Pierce County, Washington Court Records

Pierce County Court Records

Pierce County court records refer to official accounts of events and activities in civil or criminal proceedings. Court records are considered part of Pierce County Public Records and constitute an essential part of Pierce County's legal system. They ensure that the justice system remains transparent and accountable, as anyone can refer to the documents at any time to review cases and understand how judgments were reached. Appellate courts also rely on case records from the trial courts to detect where errors were made. Other benefits of keeping court records include:

To aid legal research conducted by lawyers and law students
For policy-making
To establish legal precedents
For writing press reports

Per Chapter 36.23 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), court clerks are responsible for maintaining court records within their jurisdiction.

Are Court Records Public in Pierce County?

Yes, court records are public documents in Pierce County. The Washington Public Records Act defines "public records" as written documents relating to government conduct or the performance of governmental functions by state and local agencies. By this definition, court records are public records throughout the state.

However, Pierce County court records are subject to the Washington State Court Rules, not the Public Records Act. Per Wash. Gen. R. 31, court records in Washington are open to public access unless restricted by any applicable law. As such, individuals can view and copy these records without stating their reasons for request.

Note that court records may be restricted by statute or accessible only to authorized parties. Examples of such documents or information include:

Juvenile delinquency records
Social security numbers
Drivers' license numbers
Financial account numbers

What Do Pierce County Court Records Contain?

The following are components of Pierce County Court records:

Case files (including pleadings and other motions, evidence, filed documents, witness statements, notices, and transcripts)
Docket entries
Calendars
Indexes
Orders, decrees, and judgments
Minutes
Any other document that is prepared by the court, maintained in a case management system, and related to judicial proceedings

Note that the following do not constitute court records in Pierce County:

Information maintained by or on behalf of a judge in a case (memoranda, personal notes and communication, drafts, etc.)
Information gathered by a government agency that a court can access but is not included in the official records of the court

Where to Conduct a Pierce County Case Lookup

Parties who wish to request Pierce County Court records can do so at these places or using these methods:

The courthouse where the case was heard or filed
A written request to a court clerk's office

How to Conduct a Pierce County Case Records Search

Below are instructions for conducting a Pierce County Court case records search:

In-Person or By Mail

Individuals seeking Pierce County Court case records can visit the clerk's office in the courthouse where the legal proceedings were held. For example, the Clerk of the Superior Court preserves case records for the local superior court. On the other hand, the Clerk of the Juvenile Court holds records of juvenile offenders, and the District Court's Public Records Officer handles requests for official district court case records.

After confirming the court where a case was heard or filed, the requester can visit the courthouse during business hours or submit a records request form by mail (or via other means provided). Requesters writing to a records custodian's office are advised to put in as much information as they can about the court record they are interested in, as this will help facilitate the search. Normally, record search requests to a clerk's office are either for an inspection or reproduction of existing case records. Inspection requests are free, but requesting plain or certified copies of court records attracts a fee.

Fee information can be obtained by sending a public records request to the custodian's office, contacting the custodian's office, or reviewing a fee schedule on the court's website. For example, the county superior court's Request Court Records page or the district court's Find Case Information page%20798%2D6310-,COSTS,-You%20will%20receive).

Nonetheless, per RCW 36.18.016(4)), certified copies cost $5 for the first page and $1 per additional page, while non-certified copies cost $0.50 per page. A range of payment methods, including cash, money order, and cashier's check, are accepted by the courts.

Online

Members of the public who want to search Pierce County court case records on the internet can utilize public case access portals offered by the courts. For instance, persons searching Pierce County Superior Court case records can access the Legal Information Network Exchange (LINX) portal. LINX is open to use by the general public, legal practitioners, and researchers.

Searching any case on LINX requires a name or case number. A user can view case information for free on the platform, but purchasing any document attracts a fee. The fee for printing court documents on LINX is $0.25 per page for non-certified copies, $5 for the first page and $1 afterward for certified copies, and an eCommerce fee of $1.50 is added to all transactions.

Inquirers who wish to access court case records filed between January 1991 and December 2001 but not imaged will need to fill and submit a Scan Document to that effect. Otherwise, contact the superior court clerk's office at (253) 798-7455 for records filed before January 1991.

Meanwhile, to search Pierce County municipal and district court case records online, one may access the Washington Courts case search portal. Interested persons can carry out a Case Search, Person Search, Attorney Search, or Find my Court Date Search on the website. Note, however, that the portal only has limited case information. For complete case records, one must contact or visit the relevant court of record.

Pierce County Civil Court Case Records

Pierce County civil court case records are the official documents of non-criminal court proceedings. Examples of civil court cases include personal injury, probate, contract, and property cases. One may view or copy civil court case records in Pierce County at the courthouse where a case was filed. An option also exists to look up these case records online, as described above.

Pierce County Criminal Court Case Records

Pierce County criminal court case records refer to the official documentation of court cases where a party (the defendant) was accused of a crime. Examples of criminal court cases include assault, robbery, and burglary.

The following are the common ways to access Pierce County Criminal case records:

Visit the courthouse where the criminal case was prosecuted.
Send a written request to the court clerk's office via mail or any other acceptable means.
Search online public access case portals provided by the courts or third parties.

How to Get Court Records Online for Free

Pierce County's superior court and the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts provide online case search portals that interested persons can access to view court records for free. Interestingly, users can only view limited court case information for free. To examine complete court records, one must visit the courthouse where a case was filed or pay a fee to obtain copies of court records.

Some independent online repositories also provide limited court case information for free to the public.

Courts in Pierce County, Washington

Below are the court addresses and contact information in Pierce County:

Pierce County Superior Court
County-City Building
930 Tacoma Avenue South
Room 110
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: (253) 798-7455
Fax: (253) 798-3428

Pierce County Superior Court - Juvenile
Remann Hall
5501 6th Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98406
Phone: (253) 798-7900
Fax: (253) 798-7649

Pierce County District Court
County-City Building
930 Tacoma Avenue South
Room 239
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: (253) 798-7487
Fax: (253) 798-6310

Bonney Lake Municipal Court
Justice & Municipal Center
9002 Main Street East
Suite 100
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
Phone: (253) 862-6606
Fax: (253) 862-3053

Buckley Municipal Court
811 Main Street
P.O. Box 1452
Buckley, WA 98321
Phone: (360) 829-2118
Fax: (360) 234-0994

Carbonado Municipal Court
811 Main Street
P.O. Box 1452
Buckley, WA 98321
Phone: (360) 829-2118
Fax: (360) 234-0994

DuPont Municipal Court
6000 Main Street Southwest
Lakewood, WA 98499
Phone: (253) 512-2258
Fax: (253) 512-2267

Eatonville Municipal Court
Justice & Municipal Center
9002 Main Street East
Suite 100
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
Phone: (253) 862-6606
Fax: (253) 862-3053

Fife Municipal Court
3737 Pacific Highway East
Fife, WA 98424
Phone: (253) 922-6635
Fax: (253) 926-5435

Fircrest Municipal Court
City Hall
115 Ramsdell Street
Fircrest, WA 98466
Phone: (253) 564-8922
Fax: (253) 564-3645

Gig Harbor Municipal Court
3510 Grandview Street
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
Phone: (253) 851-7808
Fax: (253) 853-5483

Lakewood Municipal Court
6000 Main Street Southwest
Lakewood, WA 98499
Phone: (253) 512-2258
Fax: (253) 512-2267

Milton Municipal Court
929 East Main Street
Suite 120
Puyallup, WA 98372
Phone: (253) 841-5450
Fax: (253) 770-3365

Orting Municipal Court
401 Washington Avenue Southeast
P.O. Box 489
Orting, WA 98360
Phone: (360) 893-3160
Fax: (888) 491-2202

Puyallup Municipal Court
929 East Main Street
Suite 120
Puyallup, WA 98372
Phone: (253) 841-5450
Fax: (253) 770-3365

Roy Municipal Court
216 McNaught Street South
P.O. Box 700
Roy, WA 98580
Phone: (253) 843-0463
Fax: (253) 843-0279

Ruston Municipal Court
City Hall
115 Ramsdell Street
Fircrest, WA 98466
Phone: (253) 564-8922
Fax: (253) 564-3645

South Prairie Municipal Court
Justice & Municipal Center
9002 Main Street E
Suite 100
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
Phone: (253) 862-6606
Fax: (253) 862-3053

Steilacoom Municipal Court
6000 Main Street Southwest
Lakewood, WA 98499
Phone: (253) 512-2258
Fax: (253) 512-2267

Sumner Municipal Court
9002 Main Street East
Suite 100
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
Phone: (253) 862-6606
Fax: (253) 862-3053

Tacoma Municipal Court
County-City Building
930 Tacoma Avenue South
Room 841
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: (253) 591-5357
Fax: (253) 591-5301

University Place Municipal Court
6000 Main Street Southwest
Lakewood, WA 98499
Phone: (253) 512-2258
Fax: (253) 512-2267

Wilkeson Municipal Court
540 Church Street
P.O. Box 409
Wilkeson, WA 98396
Phone: (360) 829-0171
Fax: (360) 829-0898