Yakima County Court Docket Records

Yakima County court docket records are maintained by the County Clerk in Yakima, Washington. The Clerk's Office is a separate executive branch office from the Superior Court and handles all court records, data dissemination, and financial processing for the county. Yakima County Superior Court has 8 full-time elected judges and 3 court commissioners handling a wide range of case types. The county also offers multilingual access and a Family Court Facilitator for residents navigating the court system. Use this page to find how to search case filings, request documents, and contact the right office for Yakima County court docket information.

Yakima County Clerk of Superior Court

The Yakima County Clerk of Superior Court is an elected executive officer of the Superior Court with legal duties identified in Chapter 36.23 RCW and Article IV, Section 26 of the Washington State Constitution. The Clerk is distinct from the Superior Court itself and operates independently. Core functions include receiving and processing court documents, assisting in court proceedings, maintaining court files, records, and exhibits, collecting and disbursing court fees and fines, and managing the jury system.

The Clerk's Office ensures separation of powers by preserving independent judicial records. As the custodian of all court records and exhibits, the Clerk provides public access to those records under General Rule 31. The Clerk also functions as a quasi-judicial officer for writs and subpoenas. For court record requests including paper copies, contact the Superior Court Clerk at (509) 574-1430. For the daily docket, contact the Superior Court administrator at (509) 574-2710.

The Yakima County Courts welcome page offers helpful links for residents: how to find a case number, how to get jury duty information, how to pay a traffic ticket, how to file documents in Superior Court, how to get copies of Superior Court case records, and how to get copies of District Court case records. A Select Language option is available on every page for Spanish and other language access.

Search Yakima County Court Dockets Online

The Washington Courts Odyssey Portal is the primary online tool for searching Yakima County Superior Court case and hearing information. Smart Search lets you look up cases by party name and filter by case type, status, filing date, and judicial officer. The portal provides public access at no cost for basic case lookups. Registered attorneys and litigants can request enhanced access for document-level searches. A case number search on Odyssey works best by omitting hyphens.

The Washington Courts DW Case Search covers all court levels in Yakima County including the District Court and municipal courts. Use this free tool when searching for a traffic infraction, misdemeanor, or small claims case. The DW portal updates approximately 24 hours after court clerks enter new information and is searchable by name or case number. For both portals, remember that the online data is reference material only. Contact the court of record to verify information before relying on it for legal purposes.

The Yakima County Public Records directory lists the specific contacts for each type of court record request. Superior Court Daily Docket questions go to (509) 574-2710. Superior Court Records paper copy requests go to the Superior Court Clerk at (509) 574-1430. This directory helps you reach the right office quickly rather than navigating between departments.

Yakima County District Court

The Yakima County District Court is at 128 N 2nd St, Suite 217, Yakima, WA 98901. Call the court at 509-574-1804 or fax at 509-574-1801. Four judges preside over the District Court: Donald W. Engel, Gary A. Hintze, Brian K. Sanderson, and Alfred G. Schweppe. Commissioner Kevin G. Eilmes also serves. Administrator Therese Murphy manages operations.

Court hearings have returned to in-person format. If you need to attend a Superior Court hearing remotely via Zoom, contact the Court Administrator's Office at (509) 574-2710 to request it. There are no longer capacity limits in Yakima County courtrooms. Live streaming ceased on July 12, 2021 for all dockets. Local rules are available on the Current Local Rules page of the Yakima County Courts website.

One scheduling change to be aware of: effective February 4, 2025, all Minor Guardianship hearings are held at Juvenile Court, located at 1728 Jerome Avenue, Yakima. If you have a minor guardianship matter, do not go to the main courthouse for that hearing. Contact the Superior Court administrator at (509) 574-2710 to confirm the correct location for your specific hearing type.

Yakima County Court System Overview

Yakima County's court system reflects the size and needs of this central Washington county. The Superior Court has 8 full-time elected judges and 3 court commissioners. The Court Administrator's Office handles judicial scheduling, assignments, and budget matters. The District Court has four judges and a commissioner. The separation between the Superior Court administration and the Clerk's Office means that case filings go through the Clerk, while hearing scheduling and court operations are managed by the Superior Court Administrator.

Yakima County makes an effort to serve its multilingual population. The Select Language option on every court page is a practical tool for Spanish-speaking residents, who make up a significant share of the county's population. The Family Court Facilitator, Angela Gutierrez, is available at 128 N 2nd Street, Room 213, Yakima, WA 98901. You can reach her at 509-574-2695 or at 509-574-1894 for Spanish-language assistance. The Facilitator provides guidance for residents navigating family court matters without an attorney.

Jury service in Yakima County is mandatory. Prospective jurors are randomly selected from voter registration and Department of Licensing records. The Clerk's Office manages jury administration for the Superior Court, including summons, qualification, and exemption requests. Court record access in Yakima County is governed by Washington General Rule 31, which presumes most records are open to the public unless a specific exemption applies.

Cities in Yakima County

Yakima County includes the city of Yakima, which has its own dedicated page for court docket information. Browse below.

Nearby Counties

Yakima County is in south-central Washington and borders several other counties. Use the links below to find court docket information for neighboring counties.