Olympia Parking Services' Ticket Information page for more information.

Bicycles are frequent targets for theft. The Olympia Police Department has a bicycle registration program in place and encourages all citizens to license their bicycle in an effort to cut down on bicycle theft. Any bicycles located by the Olympia Police Department are checked through the registration database. Registered bicycles can by reunited with owners much more quickly this way.

Residents of the City of Olympia may register bicycles online or at the customer service desk during regular business hours. There is no fee for this service. You must bring your bicycle when registering. Call 360.753.8300 for more information.

Vehicle inspections are conducted by the Washington State Patrol. Inspections are only required on home-made trailers, insurance total losses and wrecking yard salvages. Inspections are conducted at stations in Tacoma 253.536.4330 and Chehalis 360.748.2194.

To report an abandoned vehicle call the City of Olympia Code Enforcement office at 360.753.8487, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. If the abandoned vehicle is blocking traffic or is presenting an immediate safety hazard - please call (TCOMM) 9-1-1, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When reporting an abandoned vehicle, be aware that the abatement process for vehicles that are not presenting a safety hazard takes time. By law, the legal owner must be given a reasonable opportunity to move the vehicle before it can be towed. This involves posting a notice on the vehicle, making attempts to contact the owner and allowing a prescribed time period to pass before ordering the vehicle towed and impounded.

Accident reports (Collision Reports) can be released immediately upon request provided the report has been completed.  With accident reports, allow approximately 48 hours for the report and any necessary follow-up to be completed. If you were in an auto accident and need a copy of the report, you can request a copy in person at the customer service desk during regular business hours. The report can also be mailed to the person listed in the collision report to the address listed in the collision report. For your convenience, you can call 360.753.8300 prior to coming in to ensure availability of the report.

State law requires that the owner of a vehicle involved in a traffic accident where anyone is injured (including one's self) or where any person's property is damaged in the amount of $700 or more must report the accident to the Washington State Patrol (WSP). In certain circumstances, traffic accidents are not investigated by a police officer. When that is the case, you are required to complete the form yourself (if you are the owner of the vehicle involved) and mail it to WSP.

You can get a State of Washington Vehicle Collision Report form on line, by visiting the WSP web site. The web site provides you with a printable copy of the form and detailed instructions on how to complete it. If you prefer, you can also get a paper copy of the form from the OPD customer service desk during business hours; in the vestibule at the entrance to OPD (24 hours); or from the service desks of most other Washington police departments during their business hours. You should make a copy of your completed report and mail it to your insurance company as proof of reporting, if you are expecting your insurance to cover any expenses related to the accident.

If you have information about a crime you can share it with the police in one of the following ways:

• 9-1-1 (If your information is about a crime that is in progress and immediate police attention is required)*
• 704-2740 (If you have information about a crime, but where emergency police response is not required)* 
• 493-2222 (If you wish to provide your information anonymously through Thurston County Crime Stoppers)

*Calling 9-1-1 or 704-2740 connects you to the County's central dispatch center (TCOMM 9-1-1), not directly to the Olympia Police Department. TCOMM 9-1-1 is a separate agency from the Olympia Police Department, but it is the official provider of emergency communications service for OPD and all of the other police, fire and public medic services in Thurston County.

On Public Property:

360.570.3737 or
graffiti@ci.olympia.wa.us

On Your Property:

360.704.2740

Please visit the Graffiti page for more information.

Please visit the Security Alarm page for more information.

Criminal history for the City of Olympia jurisdiction only can be requested by completing the Criminal History Background Check form, providing proof of identification (a Washington State Driver’s License or ID card is preferred), and $10.00 in person at the customer services desk during business hours. As an alternative, it may be more beneficial and cost effective for you to contact the Washington State Patrol or call 360.705.5100. They provide conviction criminal history record information for the entire state. The information provided by our agency only includes information and/or charges pending within the jurisdiction of the City of Olympia.

Free internet crime mapping service is available through crimereports.com which lets you see police activity that has occurred in the City on an easy to use Google-style map. You can enter a specific address and see what crime has happened in the vicinity of your neighborhood, or you can pan the map to see activity City-wide.

Get started by following these instructions:

• Go to www.crimereports.com
• Enter address in search box
• Pick desired date range using calendar feature
• Select crime types to be displayed
• Click on each symbol to learn more about the incident

Each item shown on the map includes basic data about the activity - what the activity was; what day and time it happened; where it happened; and its case identifier. With the case identifier from the map, further information about the case can then be requested by asking for a copy of the police report.

If you like, you can sign up to get automatic email notifications any time certain types of crimes happen within a specified distance from your home or business.

This is a free service. No fee is charged to access the site or use the tools. Olympia's law enforcement records partners - Lacey, Tumwater and Yelm - are also participants in the service.

A person wanted on an Olympia Municipal Court misdemeanor warrant may voluntarily surrender himself/herself to the Olympia City Jail, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. For more information on warrants, call the Warrants Office at 360.753.8729.

Please visit the ID Theft page for more information.

The Olympia Police Department does not currently offer fingerprinting services to the public.  Please visit the Washington State Patrol for fingerprinting.

A Concealed Pistol License is a license provided by and regulated by the State of Washington. The following requirements must be met to obtain a Concealed Pistol License through the Olympia Police Department:

• You must be 21 years of age or older.
• You must be a citizen of the United States or have an Alien Firearms Certificate.
• You must reside in the City of Olympia.
• You need to have picture ID (a Washington State Driver's License or ID card is preferred)

Concealed Pistol Permits may be obtained only to persons with permanent residence addresses (street addresses, not PO Boxes) in the City of Olympia at the customer services desk during business hours.  The fees are:

• Fee of $50.75 for an original (plus $1.00 extra for lamination - optional) New fee as of 1/1/15
• Fee of 32.00 for a renewal application (plus $1.00 extra for lamination – optional)
• Fee of $42.00 for a late renewal application (within 90 days of expiration)
• Fee of $10 for replacement of lost or damaged permit fees will be required at the time of application.

Download the Concealed Pistol License Application.

For further information please call 360.753.8300 during business hours.

For more information please visit the Property and Evidence page.