Washoe County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Washoe County has more than 6,000 square miles of land, making it Nevada's seventh-largest county. It was created in 1861 and named after the Washoe People, a tribe of Native Americans. Washoe is also the second most populous county in Nevada, having about 486,600 residents. Its county seat is the City of Reno. There are three trial courts in Washoe, the District Court, Justice Courts, and Municipal Courts.

Nevada's 2nd Judicial District Court serves as the apex trial court in Washoe County. The District Court has two Divisions: General Jurisdiction and Family Division. Generally, criminal and civil court cases beyond the jurisdiction of other county courts are resolved at the District Court. These include felony trials, gross misdemeanor cases, and all civil claims involving financial disputes exceeding $10,000. The District Court Family Division hears family law cases such as divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, and domestic violence. Washoe County has four Justice Courts in Reno, Sparks, Wadsworth, and Incline Village. These courts preside over legal proceedings involving misdemeanors, landlord-tenant disputes, and civil disputes below $10,000. Municipal Courts in Reno and Sparks typically handle traffic violations and lesser misdemeanor cases specific to their respective cities.

According to Trial Court Statistics, Washoe's District Court often clears more than 80% of its annual case filings. Each year, the District Court disposes approximately 15,000 cases, including roughly 2,000 criminal cases, 3,000 civil cases, 7,500 family law cases, 1,500 juvenile cases, and 1,000 traffic cases. The Reno Justice Court typically witnesses around 25,000 case filings with a minimum clearance rate of 95% every year. The Sparks Justice Court often concludes at least 100% of approximately 10,000 cases filed annually. Each of the Justice Courts in Wadsworth and Incline Village has a total clearance rate of 90%, effectively managing their combined caseloads of about 4,000 cases per year. In Washoe County, records of case filings and dispositions are accessible via the Case Search portal. Note that sealed court records or juvenile/adoption case files are not accessible online. Interested persons may also locate and visit local courts to inquire about public court records.

In summary, the Washoe County judiciary, including the District, Justice, and Municipal Court, is committed to delivering justice across a wide range of legal matters. They ensure fair legal proceedings in criminal cases and resolve civil disputes between individuals and business organizations. They also ensure transparency by providing online access to public case files.