Find the King County Case First—Then Open the Court That Actually Holds the Record
King County court records are split across several systems. Washington Courts can help identify a case, but Superior Court records live in KC Script, District Court uses its own search and case-access portal, and Seattle Municipal Court has another separate database.
The fastest approach is to use a name search only for discovery, save the exact court and case number, and then move to the record-holding court. This guide shows that route, including court dates, divorce decrees, document access, certified copies, current 2026 fees, older microfiche records and no-result troubleshooting.
Start With What You Already Know
Choose one route. This prevents the most common King County problem: finding a correct name in one system but looking for the actual document in another.
Search Washington Courts, record the exact court and case number, then move to the local system.
Use the two-stage name searchSearch participants and docket entries, then view or request qualifying Superior Court records.
Follow the Superior workflowSearch exact case numbers or names and understand when a portal account or party token is needed.
Follow the District workflowFind the precise filing, decide whether certification is required, then use the correct court’s request process.
Compare copy optionsWhich King County Court Record System Should You Use?
There is no single King County portal that replaces every court. The correct system depends on both the court level and what you are trying to accomplish.
| Your situation | Best starting point | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| You know a person’s name but not the court | Washington Courts Person Search | Use it to discover the court and complete case number, then switch to the local court. |
| Felony, divorce, family, probate or major civil case | King County Superior Court / KC Script | Search the Superior Court case and access qualifying docket entries or documents. |
| District Court criminal or infraction case | King County District Court | Use its exact case-number or criminal/infraction name-search tools. |
| District Court civil case | King County District Court Civil Search | Search a person or company and keep the filing-date window within the portal limit. |
| Seattle Municipal Court case | Seattle Municipal Court Public Portal | Use Seattle’s separate case, party, document and calendar searches. |
| Deed, recorded lien or recorded property document | King County Recorder | Do not send a property-record request to the Superior Court Clerk. |
| Federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy case | PACER | Federal cases do not belong to Washington’s state-court search system. |
For statewide court-level explanations and Washington case-number guidance, use the live internal Washington Court Records Search by Name guide.
Search King County Court Records by Name in Two Stages
A name search works best for discovery. After you locate a possible case, stop relying on the name and start using the exact court and case number.
Stage 1: discover the court
- Open Washington Courts Person Search. Use this broad search when you do not yet know whether the case belongs to Superior, District or Municipal Court.
- Enter the first and last name. The current statewide Person Search requires both fields. The middle name is optional.
- Repeat with useful name variations. Remove an uncertain middle name, try a middle initial, and test former or hyphenated surnames separately when relevant.
- Read the court name before opening anything else. “King County Superior Court,” “King County District Court” and “Seattle Municipal Court” lead to different local systems.
- Save the complete case number. Copy it exactly, including every dash or suffix.
- Move to the record-holding court. Use KC Script for Superior Court, KCDC for District Court or Seattle Municipal’s portal for a city-court case.
Stage 2: verify that you found the right person
Is the person the defendant, plaintiff, petitioner, respondent or another participant?
A same-name criminal, civil or family result can concern completely different people.
Compare the filing year with the event, lawsuit, arrest, divorce or notice you expected.
A spouse, business, co-defendant or opposing party can help distinguish similar names.
Read beyond the complaint or charge and look for dismissal, judgment, plea, sentencing or another outcome.
When accuracy matters, inspect or order the underlying order, judgment, decree or filing.
King County Superior Court: Use KC Script for the Local Record
KC Script is the King County Superior Court Clerk’s current portal for case searching, docket information, records requests, court documents, hearing recordings and certified-copy verification.
What you need before opening KC Script
- Party name or complete case number
- Approximate filing year
- Case type if known
- A free KC Script account
A login is required for KC Script services, but creating an account is free.
Use this Superior Court workflow
- Create or sign in to your KC Script account. Use the official portal instructions if this is your first visit.
- Open Case Search. Search the Superior Court case and compare participants and docket entries.
- Confirm the complete case number. Do this before requesting documents or contacting the Clerk.
- Open the docket list. Identify the exact filing, judgment, decree, order or hearing you need.
- Use Records Request when the document is not freely viewable. Order the specific record rather than automatically ordering an entire file.
- Save completed orders promptly. King County says completed electronic records remain available through the portal or delivery link for 14 calendar days.
Which Superior Court documents can be viewed remotely?
KC Script currently says records in the following public categories can generally be viewed through the portal when the case was filed on or after November 1, 2004:
Public adult criminal records, subject to sealing and other access restrictions.
Public civil cases, except specified domestic-violence and antiharassment protection-order matters.
Public family-law records, while confidential or restricted documents remain protected.
Public records are available subject to document-specific restrictions.
Only unsealed portions are within ordinary portal viewing.
The record may still exist even when ordinary online viewing does not cover its filing year.
Restricted or sealed records
Records governed by King County Local General Rule 31 can have restricted remote access. The portal allows certain restricted-document requests, but access depends on legal entitlement, the record type and identity verification.
King County District Court Search Works Differently
District Court has public search forms for basic case lookup, but the fuller e-Filing and Case Access environment uses a free account. Access to filed case documents is more restricted than simply viewing basic case information.
If you know the District Court case number
The District Court case-number search returns an exact match only.
- Enter the entire number.
- Keep every dash.
- Remove any leading or trailing spaces.
- If a pasted number fails, manually type it.
If you are searching a criminal or infraction case by name
The public search accepts first and last name, but its filing-date range can be no more than 365 days.
If you need to search a five-year period, do not try to force the whole range into one search. Run separate one-year windows.
If you are searching a civil case
The Civil Case Search supports first/last name or company name. One or more search fields must be entered, and its filing-date range is also limited to 365 days.
Public case information versus document access
| What you need | Access route | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Basic case lookup | Public case-search forms | Useful for locating a case by number or name. |
| Full portal environment | Free registered account | Registration is required for the e-Filing and Case Access portal environment. |
| Case documents as a party | Registered Public User + case token | A party can request its token by calling District Court. |
| Attorney / government access | Role-based portal account | Document access depends on the user’s authorized role. |
| Public document without portal entitlement | Public terminal or records request | Use a courthouse terminal or request copies from the Clerk. |
The public case information can include hearing details, judgment information, sentence conditions, warrant status, protection-order status and an index of filed documents. District Court does not publish addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and similar personal identifiers in its public portal.
How to Find a King County Court Date
Use the calendar belonging to the court that holds the case. “Find my King County court date” does not have one universal answer.
| Court | Best route | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| King County District Court | District Court case-access portal | Search by case number or last name; some cases may not appear online. |
| King County Superior Court | Superior Court calendars + case notice / KC Script | Do not rely only on the statewide limited-jurisdiction court-date tool. |
| Seattle Municipal Court | Seattle Municipal Court Portal | Seattle’s dates are handled through its separate municipal system. |
District Court date
- Sign in to the District Court portal.
- Search by case number or last name; first name is optional.
- Open the matching case.
- Review the upcoming hearing date, time and location.
- If you expect a hearing but cannot find it, contact the courthouse where the case is being heard.
Superior Court date
Use the case notice and the appropriate Superior Court calendar. King County publishes current daily and specialized calendars for criminal, civil and family matters.
King County Divorce Decrees and Divorce Certificates Are Different Records
A divorce case file or decree belongs to King County Superior Court. A divorce certificate is a vital-record product and follows a different route.
King County Superior Court holds divorce records from 1853 to the present. Use KC Script for qualifying newer cases or contact the Superior Court Clerk for older records.
King County’s records guidance directs divorce certificates from 1968 forward to the Washington State Department of Health rather than the court case-file system.
For a newer divorce case
- Find the family-law case in KC Script. Confirm both parties and the case number.
- Open the docket. Locate the final decree or other specific order required.
- Ask what the recipient needs. A bank, pension administrator, government agency or another court may require a certified decree rather than an ordinary copy.
- Order only the necessary document. Do not pay to copy an entire divorce file when one final decree is sufficient.
For an older divorce case
Superior Court remains the primary record holder. Puget Sound Regional Archives also holds microfilmed copies of divorce case files from 1968 through 1971, plus some earlier divorce cases interfiled with civil case files.
Older King County Court Records: Use the Year to Choose the Search Method
A case that predates an online portal is not automatically gone. King County has permanent Superior Court files going back to 1853, plus specific microfilm and index resources.
The Superior Court Clerk holds the case files permanently.
Superior Court case files are indexed for online searching and ordering.
Microfilmed court-record indexes are available through the Superior Court Clerk.
Useful historical index ranges
King County identifies several digitized or historical index ranges that can help recover a case number:
| Index | Published range | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal | 1938–1979 | Useful for finding a historical criminal case number. |
| Civil — plaintiff | 1935–1979 | Search from the plaintiff side of an older civil case. |
| Civil — defendant | 1966–1979 | Useful when only the defendant name is known. |
| Domestic | 1968–1979 | Can help locate older family and divorce case identifiers. |
| Name change | 1940–1975 | Provides a historical name-change index route. |
| Probate | 1954–1977 | Useful for identifying historical estate and probate case numbers. |
District Court files before 2005 need a different strategy
King County states that District Court case files dated 2005 and later can be searched and ordered online. Before 2005, files were maintained by the division and facility where the case was filed:
- South Division: Kent and Burien
- East Division: Bellevue, Issaquah and Redmond
- West Division: Seattle and Shoreline
King County Superior Court Copy Fees: Current June 2026 Schedule
The Superior Court Clerk’s official fee schedule is effective June 11, 2026. Choose the copy type based on what the receiving organization actually requires.
| Service | Published fee | When it is useful |
|---|---|---|
| Non-certified copy | $0.50 per page | Reading, research or personal use when certification is not required. |
| Certified copy | $5 first page + $1 each additional page | Official use when the recipient requires Clerk certification. |
| Authenticated / exemplified copy | $9 first page + $1 each additional page | Enhanced authentication when specifically requested. |
| Additional seal | $2 | Additional qualifying Clerk seal. |
| Clerk record research | $30 per hour, one-hour minimum | When you cannot identify the necessary record yourself. |
| Audio/video recording of proceeding | $25 per court date | When you need a court recording rather than a filed paper. |
| Expedited service | $40 per case in addition to regular fees | For qualifying requests needing expedited Clerk service. |
| Self-service photocopy | $0.15 per page | Qualifying self-service courthouse copying. |
Important 2026 mailing-fee discrepancy
How to order the right Superior Court record
- Locate the case in KC Script. Verify the case number and participants.
- Open the docket. Identify the exact order, decree, judgment or filing date.
- Decide whether certification is required. A downloaded or plain copy is not automatically certified.
- Submit the request through KC Script or in person. King County does not accept a new Superior Court record order or payment merely by telephone or ordinary email.
- Track the request. Keep the request or order identifier.
- Download it within 14 calendar days after completion. Do not leave a completed electronic order sitting in the portal indefinitely.
How long should a Superior Court request take?
The current Clerk guidance states that ordinary requests are generally completed within five business days. Expedited requests are fulfilled within one business day when expedited service applies.
Unable to afford the record?
KC Script has a fee-waiver request option. After locating the case, open its Documents area and select the fee-waiver request. King County says approved access lasts for 12 months from approval.
Use the live internal Court Record Types Explained guide if you are unsure whether you need a docket, judgment, decree, certified copy or hearing recording.
King County District Court Record Request: What the July 2026 Form Actually Requires
The current District Court request form is dated July 2026. It is much easier to complete after you first use the case-document index to identify the precise filing.
Case number, full party names and filing date make the request easier to match.
The form specifically asks for the document name and its filing date—not merely “all records.”
For each requested document, indicate whether a certified copy is required.
Mail, email or pickup can be selected for document copies.
Find the document name before filling out the form
The official form warns that the Clerk may be unable to fulfill a request that does not identify a specific document and its filing date.
It recommends two ways to find the document list:
- Use a public-access terminal at a King County District Court location; or
- Create a public portal account, locate the case and review its Documents tab/index.
Current District Court copy fees
| Record | July 2026 form fee | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Electronically printed regular copy | $0.25 per page | This is a District Court fee, not the Superior Court copy rate. |
| Photocopied page | $0.50 per page | Used when physical photocopying is required. |
| Certified copy | $5 first page + $1 each additional page | Certification applies to the requested document. |
| Copy of hearing | $10 per CD or thumb drive | Give the hearing date and time. |
| Certified hearing CD | $15 | Use only when certified audio is actually required. |
Information the District Court form asks for
- Requester’s name and contact information
- Case number
- Full names of parties involved
- Date of birth if applicable and lawfully necessary
- Case filing date
- Exact document name
- Document filing date
- Whether each copy must be certified
- Mail, email or pickup preference
Payment and processing
The form says the Clerk will contact you with the total amount due. It lists cash, personal check, cashier’s check, money order and credit card as accepted payment methods, but cash and credit card payments are accepted in person only.
Requested materials are released after payment in full. The July 2026 form says requests will be processed within five business days after receipt of payment.
How to submit the request
The form can be submitted by mail, in person at a King County District Court location, or by email to kcdc.webmaster@kingcounty.gov.
No King County Court Record Found? Diagnose the Search Before Giving Up
The person may be in Superior, District or Municipal Court rather than the system you searched.
The statewide index can trail local court data because it updates on an approximately 24-hour cycle.
District name searches allow no more than 365 days per filing-date range.
District Court requires an exact case-number match, including required dashes and no hidden spaces.
A pre-online Superior case may need microfiche or Clerk research; a pre-2005 District file may need the historical facility.
Sealed, confidential or otherwise restricted records may not be available through ordinary public search.
Run this recovery sequence
- Search Washington Courts with the first and last name.
- Repeat without an uncertain middle name.
- Try a former, alternate or hyphenated surname where appropriate.
- Record the exact court and full case number.
- Move to KC Script, District Court or Seattle Municipal Court.
- For District Court, keep each name-search date range to 365 days.
- Retype an exact District case number manually if copy/paste fails.
- For older Superior records, use the microfiche/index route.
- For pre-2005 District cases, contact the historical filing facility.
- Ask the Clerk whether a case or document is restricted when it should exist but remains unavailable.
Read a King County Docket Without Confusing an Allegation With an Outcome
| Field | What it helps establish | What still needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | The court’s main file identifier. | Whether a related appeal or different court has another number. |
| Party name | A person or business associated with the case. | Whether it is the intended person. |
| Case type | The broad legal category. | The actual claims, charges and relief involved. |
| Docket entry | An event, filing or court action. | Whether the underlying document is publicly viewable. |
| Charge / petition / complaint | How a case or allegation began. | Whether it was dismissed, amended, proved or granted. |
| Judgment / disposition / decree | A later court outcome. | Whether it was modified, vacated, appealed or satisfied afterward. |
Use the live internal Court Records Glossary when terms such as docket, judgment, disposition, decree, sealed or dismissed are unclear.
Seattle Municipal Court Is a Separate King County-Area Search
Do not assume that a Seattle misdemeanor, traffic matter or Seattle city case belongs in King County District Court.
Seattle Municipal Court maintains its own public portal for case, party and document searching. Seattle also has its own calendar tools.
Where to Go in Person—and Why the Nearest District Courthouse May Be Wrong
Superior Court Clerk — Seattle
King County Courthouse
516 Third Avenue, Room E-609
Seattle, WA 98104
Clerk customer service: 206-296-9300
Published Clerk counter hours are 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with limited services during specified morning and midday periods.
Superior Court Clerk — Kent
Maleng Regional Justice Center
401 Fourth Avenue N, Room 2C
Kent, WA 98032
District Court location trap: civil work may be routed elsewhere
District Court operates multiple facilities, but a city’s nearby courthouse does not necessarily handle its civil cases.
| Location you may expect | Published civil filing route | Why this matters |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Burien facility | Auburn’s civil cases are filed and handled in Burien. |
| Bellevue | Redmond facility | Bellevue civil work is routed to Redmond. |
| Issaquah | Redmond facility | Published civil and small-claims routing points to Redmond. |
| MRJC / Kent | Burien facility | District civil cases associated with the Kent/MRJC route are handled in Burien. |
| Shoreline | Seattle facility for civil cases | Do not assume the Shoreline counter handles all civil matters. |
Do Not Send These Records to the Wrong King County Office
| Record needed | Correct route | Common wrong route |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court case document | Superior Court Clerk / KC Script | General county public-disclosure portal |
| District Court case document | King County District Court | Superior Court Clerk |
| Divorce decree | Superior Court Clerk | Recorder’s Office |
| Divorce certificate | Washington vital-record route | Ordering an entire divorce court file |
| Deed or recorded property document | King County Recorder | Court records request |
| Police report | Investigating law-enforcement agency | Court Clerk |
| Current jail custody | Responsible jail / detention source | Court docket |
| Washington criminal-history report | Washington State Patrol | Statewide court-name search |
| Federal case | PACER / federal court | Washington state court search |
| Court administrative record | The court’s administrative-record process | Case-record request form |
King County Recorder’s current guidance specifically redirects users seeking court and divorce records to the Superior Court Clerk.
Before You Pay, Call or Rely on a King County Case
Also note the party names, filing year and exact document or hearing date.
Do not buy a certified or exemplified file if a plain copy will satisfy the recipient.
District Court civil routing may send you to a different courthouse than expected.
A complaint, petition or criminal charge is not the same as a final judgment or conviction.
For the site’s responsible-use workflow, see How to Use PublicCourtRecords.org. For employment, housing, credit, insurance or other regulated screening, read the FCRA and Consumer Reporting Notice.
Frequently Asked Questions About King County Court Records
What is the fastest way to search King County court records by name?
When the court is unknown, start with Washington Courts Person Search. Save the exact court and case number, then move to KC Script for Superior Court, King County District Court for a KCDC case, or Seattle Municipal Court for a Seattle city case.
Is Washington Courts the official King County case file?
No. Washington Courts describes the statewide system as a search engine that points users toward the complete official record. Verify the case and obtain documents from the court that actually holds the file.
Do I need an account to use KC Script?
Yes. KC Script requires a login for its services. Creating the account is free. The portal can be used to search Superior Court case information and request qualifying records.
Why does my King County District Court case number return no result?
The District Court case-number search requires an exact match. Include all dashes and remove hidden spaces. If you pasted the number from another document, manually retype it.
Can I search King County District Court by name across several years at once?
The current criminal/infraction and civil name searches limit the filing-date range to 365 days. Break a multi-year search into separate one-year windows.
Where do I get a King County divorce decree?
A divorce decree is a King County Superior Court record. Superior Court holds divorce records from 1853 to the present. Use KC Script for qualifying newer cases or contact the Superior Court Clerk for an older file.
How much is a certified King County Superior Court copy?
The fee schedule effective June 11, 2026 lists $5 for the first page of each certified document and $1 for every additional page. Confirm current charges before payment.
How much does King County District Court charge for copies?
The July 2026 request form lists $0.25 per electronically printed page, $0.50 per photocopied page, and $5 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page for a certified copy.
How do I find a King County court date?
For District Court, use the KCDC case-access calendar workflow. For Superior Court, use the applicable Superior Court calendar and your court notice. Seattle Municipal Court uses its own portal.
What should I do if an old King County case is not online?
For Superior Court, use the pre-1979 microfiche and historical-index route or contact the Clerk. For District Court files before 2005, contact the division and facility where the case was originally maintained because many older District records were not retained.
How This King County Court Records Guide Was Verified
- Washington Courts — Name and Case Search
- King County Superior Court Clerk — KC Script
- Superior Court Clerk — Access Court Records
- Superior Court and Clerk — June 11, 2026 Fee Schedule
- King County District Court — Case Access Resources
- King County District Court — Records Requests
- King County District Court — July 2026 Court Records Request Form
- King County Archives — Historical Court and Legal Records
- King County — Historical Records Held by Other Agencies
- Seattle Municipal Court Public Portal
For this site’s sourcing and manual-checking standards, see the live internal Source Verification and Manual Checking Policy.
Use King County Court Information Responsibly
Court indexes can contain allegations, petitions, dismissed matters, duplicate names, incomplete remote documents and cases whose later activity appears in another court.
- Do not assume a filed criminal charge resulted in conviction.
- Do not assume a civil complaint resulted in judgment.
- Do not identify a person from a same-name result alone.
- Do not treat the statewide Washington search as the complete official file.
- Do not treat an ordinary portal download as certified unless the Clerk issued it as a certified copy.
- Do not attempt to circumvent sealed or confidential-record restrictions.
- Do not use this website as a consumer-reporting or eligibility-screening service.
Washington Courts search behavior, KC Script, Superior Court document coverage, the June 11, 2026 Superior Court fee schedule, District Court exact-match and name-search rules, the July 2026 District Court records-request form, court-date tools, divorce routing, historical indexes, Clerk locations and District civil-location routing were reviewed against current official sources.
Court portals, fees, mailing charges, document access, processing times, office hours and retention rules can change. The current Washington Courts, King County Superior Court Clerk, King County District Court or other record-holding court controls when its instructions differ from this guide.