How Does the Washington Municipal Courts Work?

Washington municipal courts, also known as magistrate courts, are created by the state for the local jurisdiction. The municipal courts attend to civil and criminal cases and offenses that violate the city ordinances arising within the municipality. Examples of such cases include:

• Traffic misdemeanors such as speeding and reckless driving
• Traffic ticketing
• Wrong parking
• Family law cases
• Contract disputes
• Personal injury suits
• Shoplifting
• Juvenile and domestic relations

The court structure in Washington generally grants jurisdiction over all cases to the supreme court. The supreme court has authority over criminal issues such as felonies, disputes over the title or possession of real properties, toll fines, and various other cases. The supreme court might likely have a youth court or teen court where other youths and teenagers serve as jurors, judges, court personnel, and lawyers. However, district courts have limited jurisdiction over particular civil, criminal, or traffic cases. Examples of cases that are heard in a district court include:

• Contract cases that involve the recovery of money
• Damages to a person or properties
• Fraud cases
• Vehicle impound cases
• Name change
• Violence protection orders

Municipal courts, on the other hand, are limited to the enforcements and recoveries of license penalties. The courts can also hold preliminary hearings, set bails, conduct trials, and take records on another municipal court’s warrants. In Washington, each of the 39 counties has a municipal court, and the municipal court judges may be elected or appointed for a period of four years by the mayor. To serve on a municipal court, the judge must be:

• A resident of the state and US citizens as well
• Must be licensed to practice in the state (except in counties of more than 5,000 people)
• Must be below or within the age of 75

The judicial branch of the state of Washington is committed to openness and transparency. Hence, requests for record information from the municipal court will be attended to by the public records office where the case was heard. However, there are certain restrictions on family law cases. Some other documents considered strictly confidential include:

• Order of retirement plan
• Relocation notice

The following are contact addresses and sitting locations of Washington Municipal Courts:

Aberdeen Municipal Court
210 E Market St
Aberdeen, WA, 98520
Phone: (360) 533–5411

Airways Height Municipal Court
13120 W 13th Ave
Airway Heights, WA 99001,
Phone: (509) 244–2773

Anacortes Municipal Court
1218 24th St
Anacortes, WA 98221
Phone: (360) 293–1913

Asotin Municipal Court
Asotin City Hall
121 Cleveland Street
Asotin, WA 99402
Phone: (509) 243–2027

Bainbridge Island Municipal Court
10255 NE Valley Rd
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Phone: (206) 842–5641

Battle Ground Municipal Court
109 SA 1st St
Battle Ground, WA 98604,
Phone: (360) 342–5150

Bellingham Municipal Court
2014 C St
Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: (360) 778–8150

Blaine Municipal Court
435 Martin St
Blaine, WA 98230,
Phone: (360) 332–8311

Black Diamond Municipal Court
25510 Lawson St
Black Diamond, WA 98010
Phone: (360) 851–4490

Boney Lake Municipal Court
9002 Main St E #100
Boney Lake, WA 98391
Phone: (253) 862–6606

Bothell Municipal Court
10116 Ne 183rd St
Bothell, WA 98011
Phone: (425) 487–5587

Bremerton Municipal Court
550 Park Ave
Bremerton, WA 98337
Phone: (360) 473–5260

Buckley Municipal Court
811 Main St
Buckley, WA 98321
Phone: (360) 829–2118

Camas Washougal Municipal Court
89 C St
Washougal, WA 98671
Phone: (360) 397–2125

Centralia Municipal Court
118 W Maple St
Centralia, WA 98531
Phone: (360) 330–7667

Chehalis Municipal Court
350 N Market Blvd # 105
Chehalis, WA 98532
Phone: (360) 345–1025

Cheney Municipal Court
611 2nd St
Cheney, WA 99004
Phone: (509) 498–9231

Colton Municipal Court
706 Broadway St
Colton, WA 99113,
Phone: (509) 229–3887

Connel Municipal Court
104 East Adams St
Connell, WA 99326
Phone: (509) 234–4141

Cosmopolis Municipal Court
1312 1st St
Cosmopolis, WA 98537,
Phone: (360) 532–9264

Des Moines Municipal Court
21630 11th Ave S, Ste C
Des Moines, WA 98198
Phone: (206) 878–4597

East Wenatchee Municipal Court
271 9th St NE
East Wenatchee, WA 98802,
Phone: (509) 884–0680

Edmonds Municipal Court
250 5th Ave N
Edmonds, WA 98020
Phone: (425) 771–0210

Elma Municipal Court
202 W Main St
Elma, WA 98541,
Phone: (360) 482–2603

Electric City
10 Western Ave
Electric, WA 99123
Phone: (509) 633–1510

Enumclaw Municipal Court
1339 Griffin Ave
Enumclaw, WA 98022
Phone: (360) 825–7771

Everett Municipal Court
3028 Wetmore Ave
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: (425) 257–8778

Federal Way Municipal Court
33325 8th Ave S
Federal Way, WA 98003
Phone: (253) 835–3000

Ferndale Municipal Court
5694 2nd Ave
Ferndale, WA 98248
Phone: (360) 384–2827

Fife Municipal Court
3737 Pacific Hwy E
Fife, WA 98424
Phone: (253) 922–6635

Gig Harbor Municipal Court
3510 Grandview St
Gig Harbor, WA 98335,
Phone: (253) 851–7808

Hoquiam Municipal Court
609 8th St
Hoquiam, WA 98550
Phone: (360) 538–3965

Issaquah Municipal Court
Issaquah, WA 98027
Phone: (425) 837–3170

Kent Municipal Court
1220 Central Ave S
Kent, WA 98032
Phone: (253) 856–5730

Kirkland Municipal Court
11740 Ne 118th St
Kirkland, WA 98034
Phone: (425) 587–3160

Lake Forest Park Municipal Court
17425 Ballinger Way Ne
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
Phone: (206) 368–5440

Longview Violations Bureau
1351 Hudson St
Longview, WA 98632
Phone: (360) 442–5817

Lynden Municipal Court
205 4th St
Lynden, WA 98264
Phone: (360) 354–4270

Lynnwood Municipal Court
19321 44th Ave w
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Phone: (425) 670–5100

Medical Lake Municipal Court
124 S Lefevre St
Medical Lake, WA 99022
Phone: (509) 565–5000

Mercer Island Municipal Court
9611 Se 36th St
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Phone: (206) 236–3451

Milton Municipal Court
929 E Main, Suite 120
Puyallup, WA 98372
Phone: (253) 841–5450

Montesano Municipal Court
112 N Main St #2
Montesano, WA 98563
Phone: (360) 249–4245

Ocean Shores Municipal Court
585 Point Brown Ave NW
Ocean Shores, WA 98569
Phone: (360) 289–2486

Court Olympia Municipal Court
97501, 900 Plum Street SE
Olympia, WA 98501
Phone: (360) 753–8312

Oakville Municipal Court
204 E Main Street
Oakville, WA 98568
Phone: (905) 815–6015

Omak Municipal Court
2 Ash Street
Omak, WA 98841
Phone: (509) 826–2971

Pacific Municipal Court
100 3rd Ave SE
Pacific, WA 98047
Phone: (253) 929–1140

Pasco Municipal Court
1016 N 4th Ave Building D
Pasco, WA 99301
Phone: (509) 545–3491

Port Orchard Municipal Court
216 Prospect St
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone: (360) 876–1701

Poulsbo Municipal Court
200 Moe St NE
Poulsbo, WA 98370
Phone: (360) 779–9846

Puyallup Municipal Court
929 E Main, Suite 120
Puyallup, WA 98372
Phone: (253) 841–5450

Renton Municipal Court
1055 S Grady Way #3
Renton, WA 98057
Phone: (425) 430–6550

Seatac Municipal Court
4800 S 188th St
Seatac, WA 98188
Phone: (206) 973–4610

Seattle Municipal Court
600 5th Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 684–5600

Selah Municipal Court
115 W Naches Ave
Selah, WA 98942
Phone: (509) 698–7329

Sumas Municipal Court
433 Cherry St
Sumas, WA 98295
Phone: (360) 988–5711

Sunnyside Municipal Court
401 Homer St
Sunnyside, WA 98944
Phone: (509) 839–4427

Tukwila Municipal Court
6200 Southcenter Blvd
Tukwila, WA 98188
Phone: (206) 433–1840

Wapato Municipal Court
205 S Simcoe Ave
Wapato, WA 98951
Phone: (509) 877–6269

Westport Municipal Court
604 N. Montesano St
Westport, WA 98595
Phone: (360) 268–0125

Zillah Municipal Court
111 7th ST
Zillah, WA 98953
Phone: (509) 829–3543