Spokane County, Washington Court Records

Spokane County Court Records

The GR 31 of Washington State Court Rules defines a court record as any document, record, information, exhibit, or other paper and electronic material a court keeps in relation to a judicial proceeding. This includes all indexes, documents, calendars, dockets, registers of actions, official records of the proceedings, orders, decrees, judgments, minutes, and any information created or prepared by a court during a case. Court records do not include information gathered, maintained, or stored by a government agency to which the court has access but which is not entered into the record. Such records include personal notes and communications, memoranda, drafts, or other working papers about a specific case or party.

The County Clerk is responsible for documenting and maintaining court records in Spokane County. Court records aid the court in keeping accurate track of judicial proceedings. It preserves legal jurisprudence and ensures transparency and accountability within the judicial system. A court record can be accessed for various legal and non-legal reasons, including background checks by entities on a party, validating an individual's personal information, evidence, and a base point for possible subsequent cases.

Are Court Records Public in Spokane County

Yes, court records are classified as public records under Washington Public Records Act. This means that court records are generally accessible to the public for examination and inspection in Spokane County except when restricted by federal or state law, court rule, court order, or case law. However, juvenile offenders and adoption records are considered confidential. Personal identifiers of individuals such as social security numbers, financial account numbers, and driver's license numbers are omitted or, if present, are redacted from court records except if necessary or by court order for which only the last four digits of the number shall be documented.

What Do Spokane County Court Records Contain?

The content of court records usually differs depending on various factors, including the court in which the trial was held, the case type, and the uniqueness of the individual cases. The following information is typically found in court records in Spokane County:

Case number
Charges
Case type
File date
Date of birth
Incident number
Court
Case status
Case documents
Document description
SUB number
Hearing type
LEA
Jurisdiction

Where to Conduct a Spokane County Case Lookup

A Spokane County case lookup can be conducted at the following offices:

How to Conduct a Spokane County Case Records Search

The process of conducting a Spokane Couty case records search varies by court. Here is how to conduct a case records search in Spokane County:

Spokane County Superior Court

A copy of a court record maintained in the Superior Court can be requested by mail or in person during business hours at the County Clerk’s office. The County Clerk also doubles as the Clerk of the Superior Court. The relevant fee for the copy, a self-addressed stamped envelope of sufficient size, and sufficient postage for the copies must be attached to the mailed request. The mail is to be addressed to:

Spokane County Clerk’s Office
1116 West Broadway Ave
Room 300
Spokane, WA 99260

The fees associated with obtaining a court record are as follows:

Certified copies (with seal) cost $5 for the first page of the record and an additional $1 for subsequent pages.
Non-certified copies cost s 25 cents per page unless the document is on microfilm, in which case the cost per page is 50 cents.

The fees are compliant with RCW 36.18.016. It is advised to call the Clerk’s office at (509) 477-2211 during business hours to know the volume of the record and the appropriate fee before requesting the document.

Spokane County District Court

Court records filed in the District Court can be obtained by email, mail, or in person at the courthouse. Email and mail inquirers must send completed Case Request form to the Public Records Officer at:
Spokane County District Court Administrator
P.O. Box 2352
Spokane, WA 99210-2352
Email: dcadmin@spokanecounty.org

The Superior Court and District Court case records can be accessed online through the Spokane County Court Viewer. A case search can be performed using a case number or the party’s name first and/or last name.

Spokane County Civil Court Case Records

A civil court case record is generated from the proceedings of a case trial in a civil court. A civil case usually involves a dispute between two parties (business or individual). This can stem from landlord/tenant conflicts, contractual disagreements, property damage and claims, and family disputes. The Clerk of Court Office is responsible for the filing and maintaining of civil court case records in Spokane County. The Superior Court Civil Division hears civil cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $100,000, while the District Court hears civil cases with damage claims that do not exceed $100,000.

A record can be requested by contacting the court where the case was filed, in person, by email, or by mail. Obtaining a record from the clerk’s office costs a fee, which usually depends on the nature and volume of the requested record. Alternatively, requesters can use the Spokane County Court Viewer to access civil court records online. To specifically conduct a civil case search via this portal, select cases by name under the civil section dropdown of the District Court or Superior Court menu. When the name of the case party is unknown, conduct a search by case number.

Spokane County Criminal Court Case Records

Criminal court case records are generated during Spokane County Court proceedings where a person commits an offense against the state. Criminal court case records are kept in the custody of the Clerk of Court where the trial occurred.

The Superior Court Criminal Division handles felony cases, while the District Court handles criminal and misdemeanor cases. Criminal records may be obtained online, by mail, or in person at the Spokane County Clerk’s office during normal business hours. Mail-in requests must include the following

A pre-addressed postage-paid envelope for the return of the desired record
Specific information like a case number, case parties’ names, and documents requested
A check or money order

Non-certified copies cost 25₵ per page. Certified copies cost $5 for the first page, and additional pages cost $1 per page. Online requests can be made via the Spokane County Court Viewer. Select the Cases by Defendant Name search option from the District Court (DC) or Superior Court (SC) dropdown to conduct a criminal case search. However, when the defendant’s name is unknown a search can be conducted by case number.

How to Get Court Records Online for Free

Court records can be obtained at no cost online through the Spokane County Court Viewer tool. Click on the tab at the top bar titled District Court (DC) or Superior Court (SC) and conduct a search using the search criteria listed beneath the “Find Detailed Case Information” section. Specifically, a search can be conducted by name or case number. Users who want to conduct a search by name must select the appropriate case type, which could be civil or criminal.

Courts in Spokane County

Superior Court
1116 W Broadway Ave
Spokane, WA 99260-0350
Phone: (509) 477-5790

Juvenile Court
902 N Adams St
Spokane, WA 99260-2002
Phone: (509) 477-4742

District Court
1100 W Mallon Ave
Public Safety Bldg
Spokane, WA 99260-0150
Phone: (509) 477-4770

Municipal Court
1100 W Mallon Ave
Spokane, WA 99260-2043
Phone: (509) 625-4400