Spokane Criminal Court Records

Spokane is the largest city in Eastern Washington, and its criminal court records are spread across several courts depending on the charge type and jurisdiction. This page explains how to search for case filings, find court dockets, and request certified copies from Spokane Municipal Court and Spokane County Superior Court. Whether you need a case number, want to check a charge status, or need to verify a criminal history, the tools and links here will help you get started.

Spokane Municipal Court

Spokane Municipal Court handles cases that arise from city ordinance violations, traffic infractions, and low-level criminal charges within city limits. This includes misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors filed by the Spokane City Prosecutor's office. The court does not handle felony charges. Those go to Spokane County Superior Court instead.

You can search Spokane Municipal Court cases online through the city's public portal. The court uses its own case management system separate from the county. Case records in this system include charge information, hearing dates, dispositions, and fines. Most of this data is free to search.

To request a certified copy of a court record from Spokane Municipal Court, you can visit the clerk's office in person or submit a written request by mail. Include the defendant's full name, date of birth, and case number if you have it. The clerk may charge a fee for certified copies. Standard copies are typically available at a lower cost.

The City of Spokane website lists current contact information for the court, including address, phone, and hours of operation. It's worth calling ahead before visiting, since hours can change.

The screenshot below comes from the Spokane city website, which provides access to the municipal court public portal.

The public portal allows name-based searches and returns case information for charges filed in Spokane Municipal Court.

Spokane County Superior Court

Felony cases filed in Spokane go to Spokane County Superior Court. This court has jurisdiction over Class A, B, and C felonies, as well as serious domestic violence cases and appeals from lower courts. Superior Court records include charging documents, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and other case filings that are part of the public record under RCW 42.56.

Spokane County Superior Court uses the Odyssey case management system. You can search it through the statewide portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov/odyportal. This system lets you look up cases by name, case number, or filing date. Results show charge descriptions, hearing dates, and basic case status.

Certified copies from Superior Court require a written request to the clerk. The clerk's office is located in the Spokane County Courthouse. You can request copies in person or by mail. Include the case number, party name, and a description of the documents you need. The clerk will tell you the cost before processing your request.

Spokane County District Court

Spokane County District Court handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor charges that fall under county jurisdiction rather than city jurisdiction. It also handles small claims and civil cases under $100,000. If a crime happened outside Spokane city limits but inside Spokane County, the District Court likely handled it.

District Court records are also searchable through the Spokane County website and the statewide case search tool at dw.courts.wa.gov. This free search covers many Washington courts and is a good starting point when you don't know which court handled a specific case. You can search by name and narrow results by county or case type.

Note: The statewide search at dw.courts.wa.gov does not include all courts. Spokane Municipal Court records appear only in the city's own portal.

How to Search Spokane Criminal Records Online

There are three main tools for searching Spokane criminal court records online. Each one covers different courts, so you may need to check more than one.

Start with the Washington Courts case search at dw.courts.wa.gov. This covers Spokane County Superior Court and Spokane County District Court. Enter a name and select Spokane County to filter results. Case numbers, charges, and dispositions appear in the search results.

For Spokane Municipal Court cases, go to ecourt.spokanecity.org/publicportal. This is the city's own system and is not connected to the county or state portals. Search by name or case number. The results show city-level charges like ordinance violations and traffic-related criminal matters.

For felony cases, the Odyssey Public Portal gives you direct access to Spokane County Superior Court filings. This system often has more detail than the statewide search, including document-level filings in some cases.

• Washington Courts Case Search: dw.courts.wa.gov
• Spokane Municipal Court Portal: ecourt.spokanecity.org/publicportal
• Spokane County Odyssey Portal: odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov/odyportal
• WSP WATCH Criminal History: wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history

Washington State Patrol WATCH System

The Washington State Patrol runs the WATCH system, which is a statewide criminal history database. It is different from court records. WATCH compiles arrest records, convictions, and other criminal history data from agencies across Washington, including Spokane. The WSP criminal history page explains who can request records and what each search type costs.

An online name and date-of-birth search through WATCH costs $11. A mail-in name and date-of-birth search costs $32. A fingerprint-based search costs $58 and takes longer to process. Online results are returned quickly, sometimes within minutes. Mail requests can take several weeks.

The WATCH system is useful when you need a broader criminal history picture across multiple jurisdictions, not just Spokane. Court records show what was filed and adjudicated in a specific court. WATCH pulls from a wider pool of agencies and may show records from cities and counties you wouldn't know to search otherwise.

Under RCW 10.97, the Criminal Records Privacy Act, some records have access restrictions. Arrests that did not lead to conviction may have limited public availability. Juvenile records are further restricted under RCW 13.50. The WATCH system applies these rules when it returns results.

What Records Are Public in Spokane

Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, makes most criminal court records open to the public. This includes charging documents, case filings, hearing schedules, and final dispositions for adult criminal cases in Spokane Municipal Court, Spokane County District Court, and Spokane County Superior Court.

Some records are restricted. Juvenile court records are generally not public under RCW 13.50. Cases that were dismissed, vacated, or sealed may not appear in public searches. Mental health court records and some diversion program records have limited availability. Victims' addresses and contact information are routinely redacted from publicly available documents.

If you need documents that are not available through online search tools, you can submit a formal public records request to the court clerk. Each court has its own request process, but all must respond within five business days under state law. That response may acknowledge the request and give you a timeline, not necessarily the records themselves on day five.

Note: Certified copies are official documents with a court seal. Plain copies do not carry the same legal weight for court use, background checks, or legal proceedings.

Spokane Police and Arrest Records

The Spokane Police Department maintains arrest records and incident reports. These are separate from court records. An arrest record shows that someone was taken into custody. A court record shows what happened after charges were filed. The two don't always match up directly.

You can request police reports and arrest records from SPD through their records division. Some basic arrest log information is available online. For detailed reports, a written request may be needed. SPD applies RCW 42.56 exemptions when releasing records, particularly for ongoing investigations or records that contain victim information.

Spokane County also maintains a jail roster and inmate lookup through the Sheriff's Office. This can help you find out if someone is currently in custody and what charges they are being held on. The county website at www.spokanecounty.org has links to the inmate roster.

Criminal Court Records in Spokane - Spokane County

Spokane sits within Spokane County, which maintains the Superior Court and District Court that handle most felony and misdemeanor cases originating in the city. The county clerk's office is the central repository for Superior Court case records, including criminal filings.

View Spokane County Criminal Court Records

Nearby Cities

Other Eastern Washington cities with criminal court record pages are listed below.