Anyone requesting redacted bodycam video from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office will now pay 53 cents for every minute of footage, after the County Council voted unanimously to approve the charge, according to Snoho.com.

The 5-0 vote, which took place the week of Aug. 18, makes Snohomish County one of several Washington jurisdictions to impose a per-minute redaction fee on people seeking law enforcement body camera recordings.

The fee applies to the general public but not to people directly involved in a recorded incident, their attorneys, parties in a related criminal case or civil rights attorneys, who are exempt under state law.

The county says the rate reflects the actual cost of staff time spent redacting footage. Before releasing bodycam video, records staff must obscure images of people captured at crime scenes, a legal obligation under Washington's Public Records Act.

How it compares

Snohomish County's 53-cent rate sits at the low end among Washington agencies that have adopted similar fees, according to the Municipal Research and Services Center.

Tukwila charges 63 cents per minute under a 2020 resolution. Lacey set its rate at 90 cents per minute in September 2025. Ellensburg charges 75 cents per minute.

What the law allows

RCW 42.56.240(14) specifically authorizes law enforcement agencies to charge for staff time spent redacting body camera recordings, carving out an exception to the Public Records Act's general principle that government records should be available without charge. The fee comes on top of any standard copying costs.

What it means for requesters

For a 30-minute bodycam clip, the fee would total $15.90. A two-hour recording would cost $63.60. Those costs could add up for journalists, defense attorneys not covered by the exemption, or residents seeking accountability footage from encounters with deputies.

The vote was unanimous.

Chair Dunn, Vice Chair Sam Low and council members Nate Nehring, Jared Mead and Strom Peterson make up the five-member body. The county has not announced when the fee takes effect.