King County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

King County was established in 1852 and named after William King, the 13th U.S. Vice President. The county's name was amended in 2005 to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Kings County is home to about 2.25 million residents, making it the most populous county in Washington State. Its county seat and the most populous city in the state is Seattle. The county court system consists of the Superior, District, and Municipal Courts.

The Kings County Superior Court is the apex trial court with general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. It has two locations: Seattle and Kent. Felony criminal proceedings and civil lawsuits in which the financial dispute exceeds $50,000 are exclusive to the Superior Court. The trial court has two specialized Divisions: Family/Juvenile Court and Mental Health Court. The combined Family and Juvenile Court hears juvenile delinquency, marriage dissolution, domestic violence protection, and child custody cases. On the other hand, non-criminal involuntary commitment cases are resolved at the Mental Health Court. King County has a District Court in nine locations. Most misdemeanors and civil lawsuits involving less than $50,000 in financial disagreement are brought before the District Courts. The Municipal Courts in King County preside over legal matters involving traffic offenses and city ordinance violations. These are located in:

• Black Diamond
• Bothell
• Des Moines
• Enumclaw
• Federal Way
• Issaquah
• Kent
• Kirkland
• Lake Forest Park
• Maple Valley
• Mercer Island
• Renton
• SeaTac
• Seattle
• Tukwila

The Washington Courts Caseloads reveal that King County courts receive more than 600,000 case filings while maintaining a 90% clearance rate each year. According to CrimeStats Online, the county has experienced about 150,000 crimes annually since 2017. Out of the total crime, the Superior Court receives around 5,000 felony cases per year. Court Clerks in King County typically maintain public court records and disseminate them to requesters. The Superior Court Clerk provides online access to case documents through the KC Script Portal. Individuals may also access Superior Court records by mail or in person. The District Court also allows anyone with login details to search case files online. Records that are confidential under state laws or sealed by record-holders are not open to the public.

In summary, the Superior, District, and Municipal Courts make up the judicial system in King County. Collectively, they ensure fairness, transparency, and smooth judicial process. Thanks to the online portals, members of the public can view and obtain court records without leaving their homes.