What Records Are Available? All records that contain public data are open to access.

How Do I Request Records? Fill out a form provided by the court.

How Long Will I Have to Wait? Records will be made available as promptly as possible; there may be a waiting time for records that are off-site. To view the status of your public records request, click here.

What Do I Do If My Request Is Denied? You may be able to request review if your request is denied. Ask court staff for more information. You will be informed if certain records are not available.

Policy: The court is committed to providing access to its public records with a minimal response time. Court records are considered to be open to the public unless they are deemed private or otherwise sealed or redacted. When court staff administers this policy, the purpose is to assist and give guidance in facilitating the public’s access to the court’s information, not to frustrate or deny such access. This policy is intended to cover information contained in both civil and criminal case files, and is based upon current statutes, case law and court rules.

NOTE: The court can only grant access to its own records. The court cannot provide information about people or cases in other jurisdictions, criminal histories or driving records.

• Requests by mail or fax must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the return of copies or the court’s written response to the request. The court will not respond by FAX.

The request must provide sufficient information for the court to identify the records.

• Name and date of birth of a party (the defendant in a criminal matter) or
• Name and Washington driver's license number of a party (the defendant) or
• Case number.

Helpful but not required information includes the date of violation or type of case.

Some Records Contain Private Data and Are Not Available to the Public: Most court records are open to public access. However, some records are considered private under state statute, a court rule or a court order. These records are not contained in the court file that you may view. Examples of records that contain private data include, but are not limited to:

• Affidavit for warrants before the warrant and been served or filed
• Treatment and evaluation reports
• Personal identifiers, such as addresses social security numbers
• Certain records pertaining to juveniles
• Non-conviction data
• Records held by other agencies, like criminal history information or driving records

Copies of Recordings of Court Proceedings Are Available For a Fee. Requests for duplicates of recordings of court proceedings shall be submitted on a form provided by the court. Copies shall only be provided only after payment of the applicable fees set forth below, unless the court determines otherwise.

Fees: The following fees have been approved for copies of court records:

• Copies of court recordings - $20.00 per CD

Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)