King County court records: case search and dispositions
Find a King County criminal case by name: felony cases from the Superior Court and misdemeanors from the District Court or a municipal court, with the charges and, where the court publishes it, the disposition that says how the case ended. The county seat is Seattle.
What a King County court record background check costs
The count near any address is free. No card, and no one is told you looked.
Everyone near one address, or a Background Check on one person.
- Photos, offence and distance, with a PDF
- Pay once. Nothing renews
- $19.99 for 3, and checks never expire
Three addresses watched all year, with one check included every month.
- Email when someone registers, moves in or out
- Home, school and grandparents, unlocked while it runs
- Or $6.99 a month. Cancel in one click
Looking for the arrest rather than the case? King County arrest records. Is the person in custody now? Who is in King County jail.
King County court records: the courts that hear King County criminal cases. Where the case is heard decides where the record lives.
In Washington, felony cases from King County are heard in the Superior Court, and misdemeanors in the District Court or a municipal court. The County Clerk keeps the case files, which is where a charge, a plea, a disposition, a sentence and any later sealing or expungement order are recorded. A case that began with a booking at the King County Correctional Facility/Maleng RJC ends in one of these courts, and the court file is the only record that says how.
King County District Court cases are part of a name search here, with charges and the outcome where the court publishes them, alongside Washington’s statewide court source. Federal cases are a separate system heard in a United States District Court; see federal criminal records.
· shares are over the court records we index for this county; approximate, not an official figure
King County court case search: how to look up a case by name.
A court index is keyed on a name, and a name is a weak key. In a county the size of King County, a common first and last name belongs to several people, and some court indexes publish no date of birth at all, so the one field that would separate them is missing from the index itself. The fix is on your side: bring the full name, a date of birth or at least a birth year, and a middle name if you know it. A case number, when you have one, skips the problem entirely.
A search here matches on the details you give and says which ones matched, so a result on a name alone is a shortlist, not an answer. The court case search by name page explains exactly how a name fails and what narrows it.
Finding a King County case yourself
- Get the full name and a date of birth; a case number, if you have one, is faster still.
- Search the Washington Courts case search: dw.courts.wa.gov.
- Read the disposition line before anything else; a case with no disposition proves only that it was filed.
- For a certified copy of a judgment, ask the County Clerk; certified copies usually carry a small fee.
How King County court cases end: convictions, dismissals and pending cases. About 60,000 records read as a whole; approximate, not an official figure.
Among the King County court records we index that state an outcome, about 75% ended in a conviction or a guilty plea. The rest were dismissed, not prosecuted, acquitted, are still open, or ended another way, such as a diversion. A share of cases that end without a conviction is normal everywhere, which is the reason an arrest record on its own says so little.
How recent. About 14% of the records show activity in the last 12 months, among the 100% that carry a date, on the filed or disposition date the court publishes.
Every figure is a share of the records we index for King County, rounded; approximate, not an official figure. Cells with too few records behind them are left out rather than shown as zero. Outcomes are our grouping of the disposition text the court publishes.
King County court records by charge: felony and misdemeanor cases.
Among the King County court records we index that state a charge, the most common category of categorised charges is traffic offenses (not DUI) (85%), followed by DUI/DWI (6%) and theft, larceny and stolen property (4%). A case can carry charges in several categories, so the shares of categorised charges can add to more than 100%. The charge in the court file is the charge the prosecutor filed, which is why this mix can differ from the booking charges on the King County arrest records page.
The categories are our grouping of the charge text the court publishes; criminal charge types explains each one. Approximate, not an official figure.
What a King County court disposition means.
The disposition is the line on a court record that says how the case ended. It is the single most useful field in criminal records and the one most often missing from a casual reading. A booking says a person was arrested; a charge says a prosecutor filed a case; only the disposition says whether anything came of it.
A record with no disposition is either still open or published without one. It proves that a case was filed and nothing more. Before reading anything into a King County case, find the disposition in the file at the County Clerk, and if there is none, treat the case as unresolved.
Dispositions you will see on a King County record
King County criminal record or expungement: when a case leaves the court record.
A court record is public from the day a case is filed, and it stays public after the case ends unless a court orders otherwise. Most states allow some records to be sealed or expunged on petition: commonly a dismissal or an acquittal, and in many states certain convictions after a waiting period without new offenses. Sealing hides the record from the public index; expungement treats it as if it never existed. Which outcomes qualify, how long the wait is and what the petition costs are set by Washington law.
Once an order is entered, the County Clerk marks the file and it leaves the public record. A search here reflects what the court publishes, so a sealed King County case should not appear; if one does, the record problem page says how to tell us. This is a general description, not legal advice; a lawyer or the clerk can say which rules apply to a particular case.
Before the King County court case: jail roster and arrest records. The case begins with a booking; the jail page and the arrest page carry the records that come first.
All three on one page: King County, WA criminal records.
King County background check: search court records by name.
- Type a first and last name, and add a date of birth so the right person rises to the top: on court records it is the detail that matters most.
- The check searches King County District Court, the King County jail bookings, Washington prison records and the sex offender registries.
- One paid check, with a personal account. Nothing renews, and the person is never told.
Not a consumer report. Hiring or renting? Use an FCRA-regulated check; see how to read a background check and what an employer’s check shows.
King County court records FAQ
How do I search King County court records by name?
Type the full name and add a date of birth or at least a birth year; a name alone matches everyone who shares it. Washington's judiciary also runs a public case search, the Washington Courts case search. Court records are part of a name search here.
Which court hears King County criminal cases?
Felony cases from King County are heard in the Superior Court. Misdemeanors go to the District Court or a municipal court. The County Clerk keeps the case files.
What does the disposition on a King County court record mean?
The disposition is how the case ended: a conviction (including a guilty plea), a dismissal, an acquittal, a diversion or deferred judgment, or nothing yet because the case is still open. It is the one part of a criminal record that speaks to an outcome; a booking or a charge does not.
How many King County court cases end in a conviction?
Among the King County court records we index that state an outcome, about 75% ended in a conviction or a guilty plea (approximate, not an official figure). The rest were dismissed, not prosecuted, are still open, or ended another way.
Can a King County court record be expunged or sealed?
Often, for some outcomes: many states allow a dismissed or acquitted case, and some convictions, to be sealed or expunged on petition after a waiting period. Once an order is entered, the County Clerk marks the file and it leaves the public record. The rules are Washington's, and a lawyer or the clerk can say which apply.
Why does a King County case show no outcome?
Either the case is still open, or the court has not published a disposition for it. A record without an outcome proves only that a case was filed. Confirm it with the County Clerk before reading anything into it.
Can I use King County court records for a background check on a job applicant?
Not from here. A search on this site is not a consumer report. Employment and tenant screening needs an FCRA-regulated report, with the person's written consent; see how to read a background check for what such a report shows.