Washington Court Records 

The Washington Public Documents Act has ensured public access to government records at different levels since 1972. Individuals may obtain documents from any government entity without stating intent under this statute. Washington Court Documents are public records and may be obtained by any public member per the law. 

Court records are any Information, papers, exhibits, and other materials related to a trial or judicial action. These documents may include decrees, calendars, orders, judgments, and indexes, among other things. While the state favors the public disclosure of public documents, the legislation allows for specific information to be private. Information such as patient or personal student information, specific investigation material, and staff files are exclusions. Generally, the legislation prohibits the public from accessing court documents subject to restrictions imposed by court order, court rule, case law, state law, or federal law. 

For access and pricing information, users must contact the relevant Clerk. The county in question may impose a registration and document access fee on registered users. Fees are paid directly to the county clerk, who also approves portal registrations. 

How To Access Court Records In Washington 

When attempting to get court documents in Washington, the first step is to submit a request to the courthouse where the case was filed. Interested individuals may do so through the mail, email, or an online portal. The Office of the Court Clerk is usually in charge of keeping court records. 

By Contacting the Court’s Clerk 

These individuals should contact the Clerk of the Court, who maintains the court records for in-person inquiries. The steps for accessing or reproducing a court record differ with courts within the state. To acquire court-specific directions on accessing court documents, the requester may need to contact the concerned court clerk.  

By Utilizing Online Platforms 

The Washington State Courts’ website has a Court Directory that contains various courts’ locations and phone numbers. The court directory also contains vital information such as maps, directions, and fax numbers. 

Requesters may acquire the court’s mail or email information from the Court Directory to seek court documents by mail or email. Such information is also available on the websites of the local courts. On the other hand, requesters may obtain court records online via the Odyssey Portal. In 2008, the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts adopted the Odyssey online interface, a Superior Courts Management System. 

The site provides access to court records and papers submitted via the Case Management System in the Superior Courts. However, the site does not provide access to all Superior Court data. Records that aren’t accessible via the Odyssey portal may be received directly from the court clerks. 

Requesters may utilize the site as either registered or non-registered users to obtain information. Only case information that is not sealed or secret is accessible to non-registered Odyssey portal users. Users may access court records without registering by going to the portal’s Smart Search feature and following the steps. Non-registered users may receive copies of documents from the County Clerk’s office, which is only available to registered users. 

Third-Party Websites 

Public records are accessible to people of the United States via conventional government sources and third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites, in many circumstances, make the search simpler since they are not restricted geographically or technologically.  

Washington Judgment Records  

Official papers issued when a court makes an order or judgment in a case are referred to as judgment records in Washington. Following this order, the Clerk of courts entered the decision into the court record, making it a publicly accessible copy of the court record under the Washington Public Records Act. 

To get judgment records in Washington, you must first determine which court has jurisdiction. These courts are often situated in the defendant’s home county or the county where the disagreement or offense occurred.  

Nonetheless, interested parties may visit the Clerk’s office during regular business hours to determine the court of jurisdiction. The requester must express their desire to get a judgment record to the administrative personnel. However, the person must submit the essential information to search the court records, such as the case number, litigants’ names, and the year of the ruling. The case number is the quickest search term, and searching the Odyssey portal with the litigants’ names is one method to get this case information. 

Meanwhile, administrative fees for court documents usually cover the labor costs of acquiring the document and generating standard or certified copies of the judgment record. The office accepts cash, money order, certified check, and credit card as forms of payment. In any event, anyone who requests Washington judgment records may expect to view the names of the people engaged in the case, the name of the judge, and the court’s verdict. 

Bankruptcy Records In Washington 

Bankruptcy records in Washington detail the financial circumstances of individuals or corporations that have filed for bankruptcy in the state. Bankruptcy records in this state include particular information on the financial and personal circumstances of the individual or company filing for bankruptcy. Individuals may file for bankruptcies in one of two court districts in Washington. The courthouses of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the:

  • Western District of Washington in Seattle and Tacoma. 
  • Eastern District of Washington in Spokane and Yakima. 

Requirements For Filing Bankruptcy In Washington 

These courts require the following papers for an individual when filing for bankruptcy in Washington: 

  • Documents of identification such as driver’s license or social security card. 
  • Any asset the individual possesses, such as bank statements, vehicle titles, real estate deeds, insurance policies, and any businesses in which the debtor owns stock. 
  • Paystubs from the last six months and copies of tax returns from the previous two years. 
  • Any debt that the individual owes. This may include; Credit report, outstanding bills such as medical and utility bills, active legal processes (documents of collection and foreclosure), judicial liens, and a list of creditors with the amount owing.  

Contracts, judgments, writs, and Washington liens are all kept by record custodians in addition to bankruptcy records. On request, these records may be made accessible to interested and qualified individuals if the asking party can supply the necessary information to aid in the record search. 

Can You Have Your Court records expunged? 

In Washington, people cannot have their court records expunged. Court records are not the same as criminal records. The Washington State Patrol and local police agencies have criminal history data on file. On the other hand, the Clerk’s office physically keeps the court records accessible electronically via the Judicial Information System. However, individuals may submit a request to seal their court records instead of expunging them, which prohibits the public from seeing or accessing them. In addition, you cannot erase the Department of Licensing or other administrative records for the same reason since they are not in WSP’s ownership or control. 

Juvenile Court Records  

If you have a Juvenile Superior Court case record, you may find out the status by contacting the County Clerk’s Office’s Juvenile Division. To seal your juvenile court records, you have to examine the State Administrative Office of the Courts’ eligibility criteria pamphlet by clicking on “Sealing and Destroying Court Records, Vacating Convictions, and Deleting Criminal History Records: A Guide.” 

If you think you may be qualified to have your Juvenile Offender record sealed, you can get an instruction package from the Clerk’s Office, Juvenile Division. The packet costs $5. You may pay through cash, credit card, or debit card but not in personal checks. 

Federal Court Records In Washington 

Federal court case records are typically accessible online, unlike state court records. The federal system’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) makes case dockets and filings accessible to the public. Attorneys in federal courts utilize PACER not merely to retrieve case papers but also to submit them directly via the system. When you can’t find what you’re looking for online, use the federal court Lookup tool to contact the court directly. 

Federal case files are stored electronically and are accessible through the PACER program, which is accessible over the internet. Anyone with a PACER account may search and discover case and docket information from appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts. 

Nonetheless, the public access terminals at the Clerk’s office of the court where the case was filed may also be used to view federal case files. The Federal Court Records provide information on decisions made by the federal district, circuit, and territory courts. These are available in court records involving federal individuals on Naturalization, bankruptcy, civil (law, equity, and admiralty), and criminal proceedings. The information available on these records include the following; 

  • Civil rights. 
  • Commerce and corporate history. 
  • Demographics and genealogy. 
  • Immigration and ethnic groups. 
  • Federal regulatory programs 
  • Judicial administration. 
  • Labor relations and union activity. 
  • Maritime history. 
  • State and local political activity 

Individuals may request federal court documents from state or federal government bodies in two ways. You may seek documents from any federal government agency through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Similarly, the Public Documents Act (PRA) is a Washington State statute that permits you to seek records from any state or municipal government entity. 

How To Locate Court Cases in Washington 

Chapter 42 of the Public Disclosure Act stipulates that public records in the State of Washington can be inspected or copied by the public. An entity can access public records under certain conditions and obtain copies of the records upon payment of copy fees. To look up court cases in Washington, the requester may utilize the Case Search facility on the State Courts’ website. Interested parties may search the case at different court levels with options for search by case number, party’s name, and business name. 

Click on the corresponding link and fill in the form appropriately to use any search options. The search results may include a case summary, calendar, and list of case activities. Attorneys may also view court proceedings using the Bar Number. Also, users can search for people using their names. In this case, the search returns a list of names matching the searched name, if any. From there, the user may then explore cases involving a particular person.