What type of court records are maintained by the County Clerk?

The County Clerk must keep all court records for the Superior Court. They are classified into the following case types:

  • Adoption, Relinquishment, Paternity (Confidential Case Type)
  • Civil/Foreign Judgments, Tax Warrants, Emancipation of Minors
  • Criminal
  • Domestic - Divorce, Child Support, Custody
  • Judgments resulting from a case filed in above case types
  • Juvenile Dependency, At Risk Youth, Truancy (Confidential Case Type)
  • Juvenile Offenders - Prior to July 1, 1978 (Confidential Case Type)
  • Mental Illness, Alcohol Commitment (Confidential Case Type)
  • Probate, Wills, Guardianship

Injury to Public Records (RCW 40.16.010)

Every person who shall willfully and unlawfully remove, alter, mutilate, destroy, conceal or obliterate a record, map, book, paper, document, or other thing filed or deposited in a public office, or with any public officer, by authority of the law shall be punished by imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not more than five years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both.

Adoption / Relinquishment (RCW 26.33.330)

Records are sealed, inspection only on court order.

  • All records of any proceeding under this chapter shall be sealed and shall not be thereafter opened to inspection by any person except under order of the court for good cause shown, or except by using the procedure described in RCW 26.33.343 (relating to confidential intermediaries). In determining whether good cause exists, the court shall consider any certified statement on file with the Department of Health as provided in RCW 26.33.347 (desire to be contacted).
  • The state registrar of vital statistics may charge a reasonable fee for the review of any of its sealed records.
    • Accessible to authorized court staff only. Attorney of record may have access to the file, however, once the case is completed - a court order is required for any access to the file. Individuals including the parties must obtain a court order authorizing the clerk to provide certain information or copies.

Paternity (RCW 26.26.041)

Protection of participants. Proceedings under this chapter are subject to other laws of this state governing the health, safety, privacy, and liberty of a child or other individuals that could be jeopardized by disclosure of identifying information, including the address, telephone number, place of employment, social security number, and the child's day-care facility and school.

Under the statute all papers and other records are confidential except the judgment of paternity itself, the judgment is a matter of public record. Only parties of record and attorney of record can access the paternity file by providing valid identification to staff. Over the telephone, clerk staff can only verify if a judgment exists and provide the judgment number.

Mental Illness / Alcohol Commitment (RCW 71.05.390)

Under the statute all papers and other records are confidential and only open to the patient and the patient's attorney of record by providing valid identification to staff. The existence of any case to the public is not allowed.

Juvenile Dependency / At Risk Youth / Truancy (RCW 13.50.100)

Under the statute all papers and other records are confidential and only open to the dependent, the dependent's parents (except not to a parent whose parental rights have been terminated) or to the dependent's or parent's attorney of record (except not when the parent's parental rights have been terminated), a court appointed guardian Ad Litem, and the attorney general. The dependency hearings are open to the public unless otherwise determined by the judicial officer. Any appointed guardian has access to the order appointing them guardian only. In summary, if the parental rights have been terminated by the court the file is no longer accessible by those parties to the action.

Juvenile Offender

Juvenile offender cases filed prior to July 1, 1978 are all confidential, available only to the juvenile, the juvenile's parents (except not to a parent whose parental rights have been terminated through a separate dependency filing), the attorney of record, and the prosecutor. Juvenile offender cases filed on or after July 1, 1978 are public records.

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1. Do you have the legal forms I need?
2. How do I get copies of the documents in my court file?
3. How do I get my record vacated?
4. I cannot afford an attorney, can you help me?
5. What can I do if I am a victim of domestic violence?
6. What can the Grant County Clerk’s Office not do?
7. What can the Grant County Clerk’s Office staff do?
8. What type of court records are maintained by the County Clerk?