| Statewide case search | Washington Courts Case Search (dw.courts.wa.gov) |
|---|---|
| Criminal history check | WATCH — Washington Access To Criminal History (Washington State Patrol) |
| Appellate opinions | Washington Appellate Courts Public Document Portal |
| Federal cases | PACER (2 districts) |
| Plain copy fee | $0.50 per page (non-certified) at most superior court clerks; some counties charge $0.25 per page |
| Certified copy fee | $5.00 for the first page, $1.00 for each additional page |
| Who keeps trial records | Clerk of the Supreme Court; Clerk of the relevant Division (Division I – Seattle, Division II – Tacoma, Division III – Spokane) |
Washington keeps trial-court records with the clerk of the court that heard the case, not with one central state agency. The Clerk of the Superior Court in each of the state's 39 counties holds felony, civil, family, probate, and juvenile files for that county. District Courts and Municipal Courts — the state's courts of limited jurisdiction — handle misdemeanors, infractions, small claims, and traffic tickets, and each keeps its own records, separate from the superior court clerk.
Two statewide tools cover much of what searchers need. The Washington Courts case search (dw.courts.wa.gov) is a search engine for cases filed in municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts statewide, and the Odyssey Portal gives free public access to Superior Court case information and, in many counties, filed documents — except King and Pierce, whose superior courts run their own separate online systems and are not searchable through Odyssey. Neither statewide tool replaces the county clerk: coverage, document availability, and whether registration is required vary by county and by court level.
The most common mistake is searching the wrong system for the wrong court. A DUI is usually filed in district or municipal court, not superior court, so it will not appear in the Odyssey Portal. King and Pierce County cases need that county's own portal (KC Script Portal or LINX), not Odyssey. Use the court table below and the county page to pick the right office before searching.
How Washington courts are organized
Which court heard a case decides who keeps the file. Use this table to pick the right clerk before you search, and see the guides to criminal, civil, family, and probate records for what each court's file contains.
| Court | Handles | Who holds the records |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Washington |
| Clerk of the Supreme Court The state's court of last resort, based in Olympia. |
| Court of Appeals (three divisions) |
| Clerk of the relevant Division (Division I – Seattle, Division II – Tacoma, Division III – Spokane) Which division hears an appeal depends on the county where the case was tried. |
| Superior Courts (one per county, some counties share) |
| Clerk of the Superior Court for the county Washington has 32 superior court judicial districts covering all 39 counties; a few smaller counties share a single superior court. |
| District Courts |
| District Court Clerk/Administrator for the county Most counties have one district court with multiple divisions; some cities contract with the county district court instead of running their own municipal court. |
| Municipal Courts |
| Municipal court clerk for that city Each city with its own municipal court keeps its own records, separate from the county. |
Search Washington court records online
Statewide case search
Washington Courts Case Search (dw.courts.wa.gov)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Case search engine covering courts statewide — municipal, district, superior, and appellate — pulling case index data reported by participating courts
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic, Appeals
Shows basic case information (parties, case number, status); it does not provide document images and the site itself warns that dockets or status shown may not always be current. Confirm anything important with the court of record.
Statewide case search
Odyssey Portal
- Cost
- Free to search public case information; some counties charge a subscription for document access
- Coverage
- Superior Court case information (and, in participating counties, filed documents) for the counties that use the Odyssey case management system
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Does not include King or Pierce County Superior Court, or any District or Municipal Court — those run separate systems. Registration is only needed to view certain document images or to subscribe for frequent access.
Criminal history (convictions)
WATCH — Washington Access To Criminal History (Washington State Patrol)
- Cost
- $11.00 per name search, paid by credit or debit card
- Coverage
- Conviction records, arrests less than one year old with dispositions pending, and registered sex/kidnapping offender information for Washington State only
- Records
- Criminal
Name- and date-of-birth-based, so common names can return ambiguous results. Vacated cases, sealed records, and misdemeanor traffic violations are excluded by statute (RCW 10.97.030, RCW 13.50.260, RCW 9.94A.640). Does not cover out-of-state or federal records.
Appellate courts
Washington Appellate Courts Public Document Portal
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Case information and filed documents for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for cases filed after January 1, 2020; older cases can be searched through the Washington Courts Case Search
- Records
- Appeals
No registration needed for public case documents. For docket and case status on older appellate cases, use dw.courts.wa.gov.
Federal court records in Washington
Federal cases (bankruptcy, federal crimes, lawsuits under federal law) are not in state portals. They live in PACER, organized by district. Washington has 2 federal judicial districts.
| District | Main courthouse | Court website |
|---|---|---|
| Western District of Washington | Seattle (with a divisional courthouse in Tacoma) | www.wawd.uscourts.gov |
| Eastern District of Washington | Spokane (with courtrooms in Yakima and Richland) | www.waed.uscourts.gov |
Read our PACER guide for registration, the per-page fee, and the quarterly fee waiver.
Washington county court records
Trial-court records are kept by the clerk in the county where the case was filed. These are the largest counties in Washington; each guide covers the county clerk (superior court) and other court offices, their addresses, and what is searchable online.
- King County court records County seat: Seattle Online search Free
- Pierce County court records County seat: Tacoma Online search Free
- Snohomish County court records County seat: Everett Online search Free
- Spokane County court records County seat: Spokane Online search Free
- Clark County court records County seat: Vancouver Online search Free
- Thurston County court records County seat: Olympia Online search Free
- Kitsap County court records County seat: Port Orchard Online search Free
- Yakima County court records County seat: Yakima Online search Free
- Whatcom County court records County seat: Bellingham Online search Free
- Benton County court records County seat: Prosser Online search Free
Request records in person or by mail
In person. Go to the clerk of the court that heard the case: the Superior Court Clerk for felony, family, probate, and larger civil files, or the District/Municipal Court clerk for misdemeanors, infractions, and small claims. Most clerk's offices have a public counter or terminal for searching the index at no charge; copies are paid at the counter by cash, check, or card depending on the office.
By mail. Write to the clerk with:
- the case number, or the full names of the parties and the approximate year filed;
- exactly which documents you need;
- whether you need plain or certified copies; and
- payment (many clerks require a cashier's check or money order) or a request for a fee quote.
Several counties (King, Snohomish, Clark, and others) post a copy-request form online; using it speeds up processing. Turnaround is commonly one to two weeks, longer for records that must be pulled from archives or microfilm.
Online. The Washington Courts Case Search and, for most counties, the Odyssey Portal let you look up case status and party names for free. King County uses its own KC Script Portal and Pierce County uses LINX instead of Odyssey. Document images are only available for cases filed electronically and, in some counties, only to registered or subscribing users; certified copies always require a request to the clerk.
Records older than the online index. Washington State Archives digitizes older superior court records for many counties going back to statehood in some cases; check the county's page for a link to the Washington State Digital Archives before assuming an old case is unavailable.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.50 per page (non-certified) at most superior court clerks; some counties charge $0.25 per page |
| Certified copy | $5.00 for the first page, $1.00 for each additional page |
Superior court clerk fees are set by RCW 36.18.016; district and municipal court fees are set by RCW 3.62.060. Both statutes set the $5.00 first-page / $1.00 additional-page certified-copy fee, but counties vary on the non-certified per-page rate, search fees for older records, and add-ons like expedited service or electronic delivery — confirm the current amount with the specific clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed, expunged, and restricted records
Washington court records are presumed open under General Rule 31 (GR 31), but several categories are not available in any public search:
- Sealed records. A record sealed by court order is removed from public case indexes, including Odyssey and the statewide case search, and requires a court order to unseal.
- Vacated convictions. Under RCW 9.94A.640 (felonies) and RCW 9.96.060 (misdemeanors), a qualifying person can ask the sentencing court to vacate a conviction. A vacated conviction is treated, for most purposes, as if it never occurred, and law enforcement agencies must not disclose it in most background checks — but the underlying record still exists for criminal-justice purposes and is excluded from WATCH results.
- Juvenile records. Juvenile offender and dependency records carry heightened confidentiality under RCW 13.50 and many are sealed automatically once the person reaches a certain age or completes their disposition.
- Family-law financial and parenting information. Under GR 22, financial source documents and some parenting-plan details in dissolution and custody cases are presumptively sealed from the public case file even though the rest of the case remains open.
- Domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking protection order petitioner information. Certain identifying information is restricted by statute even though the existence of the order is public.
GR 31 also prohibits filing certain "personal identifiers" (full Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, minors' full names, etc.) in the public case file at all. The Public Records Act, RCW Chapter 42.56, applies to executive-branch agencies, not the judiciary — court record access is governed by GR 31 and the common-law right of access, and requests go to the clerk, not through a public-records request.
To remove your own record from public view, read how to expunge or seal a criminal record.
Frequently asked questions
Are Washington court records public?
Yes. Washington court records are presumed open under General Rule 31 (GR 31) unless a statute or court order seals them. The main exceptions are sealed cases, vacated convictions, juvenile records, certain family-law financial documents, and information tied to protection order petitioners.
Is there a free statewide search for Washington court records?
The Washington Courts Case Search (dw.courts.wa.gov) is free and covers municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts statewide, and the Odyssey Portal is free to search for Superior Court case information in most counties. King and Pierce County Superior Court records are not on Odyssey and need that county's own portal.
How do I find out if someone has a criminal record in Washington?
Use WATCH (Washington Access To Criminal History) from the Washington State Patrol, which costs $11.00 per name search and covers convictions and pending arrests less than a year old. It does not include vacated, sealed, or out-of-state records — check the county superior, district, or municipal court for pending or dismissed cases.
Which clerk has my Washington divorce record?
Dissolution (divorce) cases are heard in Superior Court, so the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed holds the file. Some financial and parenting-plan documents inside the case may be sealed under GR 22 even though the case itself is public.
How do I get a certified copy of a Washington court record?
Request it from the clerk of the court that heard the case — the Superior Court Clerk, or the District or Municipal Court clerk — in person or by mail. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page under state statute; a plain copy costs less.
Why can't I find a King or Pierce County case on the Odyssey Portal?
King and Pierce County Superior Courts do not participate in Odyssey. King County uses its own KC Script Portal and Pierce County uses LINX. District and Municipal Court cases in every county are also outside Odyssey; search dw.courts.wa.gov or the specific court instead.
Sources
- Washington Courts — About the Courts — https://www.courts.wa.gov/
- Washington Courts Case Search — https://dw.courts.wa.gov/
- Odyssey Portal — https://odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov/odyportal
- Washington Appellate Courts Public Document Portal — https://acdocportal.courts.wa.gov/PublicAccess/search_ca.html
- WATCH — Washington State Patrol Criminal History Search — https://watch.wsp.wa.gov/public/watch
- GR 31 — Public Access to Court Records — https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_31_00_00.pdf
- RCW 9.94A.640 — Vacation of Judgment (felony) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.94A.640
- RCW 9.96.060 — Vacation of Conviction (misdemeanor) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.96.060
- RCW 36.18.016 — Superior Court Clerk Fees — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=36.18.016
- RCW 3.62.060 — District and Municipal Court Fees — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=3.62.060