1. About the Coroner

    Location/Contact:The Lewis County Coroner's Office is located at 585 NW Center Street, Chehalis, WA 98532.Telephone number: 360-740-1376. If there is no answer, please call Central Dispatch at 360-740-1105 and ask to have the on-call Deputy Coroner call you back.Coroner:Warren McLeod has been the elected Coroner since January 2011.Coroner Bio:Warren was born and raised in the Boston area where he worked as an EMT for 14 years for volunteer and private ambulances services and finally for the City of Boston EMS. He was also an Auxiliary/Reserve police officer in a small town north of Boston for 9 years graduating from the …


    Coroner - May 8, 2015, 12:41 p.m.

  2. Short Term Rental Registry Process

    On January 1, 2026, all owners and operators of short-term rentals (also known as Air BnBs) will be required to register the rental through Lewis County. Owners/operators will have one calendar year to come into compliance. The registry application is available through the online portal HERE.The requirements are specified in Lewis County Code Chapter 17.105. The following is a summary of the requirements (this is not an exhaustive list):A short-term rental can be a single family home, accessory dwelling unit (ADU), duplex, detached bedroom, RV/trailer, yurt or other similar structure.All short-term rentals will be required to have a building permit …


    Community Development - Nov. 5, 2025, 3:01 p.m.

  3. Attorney – Client Communication

    The Lewis County Jail offers many ways for attorneys to be in contact with their clients.Attorney/Client Visitation through protected glass. Please be advised our booths are not completely sound proof.Telephone contact. - Please contact the jail to provide any changes or additions to phone numbers and/or to confirm phone number is listed as privileged. Attorneys may also create a privileged visitation account via www.homewav.com. This account does not automatically make your phone number privileged. Creating a homewav account allows for privileged video visits.Legal Mail sent to facility address at 28 SW Chehalis, Ave., Chehalis WA 98532.Video Visit through Homewav account.Send …


    Sheriff - June 21, 2016, 9:42 a.m.

  4. Sheriff Marine Patrol

    The Lewis County Sheriff's Office marine patrol unit and education program was created in the early 1980's in response to the increasing amount of recreational boaters. As recreational boating increased, so did the responsibilities of the marine unit. Today our primary responsibilities are education and enforcement. The Sheriff's Office has two lake vessels, a 20 foot Almar, and a 21 foot N.River. We have two primary inland lakes that we patrol: Lake Mayfield (2,250 sq. acres) and Riffe Lake (11,830 sq. acres). There are several other bodies of water including Mineral Lake, Lake Scanewea, and the Chehalis and Cowlitz Rivers. …


    Sheriff - March 27, 2013, 8:21 a.m.

  5. About the Treasurer's Office

    Scope of the Treasurer's OfficeThe office is responsible for the following:The collection, distribution and reporting of revenues, including property taxes and special assessments. Banking contracts and relationships. Warrant purchases and cash flow management. Investment management. Issuing and managing debt service. Processing Property Transfers (Real Estate Excise Tax Affidavits)Issuing Mobile home movement permits.The Lewis County Treasurer's office, as per the Revised Code of Washington, RCW), is the treasurer for the following taxing and assessment districts in Lewis County:• The Government of Lewis County -- including all departments and divisions• 18 Fire Districts • 13 School Districts • 1 Port District • …


    Treasurer - April 22, 2009, 1:38 p.m.

  6. Open Space Act

    RCW 84.34Land owners who wish current use assessment for property tax purposes on lands eligible for classification under the Open Space program, must submit an application to the Lewis County Assessor's Office by December 31st. Applications taken in the calendar year prior to December 31st are inspected in the next year and either approved or denied. If the application is approved, it is taxed in the subsequent year. It takes two years after application for it to affect your taxes.Provided that acreage is being used as originally intended, valuation of land for tax purposes under the Open Space Act is …


    Assessor - Dec. 11, 2015, 9:57 a.m.

  7. Lodging Tax (tourism promotion) grant application

    The Lewis County Board of County Commissioners uses lodging tax funds to award grants to nonprofits and governmental organizations whose programs or activities promote tourism in the unincorporated areas of Lewis County."Tourism promotion," as defined in RCW 67.28.080, means activities, operations and expenditures designed to increase tourism, including but not limited to advertising, publicizing or otherwise distributing information for the purpose of attracting and welcoming tourists; developing strategies to expand tourism; operating tourism promotion agencies; and funding the marketing of or the operation of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists.To view an overview about the Lodging Tax, click …


    Commissioners - March 17, 2016, 3:28 p.m.

  8. Cannabis Code Update

    Background Lewis County is seeking sustainable funding to help support essential local services, including public safety, infrastructure, and community programs. Cannabis sales currently are permitted in our surrounding counties and in most of the cities located in Lewis County. Between July 2023 and June 2024, cannabis sales in those cities totaled roughly $9 million. While the state collects a 37% excise tax on those sales, local jurisdictions that permit retail locations receive a dedicated portion of shared state tax revenue. Allowing retail locations in unincorporated Lewis County—such as in Packwood and the I5/Highway 12 interchange—could provide a modest but ongoing …


    Community Development - March 4, 2026, 1:20 p.m.

  9. About Public Works

    Public Works Director: Geoff SoderquistCounty Engineer: Wesley AndersonLewis County Public Works' primary responsibilities are the maintenance and construction of the county road network and the operation of the solid waste utility. The department has seven main divisions: Administration, Engineering Services, Traffic, Maintenance & Operations, Real Estate Services, Utilities, and Solid Waste.It is the intent of the Department to enhance service by increasing our communication with the public, by developing an organizational culture that both encourages individual responsibility and fosters teamwork/cooperation, and by implementing project management techniques to help achieve our goals. The duties and responsibilities of the Public Works Department …


    Public Works - Sept. 16, 2021, 1:30 p.m.

  10. Press Release - Mineral Controlled Substance Homicide

    Click here for Press Release


    Sheriff - Nov. 7, 2025, 11:38 a.m.