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