How to Fill Out and Submit the WSP Background Check Request Form

The WSP background check request form — officially the Request for Conviction Criminal History Record — is a downloadable PDF you complete with the subject’s full legal name and date of birth, then mail to the Washington State Patrol’s Identification and Background Check Section in Olympia with a $32.00 fee. WSP mails the results back. If you don’t need a mailed hard copy, the same search runs online through the WATCH portal for $11.00 with instant results.¹

Where to Get the Form and What to Enter

Download the Request for Conviction Criminal History Record form from the criminal history page at wsp.wa.gov. It’s a fillable PDF. If you print it and complete it by hand, use dark ink so the text scans cleanly.

WSP requires two pieces of information about the subject for any name-based search: full legal name and date of birth.¹ Add any aliases or former names you know of, because records may sit under a name the person no longer uses. Check the spelling carefully. A typo can return a clean report for someone who actually has a record, or pull up the wrong person’s convictions entirely.

The form also asks for your information as the requester: name, address, and reason for the request. Fill in every field. Incomplete forms slow processing and can be returned without a search.

Where to Mail It and How to Pay

Send the completed form to:

Washington State Patrol
Identification and Background Check Section
PO Box 42633
Olympia, WA 98504-2633¹

The fee is $32.00. You have two payment options by mail:

Check or money order made payable to the Washington State Patrol, enclosed with your form.
Credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) using the separate Bankcard Authorization form, downloaded from the WSP website and mailed alongside your request. Do not write your card number on the background check form itself.²

WSP does not accept cash by mail. If you need a notarized copy of the results, say so on your request. The notarized letter carries an extra fee, currently $10.00, which WSP has announced will rise to $15.00 when the new WATCH system launches.³

Faster Alternative: The Online WATCH Search

If a mailed hard copy isn’t required, the WATCH portal at watch.wsp.wa.gov runs the same search for $11.00, paid by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.¹ Enter the subject’s name and date of birth. Results appear on screen after payment. Save or print the report during the session, because it’s only available for a limited time before the session expires. A notarized letter can be added to an online search for an additional fee.

Both methods search the same state database and are authorized under Washington’s Criminal Records Privacy Act.⁴ The paper form exists mainly for requesters who need an official mailed response or whose employer or licensing body requires one.

When a Name Search Isn’t Enough: Fingerprint Checks

Name-based searches struggle with common names and with people who have used multiple names. A fingerprint-based check ties the search to a unique biometric identifier instead of information many people share.

WSP runs fingerprint-based conviction history checks for $58.00, submitted either by mail or in person:¹

By mail: send a completed fingerprint card with your fee (check, money order, or Bankcard Authorization form) to the PO Box 42633 address in Olympia.
In person: visit WSP at 106 11th Ave SW, Suite 1300, Olympia, WA 98501, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed noon to 1:00 p.m., and closed on state holidays). Arrive by 4:30 p.m. to allow time for fingerprinting. Bring valid government-issued photo ID. In-person payments accept cash, check, or credit and debit cards.

Many licensing bodies and employers working with children or vulnerable adults require fingerprint-based checks rather than name-based ones.

What the Results Cover

A WSP conviction history search returns three categories: conviction records, arrests less than one year old where the case is still pending, and registered sex or kidnapping offender data.¹

The results do not include arrests that were dismissed or resulted in acquittal (unless the arrest is under a year old and still pending). They do not include federal convictions, convictions from other states, or sealed and expunged records. A clean WSP report means no Washington State convictions came up. It says nothing about Oregon, California, or federal court. For a national criminal history spanning all fifty states, the FBI’s Identity History Summary Check is the appropriate route, and it requires fingerprints.⁵

If the Report Has Something Wrong

If your results contain inaccurate information, submit WSP’s Request for Modification of Record form, available on the same criminal history page.¹ If WSP investigates and finds the challenge valid, they will correct the record and may notify anyone who received the earlier version. When the question is whether an arrest actually belongs to you, WSP can compare your thumbprint against fingerprints from that arrest to confirm or rule you out. There is no charge for that thumbprint comparison.

1
Washington State Patrol. Criminal History
2
Washington State Patrol. Bank Card Authorization Form
3
Washington State Patrol. Washington Access To Criminal History
4
Washington State Legislature. RCW 10.97.050 – Criminal Offender Record Information Dissemination
5
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions