Washington Court Records Search by Name

Independent court-record guide: Public-Court-Records.us is not Washington Courts, the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts, a county clerk, municipal or district court, superior court, appellate court, PACER, a law firm, government agency, or Consumer Reporting Agency. This page explains official record-access routes. It does not operate a people-search database, certify court documents, or provide individualized legal advice.

Washington court records search by name: start statewide, then switch to the court’s actual record system

Washington has a free statewide Person Search that can identify cases associated with a person’s name across municipal, district, superior and appellate courts. But that statewide search is primarily an index and routing tool—it is not the complete official court record and it does not provide copies of the case-file documents.

The difficult part of a Washington court-record search begins after the name match. Superior courts are migrating to Odyssey Portal, King County Superior Court uses its own newer system, Pierce County uses LINX, participating district and municipal courts are moving to re:SearchWA, and older or restricted cases can require direct contact with the court of record.

Washington systems checked: August 30, 2026 GR 31 access rule checked Odyssey guide updated October 15, 2025 re:SearchWA 2026 rollout checked PACER pricing checked

Washington does not have one court-record portal for every case

The Washington Administrative Office of the Courts maintains a statewide case-search index, but the underlying documents and current case-management systems are distributed across several platforms.

Washington court record router

Quick Washington record route finder

This tool does not search a person’s name or collect private information. Open the section that matches your case.

I only know the person’s name

Start with Washington Courts Person Search. It requires First Name and Last Name; Middle Name is optional. Use the result to identify the court and case number, then continue to the specific court’s current record system.

Superior Court case

First identify the county. Many Washington Superior Courts use Odyssey Portal, but King County and Pierce County Superior Courts are exceptions and have separate online systems.

District or municipal case

Start with the statewide case index or the court’s current local portal. Participating CLJ-CMS courts are moving to re:SearchWA, so the correct route depends on the court.

Find my court date

Washington’s statewide Find My Court Date feature is designed for district and municipal courts. Superior, juvenile, family and appellate calendars often require the specific court’s website.

Certified copy

The statewide search cannot certify a record. Request the document from the court of record: county clerk for Superior Court, court administration/clerk for district or municipal court, or the appellate clerk for appellate cases.

Old / pre-1980 case

Do not assume a zero statewide result means no case exists. Washington warns that cases predating a court’s JIS implementation and unusual older case numbers may not appear in the statewide search.

Appeal

Use Washington’s appellate case search. If you need an actual public appellate document, use the separate Appellate Court Public Document Portal with the complete appellate case number.

Federal case

Use PACER. Washington has separate Eastern and Western federal judicial districts, so identify the correct district or use PACER Case Locator if you are uncertain.

How to search Washington court records by name statewide

Washington Courts provides a dedicated Person Search. Unlike the more court-specific Case Search screens, Person Search is useful when you do not yet know which Washington court handled the matter.

1. Open Washington Courts Person Search.
2. Read and accept the site’s disclaimer. Washington expressly states that the search result is reference information, not the official court record.
3. Enter First Name. This is required.
4. Enter Last Name. This is also required.
5. Add Middle Name only when useful. It is optional.
6. Complete the CAPTCHA/security step.
7. Run the search.
8. Review each possible match carefully. Note the court level, court name, case number and case type.
9. Do not treat a matching name as proof of identity.
10. Move to the actual court’s record system. This is necessary when you need the current docket, document image, certification or complete court record.

Why the statewide Washington search is not the complete official record

The Washington Administrative Office of the Courts makes this point explicitly: case information found on the statewide search website is reference material. The official court record is maintained by the court of record.

The statewide search site also states that:

• information is generally updated every 24 hours;
• the update is scheduled around 3:00 a.m.;
• copies of case-file documents are not provided by the statewide search site;
• the court where the case was filed must be contacted to view/order the official record.

Use Case Search when you already know the court

Washington’s court-specific Case Search separates:

• Municipal and District Court Cases;
• Superior Court Cases;
• Appellate Court Cases.

The official Washington help instructions identify three principal case-search methods:

Washington Case Search workflow

1. Open Washington Case Records Search.
2. Select the correct tab: Municipal/District, Superior or Appellate.
3. Select the court.
4. Select the case type.
5. Choose a filing-year starting point when required.
6. Select name, case-number or business search.
7. Enter only the requested information.
8. Complete the CAPTCHA.
9. Open the matching case.
10. If Superior Court docket information is available, use the linked participant/case detail to view it.
11. Continue to the court’s own system when you need current documents or an official copy.

Superior Court search has important exclusions

The statewide Superior Court Case Search itself warns that it does not contain every Washington Superior Court case.

Washington’s JIS implementation dates explain many older “missing” cases

Washington did not place every local court into the Judicial Information System on the same date. The Administrative Office of the Courts maintains a list of Court IDs together with the dates each court began using JIS.

This makes the following distinction important:

Washington Superior Courts are now split across Odyssey, King County and Pierce County systems

This is one of the biggest information-gain points for a 2026 Washington court-record guide.

Odyssey Portal

Washington’s September 30, 2025 Odyssey FAQ states that Odyssey is used by Superior Courts in 37 counties. It specifically says that King and Pierce County Superior Court records are not available through Odyssey.

Washington Courts’ current record-finder directs users to Odyssey for Superior Court cases in:

Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman and Yakima counties.

What anonymous Odyssey access actually includes

• anonymous users can search case information;
• anonymous users do not receive document access;
• anonymous users cannot access restricted cases;
• document availability depends on whether the county uses Odyssey Document Management;
• document access for registered users depends on the role authorized by the County Clerk;
• hearing/case questions should go to the County Clerk in the county where the case is located.

How to search a Washington Odyssey Superior Court case by name

The October 15, 2025 Washington Odyssey quick-reference guide contains unusually specific search rules. These should be followed instead of inventing generic name-search syntax.

1. Open Odyssey Portal.
2. Select Smart Search.
3. Enter the name in “Last, First Middle” sequence.
4. Place a comma after the last name and a space before the first name.
5. Complete the “I’m not a Robot” step.
6. Use Advanced Filtering Options when necessary.
7. Select the specific county/court location if the statewide result is too broad.
8. Use case type, case status or filing-date filters where useful.
9. Click Submit.
10. Select the case number from the results.
11. Review Case Information, Party, Disposition Events, Events and Hearings.

Odyssey wildcard, hyphenated-name and Sounds Like rules

Odyssey Advanced Search fields worth knowing

The current Washington guide lists options including:

• court location by county;
• attorney bar number;
• attorney name;
• business name;
• case cross-reference number;
• case number;
• judicial officer;
• nickname;
• party name;
• Sounds Like;
• case type;
• case status;
• file date start;
• file date end.

The Washington Odyssey guide specifically marks Citation Number, FBI Number and SO Number as unavailable in Washington Odyssey Portal. Do not tell users to use fields that the Washington implementation does not support.

King County Superior Court is an important exception

If the case is in King County Superior Court, do not rely on Odyssey. Washington Courts currently directs King County Superior Court users to King County’s own newer case-search system.

King County’s Superior Court Clerk states that many records—including documents and audio recordings—are available through the KC Script Portal. The clerk also notes that some pre-1979 material requires historical/microfiche research.

King County current-search detail

King County’s current case search provides separate fields for:

• case number;
• first name;
• last name;
• middle name;

Its case-number search requires an exact existing King County Superior Court case number, with or without dashes.

Pierce County Superior Court uses LINX

Pierce County is the other major Superior Court exception to Washington Odyssey. The official county record system is LINX — Legal Information Network Exchange.

LINX can search Superior Court records by:

• cause number;
• name in Last Name, First Name form;
• year range;
• case type.

Its Superior Court case-type choices include criminal, civil, domestic/family, probate/guardianship and tax warrant/judgment categories.

Pierce County document-copy detail

Pierce County’s current clerk instructions say certified and non-certified Superior Court documents can be requested in person, by mail, or electronically from the LINX case page using Purchase Copies.

The clerk specifically directs users searching documents filed after January 1, 2002 to search LINX by cause number or litigant name first.

District and municipal records are changing: re:SearchWA matters in 2026

Washington is in the middle of a significant Courts of Limited Jurisdiction technology transition. The Washington Courts homepage now identifies re:SearchWA as a public access route for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, and 2026 project materials state that re:SearchWA is live for courts using the new CLJ Case Management System.

This means a generic instruction such as “all district and municipal records are in the old statewide system” is increasingly unreliable.

What re:SearchWA can provide at participating courts

Current Washington local-court guidance describes re:SearchWA as a free public case-record portal for participating Courts of Limited Jurisdiction. Depending on the court and user role, functionality can include:

• party-name search;
• case-number search;
• attorney-name search;
• case-type filtering;
• filing-date filtering;
• upcoming hearing dates;
• docket information;
• access to certain eFiled documents.

Some participating courts state that basic searches do not require an account while document access can require free registration. Because courts are migrating in phases, verify the instructions published by the particular district or municipal court.

JIS-Link is different from the free statewide search

JIS-Link is a fee-based subscription service operated by the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts. It provides display-only court information and is intended for users who need deeper recurring access than the free public search.

The current JIS-Link page states that it can provide case information including the case docket but does not display the case documents themselves. Actual documents still come from the court in which the case was filed.

Current JIS-Link pricing

JIS-Link pricing checked August 30, 2026. Washington’s own older pages can display outdated JIS-Link fees, so use the current JIS-Link overview rather than copying historic fee figures.

Washington court dates: district/municipal vs superior are different

Washington’s Find My Court Date feature is designed for cases scheduled in district and municipal courts.

How to search a district or municipal court date

1. Open Washington’s Search Case Records page.
2. Select Find My Court Date.
3. Accept the disclaimer.
4. Select the Court Name.
5. Enter First Name as it appears on the court papers.
6. Enter Last Name as it appears on the court papers.
7. Complete the CAPTCHA.
8. Select Search.
9. For a time-sensitive appearance, verify the current schedule with the court because calendars can change.

Superior, juvenile, family and appellate calendars are handled differently. Washington directs users to the relevant Superior Court website, Supreme Court calendar or Court of Appeals docket rather than presenting Find My Court Date as universal.

Washington changed how Superior Court judgment records appear in statewide search

Washington’s statewide search currently publishes a special judgment-search notice.

The changes mean:

• the separate Judgment case type is no longer available from the Case Type dropdown;
• a judgment case can no longer be searched directly by its judgment case number;
• a name search no longer displays judgment case records as independent name results;
• instead, search the original civil or criminal case and use the judgment link where one is available.

Case number search: older Washington formats can be a trap

The statewide Superior Court search warns that unusual case numbers without the standard nine-digit structure are generally excluded from that search and that the small number of affected cases are mostly pre-1980 matters.

Odyssey uses its own current Smart Search behavior and allows wildcard case-number searching when at least four case-number characters precede the asterisk.

Business-name search in Washington

Washington’s court-specific Case Search can search a business name when the court and case type are known. Odyssey also provides a Business Name search type under Advanced Filtering Options.

For better business-case identification:

• start with the legal business name;
• verify the court/county;
• compare filing year;
• check whether the entity appears as plaintiff, defendant or another party;
• do not assume that a business-name search captures every DBA, former name or spelling variation unless the portal says it does.

Washington GR 31: public access is broad, but not absolute

Washington General Rule 31 defines a court record broadly to include documents, exhibits and information maintained in connection with a judicial proceeding, including indexes, calendars, dockets, registers of actions, orders, decrees, judgments and minutes.

The rule provides public access to court records except where access is restricted by:

• federal law;
• state law;
• court rule;
• court order;
• case law.

GR 31 also says a fee may not be charged simply to view court records at the courthouse.

Juvenile offender records have a specific internet restriction

GR 31 states that information from an official juvenile offender court record is not to be displayed on a publicly accessible statewide website, while the rule recognizes different access at a county clerk’s office location and through specified JIS-Link policy.

Washington redaction rules

GR 31 requires parties to omit or redact certain personal identifiers from filed documents, subject to applicable exceptions. The rule specifically addresses:

• Social Security numbers;
• financial-account numbers;
• driver’s-license numbers.

The rule places responsibility for redaction on counsel and the parties rather than requiring the clerk to inspect every pleading before filing.

Search result, docket and actual court document are three different things

Washington Superior Court certified-copy fees

Washington’s current RCW 36.18.016 establishes statewide Superior Court Clerk copy charges.

Superior Court fee statute checked: August 30, 2026. The Washington Legislature’s current RCW publication is certified July 15, 2026.

District Court certified-copy fees can follow a different statute

For Washington district courts, RCW 3.62.060 currently provides a $5 fee for certifying a document and gives district courts an option to use a more detailed copy-fee structure that includes:

• $5 for the first page of a certified copy;
• $1 for each additional page;
• $2 for each additional exemplification/authentication seal;
• $0.50 per page for an unsealed paper copy;
• $0.25 per page for an unsealed electronic-format copy;
• additional authorized charges for some storage media or exceptional searches.

How to request a certified Washington court record

1. Find the case first.
2. Write down the exact court and case number.
3. Identify the document. For example: Judgment, Divorce Decree, Order of Dismissal or another specific document.
4. Identify the custodian. Superior Court records normally go through the County Clerk; district/municipal records go through that court; appellate records go through the appellate clerk.
5. Ask the receiving organization what copy type it needs.
6. Open the court’s official record-request instructions.
7. Check the current copy/certification fee.
8. Submit the request using the court’s supported in-person, mail or electronic procedure.
9. Keep the receipt and case number.
10. If exemplification, authentication or apostille is required, confirm that separately.

Older Washington court records: do not rely on online search alone

Washington’s systems create several different reasons an old case may be missing online:

• the court had not yet implemented JIS;
• the historical case uses a non-standard number;
• the case has been archived from a legacy case-management system;
• documents were never imaged;
• the case is restricted or sealed;
• the specific record has reached an applicable retention/disposition stage.

The January 2026 JIS-Link manual states that an archived SCOMIS Superior Court case can only be restored by the Superior Court that entered it. It specifically directs users to contact that court for archive and retention information.

Archive workflow

1. Estimate the filing year.
2. Identify the county and specific court.
3. Search the statewide index.
4. Search the current local portal when applicable.
5. Record any historical cause/case number exactly.
6. Check whether the filing predates the court’s JIS implementation.
7. Contact the court clerk/administrator.
8. Ask whether the case is electronic, archived, paper, microfilm/microfiche or stored off-site.
9. Ask whether advance retrieval is necessary.
10. Ask about copy and certification fees before ordering.

Washington district and municipal record retention is record-specific

Washington publishes a detailed District and Municipal Courts Records Retention Schedule. The current schedule available through Washington Courts is not a single “keep every case X years” rule; different case records, services, probation records, therapeutic-court records and administrative materials have separate retention instructions.

That means an article should never claim:

or any similar universal statement. For an old district/municipal file, identify the precise record type and ask the court whether the record remains onsite, has been archived, or was lawfully destroyed under the applicable retention schedule.

Washington appellate case search and document access are separate

Washington’s statewide appellate Case Search can search by:

• name;
• case number;
• business name;
• court;
• case type;
• filing-year range.

But finding the appellate case is not the same as obtaining appellate documents.

Appellate Public Document Portal

Washington’s Appellate Court Public Document Portal requires the complete appellate case number and performs a case-by-case document lookup.

The portal states that it does not provide:

• trial court record;
• clerk’s papers;
• exhibits;
• administrative record;
• reports of proceedings;
• sealed appellate documents;
• confidential/restricted documents;
• documents from cases filed before January 1, 2020;
• documents not yet accepted for filing.

Party roles: appearing in a Washington case does not mean wrongdoing

Arrest, charge and Washington court disposition are different events

Washington court search is not the state’s criminal-history database

The Washington statewide court-search website explicitly tells users that it should not be treated as the source for a person’s complete criminal history and directs criminal-history requests to the Washington State Patrol.

A court-record search answers questions about court cases. A formal criminal-history system has a different purpose and identity-matching process.

Court records vs jail, prison and criminal-history records

Federal Washington court records: Eastern vs Western District

Washington has two federal district courts. Do not assume that the state court system or a county clerk maintains federal case files.

Eastern Washington federal online coverage has useful dates

The Eastern District currently states that PACER provides online access to non-sealed federal civil and criminal cases and publishes these electronic filing coverage dates:

• Civil filings: April 1999 forward;
• Criminal filings: November 2004 forward.

Older federal material may therefore require a different clerk/archive workflow.

PACER search workflow

1. Open official PACER.
2. Register for an account if necessary.
3. If you know the federal court, search that court directly.
4. If you do not know whether the matter belongs in Eastern or Western Washington—or another federal court—use PACER Case Locator.
5. Prefer a known federal case number when available.
6. Confirm the district and case number before generating a large docket report.
7. Use date filters to reduce unnecessary docket pages.
8. Check the displayed document/page cost before opening multiple files.

PACER pricing verified August 30, 2026

Why searching PACER by case number can save money

PACER’s current pricing page specifically recommends searching by case number rather than party name when possible. A direct case-number query can avoid broad party-name result pages, while party-name searches with many matches can generate multiple billable pages.

What if Washington court records search returns no results?

1. Check the name. Confirm first and last spelling and try the middle name only when useful.
2. Determine the court level. Municipal, district, superior and appellate cases are not interchangeable.
3. Search by case number if known.
4. Identify the county.
5. Superior Court? Check whether the county uses Odyssey, King County’s own portal or Pierce LINX.
6. District/municipal? Check whether the court has migrated to re:SearchWA.
7. Old case? Compare the filing year with that court’s JIS implementation date.
8. Pre-1980? Consider a historical/non-standard case-number issue.
9. Restricted category? Adoption, paternity, dependency, mental-health, juvenile or sealed matters may not appear in ordinary online search.
10. Judgment? Search the original civil/criminal case and follow the judgment link if available.
11. Appeal? Switch to appellate search.
12. Federal? Switch to PACER.
13. Still unresolved? Use the Washington Court Directory and contact the actual court of record.

Identity verification is mandatory after a name search

• Compare complete name.
• Check middle name or initial.
• Check suffix where lawfully displayed.
• Confirm court.
• Confirm county.
• Confirm case number.
• Compare filing date/year.
• Identify the party role.
• Review attorney information where available.
• Do not identify a private person if meaningful uncertainty remains.

What not to do with Washington court records

• Do not claim the statewide search contains every Washington court record.
• Do not call a statewide index result a certified court record.
• Do not assume every Superior Court uses Odyssey.
• Do not send King County Superior Court users to Odyssey.
• Do not send Pierce County Superior Court users to Odyssey.
• Do not assume every district or municipal court has already migrated to re:SearchWA.
• Do not treat a charge as a conviction.
• Do not infer current custody from a court docket.
• Do not bypass sealed, juvenile or otherwise restricted access.
• Do not reconstruct redacted SSNs, account numbers or driver’s-license information.
• Do not republish unnecessary private information from old court documents.
• Do not submit sensitive identifying information to Public-Court-Records.us.

FCRA and screening limitation

Official sources reviewed

• Washington Courts — Find Court Records
• Washington State Courts Case Records Search
• Washington Courts — Name and Case Search
• Washington General Rule 31 — Access to Court Records
• Washington Odyssey Portal
• Odyssey Portal Quick Reference Guide — Updated October 15, 2025
• Odyssey Portal FAQ — September 30, 2025
• re:SearchWA — Courts of Limited Jurisdiction
• Washington JIS-Link
• King County Superior Court Case Search
• Pierce County LINX
• Washington Court of Appeals Public Document Portal
• RCW 36.18.016 — Superior Court Clerk Copy Fees
• RCW 3.62.060 — District Court Fees
• PACER Pricing

Research verification date: August 30, 2026. Washington is actively migrating court systems, particularly Superior Courts and Courts of Limited Jurisdiction. Verify the court’s current portal before relying on a saved bookmark or older article.

Frequently asked questions about Washington court records

1. What is the official Washington court records search by name?

Use Washington Courts Person Search when you know a person’s name but do not yet know the court. First Name and Last Name are required and Middle Name is optional. The result is reference information that helps identify the case and court; the official record remains with the court of record.

2. Does Washington’s statewide case search include the actual court documents?

No. Washington Courts states that the statewide search is reference material and does not provide copies of case-file documents. Obtain the actual document from the court of record or the current authorized document portal for that court.

3. Why can’t I find an old Washington Superior Court case online?

The case may predate that court’s implementation of JIS, may use a non-standard older case number, may have been archived, or may be restricted or sealed. Washington specifically notes that unusual non-standard case numbers are uncommon and are mostly associated with pre-1980 cases.

4. Which Washington Superior Courts use Odyssey Portal?

Washington’s current Odyssey materials state that 37 county Superior Courts use Odyssey. King and Pierce County Superior Courts are excluded. Washington Courts directs King County users to King County’s own system and Pierce County users to LINX.

5. Can I search Washington Odyssey Portal using part of a person’s name?

Yes. Washington’s current Odyssey guide supports a trailing asterisk wildcard. It requires at least one first-name character or three last-name characters before the wildcard. Odyssey also provides a Sounds Like option; use the actual Washington portal rules rather than invented search syntax.

6. What is re:SearchWA?

re:SearchWA is Washington’s newer public case-record portal for courts participating in the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Case Management System. Participating district and municipal courts can provide case search, hearing/docket information and certain eFiled document access through the service, depending on the court and access role.

7. How do I get a certified Washington Superior Court record?

Identify the Superior Court and complete case number, determine the exact document you need, and request it from the county Superior Court Clerk. RCW 36.18.016 currently provides a $5 first-page certified-copy fee plus $1 for each additional page, with separate fees for additional authentication or exemplification.

8. Where do I find a Washington district or municipal court date?

Use Washington Courts Find My Court Date for participating district and municipal court matters. Select the court, enter the person’s first and last name as requested, and verify the current schedule with the court when an appearance is time-sensitive.

9. Where do I search federal court cases in Washington?

Use PACER. Washington has Eastern and Western federal judicial districts. If you know the district and case number, search that court directly; otherwise PACER Case Locator can help identify the federal court that holds the case.

10. Can Washington court-record searches be used for employment or tenant screening?

Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and should not be treated as an FCRA consumer-reporting service for employment, housing, tenant, credit, insurance or similar eligibility decisions. A matching court name also does not by itself establish identity or a final adverse disposition.