Anyone can ask for written records produced by Washington state government agencies, including the State Board of Health. This page describes the types of information available and explain the steps to take to obtain the records you need.
The Board has no oversight or authority over the licensing or discipline of health care providers or facilities. Public records requests relating to health care providers and health care facilities must be made to the Department of Health.
- How Do I Request a Public Record?
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Anyone can ask to see written records produced by Washington state government agencies, including the Washington State Board of Health (SBOH). Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Public Disclosure Office assists SBOH with all public records requests using the DOH portal to identify and locate records.
To find out more, choose from the options listed.
Use the DOH portal: Submit a public records request by logging into or creating an account in the DOH Public Records Portal. Please provide as much information as you can about the records, so we can respond as quickly as possible. This is our preferred method of receiving a records request. Sending your public records requests directly to SBOH or DOH staff does not expedite your request in any way. In fact, this may delay processing of the request; especially if the staff person is out of the office or unavailable.
Request an in-person appointment: To request an appointment at one of our DOH office locations, state your need for an appointment in the portal or contact the DOH public records officer by email. Please provide your public records request reference number and preferred location when requesting your appointment. Someone from our office will contact you to schedule your appointment. Office hours for in-person review of records will be by appointment, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.Have general questions? Contact the DOH public records officer by email at PublicDisclosure@doh.wa.gov or phone at 360-236-4220.
- How Do I Receive Records?
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You may receive records responsive to your request in three ways:
Through the Mail
Paper copies may be sent to you in the mail. For 50 pages or less, there is no charge. For 51 pages or more, we charge 15 cents per page for all the pages. Copies will be mailed using USPS Flat Rate services.
Electronically
We may email you attachments or provide on a compact disk or other media. We do not charge a fee when we provide records as an email attachment. We are able to send a file size up to 10 MB via email. You will be responsible to communicate if there are any size restrictions associated with receiving records via email.
At the Department of Health Building which houses the State Board of Health office
You can inspect records at our agency where most records are located. You must arrange for inspection ahead of time with a public disclosure coordinator.
Inspection times are during regular business hours: Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., except recognized holidays. Our location is 111 Israel Road, Tumwater, Washington 98504After inspection, you may ask us to make copies. We will either send them to you, or make paper copies.
- How Long Do I Have to Wait?
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Within five business days after receiving the request, we will:
Provide the record(s); or Acknowledge your request and give you a reasonable estimate of how long it will take to respond; orIf the request is not clear, we may ask you for further clarification.
- Deny the request in writing, stating the reasons for the denial (this could also include a denial of part of your request and granting the remainder). By statute, RCW 42.56.520, the Board must cite the specific exemption that applies
- What Records Are Exempt?
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Only records that are exempt by law may be withheld from disclosure. These exemptions are generally intended to prevent invasion of privacy and the use of public records for personal, commercial, or political gain. They include, but are not limited to:
- Information regarding Board personnel, such as social security numbers, home phone numbers, home addresses, résumés, and employment applications.
- Data, the disclosure or information of which if disclosed could result in private gain and/or public loss.
- Correspondence between Board staff and the Attorney General's Office for the purpose of soliciting or providing legal advice.
- Information that if released, would constitute an invasion of privacy as defined in RCW 42.56.210 & 42.56.230.
- For a complete list of exemptions, see RCW 42.56. sections 210-480.
