Spokane County Court Records

Spokane County court records are files generated to document court activities in the county’s district, superior, and municipal courts. Court records describe the various individuals and actions involved from inception to the conclusion of cases. In addition to demonstrating the rule of law, they are useful reference materials for court officials, law enforcement, and members of the public. Examples of documents classified as court records are:

• Legal Arguments
• Sworn Testimony
• Transcripts
• Final Dispositions
• Audio and Video Recordings of Court Hearings
• Sentencing
• Indictments
• Orders
• Unpublished Decisions
• Lists of Trials

Are Court Records Public in Spokane County?

According to the Washington State Public Records Act, court records are open for public inspection except those sealed by court order or restricted by state law, especially those containing sensitive information. Court records may be obtained in person at the office of the county clerk but not removed. The following court records are not disclosable to the public in Spokane County:

• Medical Records
• Adoption Records
• Documents containing personal identifiers
• Court records sealed by judicial order
• Alcohol and Drug Treatment Commitment Records
• Paternity Records (except final orders)
• Confidential Name Change Records
• Juvenile Non-Offenders Records
• Mental Illness Commitment Records

Also, some family law case records, such as guardianship records, cannot be accessed.

Spokane County Court Records Search

Spokane County court records can be requested by mail or at the county’s courthouses or accessed online. While searching for these records is usually free, court clerks charge certain fees to provide copies of court records. Members of the public can use the statewide Washington Courts Online Case Search System/JIS system to locate court records in the county. When searching for court records on this portal, provide details such as the names of the parties involved in the cases recorded, docket numbers, filing dates, and case types.

Spokane County Court Records Search by Name

Spokane County has a court viewer application for searching district court and superior court cases by name. The county’s municipal court has a separate search tool. When searching district court records by name on the court viewer page, click on the tab above titled district court, choose “find my court hearing dates” on the left column, click on “find detailed case information” on the right column, and search by name and case type

Spokane County Courts

Spokane County operates a three-tier court system. The superior court has exclusive jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases except where jurisdiction is limited by law. It has a family law division that handles guardianship (minors) and establishment of paternity cases. District courts exercise limited jurisdiction over certain types of civil cases and hold preliminary hearings for criminal cases. Municipal courts decide minor issues such as animal control violations, boating and fishing violations, and parking violations. They usually have jurisdiction over cases that occur within the boundaries of their municipality.

The following are Spokane County courts:

Superior Courts in Spokane County

Spokane County Courthouse
1116 W Broadway Avenue
Room 300
Spokane, WA 99260
Phone: (509) 477-2211

Spokane County Superior Court - Juvenile
902 N Adams Street
Spokane, WA 99260
Phone: (509) 477-4742
Fax: (509) 477-2699

District Court in Spokane County

Spokane County District Court
Public Safety Building
1100 W Mallon Avenue
P.O.Box 2352
Spokane, WA 99210
Phone: (509) 477-4770
Fax: (509) 477-6445

Spokane County District Court - Civil/Small Claims
Broadway Center Building
721 N Jefferson Street
Spokane, WA 99260
Phone: (509) 477-4770 ext. 8

Municipal Courts in Spokane County

Airway Heights Municipal Court
Physical: 13120 W 13th Avenue
Airway Heights, WA 99001
Mailing: 1208 S Lundstrom Street
Airway Heights, WA 99001
Phone: (509) 244-2773
Fax: (509) 244-1852

Cheney Municipal Court
611 2nd Street
Cheney, WA 99004
Phone: (509) 498-9231
Fax: (509) 498-9332

Medical Lake Municipal Court
611 2nd Street
Cheney, WA 99004
Phone: (509) 498-9231
Fax: (509) 498-9332

Spokane Municipal Court
Public Safety Building
1100 W Mallon Avenue
Spokane, WA 99260
Phone: (509) 625-4400
Fax: (509) 625-4442

Spokane County Superior Court Records

The superior court is the primary trial court in Spokane County. Most civil and criminal cases are heard in the superior court. It has authority to dispense justice over all crimes and adjudicates adoption, divorce, probate, felony, criminal, juvenile, civil, and domestic relation cases. Case records created in this court can be obtained from the county clerk. Request for copies of records filed in this court may be addressed to the county clerk’s office at:

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

Note that certified copies of records cost $5 for the first page while non-certified copies cost 25 cents per page, unless on microfilm (50 cents) per page.

Spokane County District Court Records

Spokane County district court records document cases heard, and decisions made, at district courts in the county. These courts share concurrent jurisdiction with the superior courts over civil cases. The following case types are handles in Spokane County district courts:

• General civil actions with damage claims in the maximum amount of $100,000
• Traffic Infractions
• Non-Traffic Infractions
• Gross Misdemeanors
• Civil Protection Orders
• Criminal Misdemeanors
• Small Claims in which the amount of money involved in controversy is $5,000 (businesses) and $10,000 (individuals)
• Name Change Petitions
• Felonies
• Impounds

Members of the public can access district court records by visiting the office of the district court clerk or remotely on the Washington court system website. To view Spokane County district court records remotely:

• Log on to the Washington court system website
• Click case search
• Select court level e.g district or municipal
• Select the court name
• Select the case type and year case was filed
• Fill in the first and last name and click the search button

Attorneys can also search for district court records using this portal by providing their bar numbers as well as specify case date range and number of days to search.

Spokane County Criminal Records

The state’s Criminal Records Privacy Act permits the public to have non-restricted access to conviction records. However, Spokane County arrest records are not open to the public. Generally, there are no restricted access to criminal records; therefore, members of the public can view criminal records online. The Washington State Patrol website (WSP) has a statewide database of criminal records and charges a fee for public access to these records. The WSP accepts requests for criminal records through various channels including by mail, online, and walk-ins.

Spokane County Criminal Court Case Lookup

In Spokane County, criminal court cases can be requested by mail or inspected at the office of the county clerk on the third floor of the courthouse at 1116 W Broadway Avenue during regular business hours. Note that non-certified copies cost 25 cents per page.

Spokane County Civil Court Records

Cases that involve damages done to another party which result in disputes and monetary compensations are decided in the civil court. The public can view civil court records online or by mail at public computer terminals located at the Spokane County superior court. Examples of civil cases heard at this court include unlawful detainer actions, small claims, and name change petitions. Arbitrations may be employed to provide fair and quick dispute resolutions where parties choose not to take their disputes to trial.

In Spokane County, district courts and the superior court have jurisdiction over civil cases. To look up civil court cases:

• Visit the district court search application
• Select a search option either from the district court (DC) or superior court (SC)
• Click search by name or case number
• Submit and view results

Spokane County Family Court Records

The family law division of the superior court handles domestic/family cases. It settles disputes between spouses and makes final judgments on all domestic relation cases. Family court records are useful for establishing legal responsibilities among relations. The types of cases heard in the family court include:

• Dissolution of Marriage
• Civil Commitment
• Parenting Plan Modification
• Spousal Abuse
• Child Visitation
• Annulment of Marriage
• Child Support
• Alimony

The public can access these records at the superior courthouse located at:

1116 W Broadway Avenue
3rd Floor Annex
Spokane, WA 99260

Spokane County Dissolution of Marriage Records

The dissolution of a marriage indicates that a legal union has been terminated and the parties involved are no longer bound by law as a couple. Some of the documents produced during the legal dissolution of a marriage are:

• Divorce Decree
• Divorce Complaint
• Financial Affidavits
• Parenting Plan Documents (for couples with kids)
• Petition for Dissolution of Marriage

The dissolution process is carried out by the superior court. The county clerk, who also serves as the superior court clerk, is responsible for keeping record of divorce proceedings. The office of the clerk charges $5 for the first page of a certified copy and $1 for each additional page. Members of the public can request copies of dissolution of marriage records from the county clerk by mail. They can also call to request these records or submit their requests in person at:

County Courthouse
1116 W Broadway Avenue
3rd Floor
Spokane, WA 99260
(509) 477-2211

Spokane County Marriage and Divorce Records

A marriage record represents official evidence that there is a marital union between two persons. Spokane County marriage records can be requested by reaching out to the county auditor by mail. To submit an in-person request, visit the office of the auditor at:

1116 W Broadway Avenue
Spokane, WA 99260
(509) 477-2270

Certified copies of marriage certificates cost $3, payable to the Spokane County auditor. The names of both parties and the date of the marriage are required information for obtaining marriage certificates. Both divorce and marriage records can be retrieved electronically from the Washington State Digital Archives (WSDA). The Washington State Digital Archives keeps marriage records as far back as 1880.

Divorce records are legal documentations of the dissolution of civil unions. To access divorce records on the Washington state digital archives:

• Log on to the WSDA website
• Enter the first name of the person
• Enter the last name/business name of the person
• Select “death records” in the collections box
• Click on the search button

Spokane County Birth and Death Records

A birth record is an official record containing details such as a person’s birthplace, name, and gender at birth. A death record contains details about a person's death e.g. the place, cause, and time of death. These records are available at the Spokane Regional Health District’s Vital Records office. You can obtain a birth record if you are either the subject on the record or an individual who has a relationship with the person on the record (e.g siblings and spouse). A proof of relationship documentation must be provided. However, anyone can obtain death records without proving a relationship with the deceased.

You can request Spokane County birth and death records online, in person, by phone, and by mail. A $25 fee must be paid to get these records plus any additional fees based on the method of ordering them. Birth certificates available at the vital records office are from 1907 till present while the Washington State Digital Archives has those records from 1890 - 1907. To order a death certificate for a death that occurred between 1891 and July 1907, contact the Spokane County auditor at 1116 W Broadway or call (509) 477-2270. For a walk-in request, visit the Spokane County vital records office at:

1101 W College Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: (509) 324-1500

To obtain birth and death records you can visit this office anytime between Monday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m - 4:30 p.m or on Friday from 7:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m. However, note that walk-ins are not accepted after 4:15 p:m on Monday to Thursday and 12:15 p:m on Fridays.

Death certificates can be used to recover insurance claims and transfer titles. Birth certificates are usually used to trace family history records. Most funeral homes will help you obtain copies of a death certificate. Alternatively, you can check for death and birth records by calling, emailing (spocoprr@spokanecounty.org), or sending a mail to the Spokane County public records office at:

1116 W Broadway Ave
ATTN: Public Records Office
Spokane, WA 99260

Spokane County Probate Court Records

Probate court records are legal documents describing probate matters such as the administration of estates, guardianship appointments, and safekeeping of wills and trusts. Spokane County’s superior court handles probate proceedings and their records are in the county clerk’s repository. The probate court handles:

• Juvenile Cases
• Adoption Cases
• Domestic Relation Proceedings

To view probate court records for Spokane County, visit the county’s probate, wills, guardianship, and trust website, click on copies of documents, and view information on how to send your request in person or by mail. Another way to view probate court records is by logging in to the Spokane County court viewer website, fill in the last and first names, then click ”go” to see your result.

Spokane County Property Records

Property records contain information establishing the ownership, value, and legality of real estate properties. Examples of property records and information are:

• Zoning Rules
• Assessments
• Deeds
• Ownership Details
• Tax Records
• Inspection Reports
• Liens

The public can search property records online at the Spokane County assessor's office and treasurer’s office. For a physical copy of a property record, visit the auditor’s office. An advanced search will require more information to search a property while a simple search will require you to:

• Log into the property information website
• Enter a parcel number and address
• Click submit

Spokane County Court Records Online

Besides official resources, there are third-party websites, such as the Washingtoncourtrecords.us, that can provide easy access to Spokane County court records. Such websites only provide access to public court records for the county. However, they usually charge higher fees for access than official sources. Furthermore, the records provided by third-party resources may be incomplete due to restricted access from official sources.