Yakima County Court Records
Yakima County court records are any official documents, information, and materials that are generated, filed with, or maintained by a local court as a result of judicial proceedings it handles. These include, but are not limited to, exhibits, calendars, indexes, judgments, orders, dockets, decrees, and courtroom proceedings minute entries. Court records are essential for legal research and reveal important details about how a case was handled, including the factors that influenced a judge’s final judgments, orders, and other actions.
In Yakima County, the clerk’s office of the County Superior Court and the court administration for each of the County District Courts and Municipal Courts are responsible for maintaining court records for their respective courts. Washington’s General Rule (GR) 31 governs access to court records, unlike other public records, such as vital records and arrest information, that are governed by Washington’s Public Records Act (PRA).
Are Yakima County Court Records Public?
Yakima County court records are considered public, unless restricted by federal law, state law, court rule, court order, or case law per Washington’s General Rule (GR) 31. Thus, a wide range of court records in Yakima County is accessible to the general public through their respective custodians and the resources they provide. Notwithstanding, certain types of court records and information are not publicly accessible. Some examples of these records and information include:
- Adoption records
- Confidential name changes records
- Mental illness commitment records
- Paternity records (except final orders)
- Alcohol and drug treatment commitment records
- Sealed court records
- Juvenile non-offender records
- Personal identifiers, such as driver’s license numbers, Social Security Numbers, and financial account numbers.
What Information is Available in Yakima County Court Records?
Typical contents of Yakima County court records include:
- Case information, such as case number, court, file date, case type, and case status
- Case parties’ full name
- Disposition event details, such as judgment type and monetary or property awarded.
- Events and hearing details, including documents filed in the case and court-issued orders.
Yakima County Court Records Search
Individuals who wish to conduct a Yakima County court record search must possess certain information about the sought-after record, such as the case number or the case party’s full name and date of birth. This information is required to identify the sought-after record and facilitate searches. Furthermore, record seekers may also be required to show a valid ID. Generally, the custodians of Yakima County court records provide multiple avenues for accessing and searching court records in their custody. These include the following:
-
Online Access - Yakima County Superior Court records are
available online through the court’s
Odyssey Portal. The portal is a free public service tool that allows users to search for
Superior Court records by case number or the case party’s name.
Unfortunately, only Superior Court records are available online.
-
In-Person Access - Interested persons may request Yakima
County Superior Court records in person by completing the court’s
Copy Request form
and submitting it to the court clerk’s office address listed on the form.
They will be informed of the applicable fees, which may be paid in person by
cash, cashier’s check, or money order payable to the Yakima County Clerk’s
Office. Meanwhile, record seekers may obtain Yakima County District Court
records in person through the open windows at the district courthouse in
either Yakima or Grandview during their hours of operation (8:00 am to 4:30
pm), Monday to Friday. Similarly, they can visit local Municipal Courts to
request court records for cases they handled in person.
-
Mail request - Most Yakima County Courts provide dedicated
request forms for individuals to use to request court records in their
custody by mail. For instance, the County Superior Court has the
Copy Request form, while the District Court has the
Case Record Request Form. Some municipal courts also provide similar request forms. A good example
is the
Granger Municipal Court Records Request
form.
Fees for Court Records in Yakima County
According to Yakima County Superior Court’s Fee Schedule and the District Court’s Fee Schedule, record seekers may be charged the following fees when requesting court records:
- Copy fee: $0.50 per page
- Certified copy: $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page
- Exemplified copy: $9.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page
- Copy of court proceeding on CD: $20.00 per CD
- Research fee: $20 per hour
Yakima County Courthouse Locations
There are three types of courts in Yakima County: two (2) Superior Courts, two (2) District Courts, and nine (9) municipal courts. The Superior Court, also known as a general jurisdiction court, can hear all types of civil and criminal cases and has the authority to hear appeals from courts of limited jurisdiction. The Superior Court also has a juvenile court division that handles cases involving juvenile offenders and abused or neglected juvenile dependents.
The District Courts are limited jurisdiction courts with criminal jurisdiction over misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases involving traffic or non-traffic offenses. It can also conduct preliminary hearings for felony cases. For civil cases, the District Court can hear claims for damages to individuals or personal property, as well as contract disputes valued at up to $75,000. It also issues Domestic violence, anti-harassment protection, and no-contact orders, and has jurisdiction over change-of-name petitions and certain lien foreclosure cases. Additionally, small claims (money claims of up to $5,000) are heard in the District Court’s Small Claim Departments.
On the other hand, municipal courts have jurisdiction over violations of municipal or city ordinances. Similar to the District Court, municipal courts handle cases involving gross misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and infractions, and issue domestic violence, no-contact, and antiharassment protection orders. Listed below are the addresses and contact information of Yakima County Courthouses;
Yakima County Superior Courts
Yakima County Courthouse
128 N 2nd Street, Room 323,
Yakima, WA 98901
Phone: 509-574-1430
Yakima County Superior Court - Juvenile
Juvenile Justice Center
1728 Jerome Avenue,
Yakima, WA 98902
Phone: 509-574-2050
Fax: 509-574-2051
Yakima County District Courts
Yakima County Courthouse
128 N 2nd Street, Room 225,
Yakima, WA 98901
Phone: 509-574-1804
Fax: 509-574-1801
Yakima County District Court - Grandview
1313 W Wine Country Road,
Grandview, WA 98930
Phone: 509-882-2192
Fax: 509-574-2925
Municipal Courts in Yakima County
102 Main Street, PO Box 1100,
Granger, WA 98932
Phone: 509-854-0238
Fax: 509-854-2103
Mabton Municipal Court
Law & Justice Center
401 Homer Street,
Sunnyside, WA 98944
Phone: 509-839-4427
Fax: 509-836-6272.
Moxee Municipal Court
255 W Seattle Avenue,
PO Box 249,
Moxee, WA 98936
Phone: 509-575-8851
Fax: 509-575-8852
115 W Naches Avenue,
Selah, WA 98942
Phone: 509-698-7329
Fax: 509-698-7338
Law & Justice Center
401 Homer Street,
Sunnyside, WA 98944
Phone: 509-839-4427
Fax: 509-836-6272
Law & Justice Center
401 Homer Street,
Sunnyside, WA 98944
Phone: 509-839-4427
Fax: 509-836-6272
205 S Simcoe Avenue,
Wapato, WA 98951
Phone: 509-877-6269
Fax: 509-584-0177
Richard Zais Justice Center
200 S 3rd Street,
Yakima, WA 98901
Phone: 509-575-3050
Fax: 509-575-3020
111 7th Street,
PO Box 388,
Zillah, WA 98953
Phone: 509-829-3543
Fax: 509-829-5605
Criminal Records Access in Yakima County
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is responsible for compiling and maintaining state-level Criminal History Record Information (CHRI). The CHRI consists of fingerprint-based records and disposition information on an individual from different law enforcement agencies and courts throughout Washington, including Yakima County.
Public access to CHRI from the WSP is restricted. Only certified criminal justice agencies may request and receive CHRI, strictly for criminal justice purposes. Meanwhile, the general public may receive limited CHRI for non-criminal justice purposes. A limited CHRI typically only contains conviction information, arrest records that are less than one year old with pending disposition, and information about registered sex/kidnapping offenders.
Record seekers may use the Washington Access to Criminal History (WATCH) portal to conduct a CHRI check online. Note that using WATCH is subject to a $11.00 fee payable by debit or credit Visa/MasterCard, or American Express card, and results are provided nearly instantly. Alternatively, individuals may conduct CHRI checks by mail or in person using the Request for Conviction Criminal History Form and paying a $32.00 fee. They would need a subject’s full name and date of birth to complete the form. They may also opt for submitting a full set of a subject’s fingerprints, along with a $58.00 fee. Acceptable forms of payment for in-person requests are cash, check, or credit/debit card Visa, MasterCard, and American Express). Meanwhile, checks, money orders, or a Bankcard Authorization form are accepted for mail-in requests. In-person and mail-in submissions should be made to:
Washington State Patrol, Identification and Background Check Section
106 11th Ave SW Suite 1300
PO Box 42633,
Olympia, WA 98504-2633
On the other hand, court records of criminal cases are obtainable through the court that handled the case. In Yakima County, courts with jurisdiction over criminal cases are the Superior and District Courts, depending on the type of case. Interested persons may access Superior Court criminal records online through the court’s Odyssey Portal. They may also request criminal case records by completing and submitting the court’s Copy Request form in person or by mail. Meanwhile, court records of criminal cases handled by the Yakima County District Court are obtainable through the open windows at the district courthouse in either Yakima or Grandview. Alternatively, interested persons can complete the District Court’s Case Record Request Form and submit it by mail.
Yakima County Probate Records
In Yakima County, probate records are court documents containing information about the administration of a decedent’s estate. These records encompass wills, estate inventories, creditor claims, executors’ or administrators’ oaths, probate petitions, and final accounting. Probate records may also include guardianship and conservatorship records.
Most Yakima County probate records are public pursuant to Washington’s General Rule (GR) 31. Generally, probate cases fall under the Superior Court. Thus, interested persons may access probate records online through the Superior Court’s Odyssey Portal. Alternatively, they may request probate records in person or by mail using the court’s Copy Request form.
|
County |
Court Name |
Address |
Phone Number |
Office Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Yakima County |
Yakima County Superior Court |
Yakima County Courthouse 128 N 2nd Street, Room 323, Yakima, WA 98901 |
509-574-1430 |
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Monday to Friday) |
Yakima County Family Court Records
Yakima County Family Court is responsible for handling family law cases affecting county residents. Examples of these types of cases include:
- Divorce/separation
- Child support/modifications
- Paternity/parentage
- Parenting plan/custody modifications
- Non-parents caring for children
- Guardian ad Litem.
Washington’s GR 31 permits public access to Yakima County family court records, albeit with certain exemptions. Record seekers may use the Superior Court’s Odyssey Portal to search for family law cases online. They can also submit a request for family court records by mail, in person, or by email using the Copy Request Form.
Federal Court Records in Yakima County
Yakima County falls under the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Thus, all federal civil, criminal, and bankruptcy cases originating in Yakima County are handled by this federal court. It also has appellate jurisdiction over federal cases.
Interested persons may access federal court records in Yakima County online through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) portal. They must log in or register for an account to access PACER. It costs $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 for a single document, to access case information on the portal. However, these fees are waived for users who accrue $30 or less in a quarter. Phone access to federal court records is also available through the Multi-court Voice Case Information System (McVCIS). Individuals can access McVCIS by calling 1-866-222-8029 toll-free. They would need to enter the court’s name or unique extension, and may search by;
- Participant name
- Corporation name
- Case number
- Social security number
Record seekers can also visit the federal courthouse situated in Yakima County and use the available computer terminals to search for court records electronically. They may also submit a public court record in person at the court clerk’s office. According to the court’s fee and rates schedule, the following fees may apply for record requests:
- Certified copies: $12.00 per doc plus copy fees
- Regular copies: $0.50/Page
- Electronic record copies: $33.00
- Exemplified copies: $24.00
- Record search: $34.00 per name
