Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its result. Franklin County Criminal History does not retain or record those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or contact submission may be kept long enough to review and answer it. The message remains within the organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the servers may automatically receive basic technical and usage details:
- Your device's IP address
- Browser name and version
- Operating system and device category
- Pages viewed and time spent on them
- A referring website, when available
- The date and time of each request
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They help measure how visitors move through the site, including popular pages and common exit points. Analytics providers combine that traffic information for reporting. You may block cookies through browser controls, although parts of the site may work differently afterward.
What We Do With This Data
- Operating, securing, and improving site performance
- Directing a query to the selected search provider
- Understanding which resources visitors use
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Franklin County Criminal History does not keep, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It provides general directions to Franklin County record custodians, local courts, the Washington State Patrol and WATCH, and the Washington State Sex Offender Public Registry. It is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor information is not turned into a consumer report or a file about another person.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes. Information submitted through a box is handled under that provider's privacy policy rather than this policy. Each provider controls its retention and disclosure practices. Review those terms before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Washington courts, WSP, WATCH, Washington DOC, legal-aid resources, or outside search services. Once you leave this site, the destination's privacy terms apply. Read them before providing personal information.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to follow activity across websites and select targeted advertisements. Franklin County Criminal History does not control that tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be disclosed to:
- Search providers that process a submitted query
- Analytics vendors that measure traffic and performance
- Advertising networks that serve advertisements
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used safeguards protect collected information. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, so Franklin County Criminal History cannot promise that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The service is intended for adults. Personal information is not knowingly collected from anyone younger than 18. If a minor is believed to have submitted information, contact the site so it can be removed.
Your Data Rights
Your rights may vary with the law that applies to you. In Washington, the Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCW, governs records held by public agencies, while the Washington State Criminal Records Privacy Act, chapter 10.97 RCW, addresses dissemination and correction of criminal-history information. Court records follow General Rule 31. Those authorities do not convert this private site into a government records office. Subject to applicable law, you may:
- Request access to personal information held about you
- Ask for inaccurate personal information to be corrected
- Seek deletion where the governing law permits it
- Decline certain processing when an applicable right allows it
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. Any replacement will be posted here with an updated effective date, so visitors should review the current version periodically.
Effective date: August 10, 2026