Clallam County
Named for the Native Klallam Tribe, Clallam County occupies a land area of 1,739 square miles in western Washington. The county is home to 77,333 residents, according to the latest census data in 2022. Port Angeles, the most populous city in Clallam County, serves as the government seat.
Clallam County has two major trial courts comprising the Superior and District Courts. The Superior Court in Clallam County rules on all felony cases, real estate disputes, involuntary civil commitments, and probate matters. It also presides over civil lawsuits involving monetary claims above $100,000 and cases that seek non-monetary relief, such as injunctions or declaratory judgments. Clallam County's Superior Court has three subdivisions, including the juvenile, family, and therapeutic court divisions. The Juvenile Division exercises exclusive authority over juvenile delinquencies and truancy acts, while the Family Court addresses all legal separations, adoptions, and child support cases. Meanwhile, the Therapeutic Courts in Clallam County provide rehabilitation and treatment options to offenders with substance use disorders or mental health conditions. Clallam County has two District Courts tasked with handling misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and civil disputes under $100,000. It also oversees small claims of not more than $10,000, eviction cases, and criminal preliminary hearings.
The Clallam County Superior Court Clerk typically maintains public court records containing the legal proceedings that take place in the trial courts. Examples of information found in Clallam County court records are case filings, dockets, complaints, motions, judgments, appeals, and orders. The Washington Public Records Act permits public access to the following court records:
- Civil records
- Property records
- Family law records
- Probate records
- Criminal court records
However, access to sealed and other confidential court records is restricted to protect the privacy of vulnerable persons in the county. Examples of confidential court records in Clallam County include adoption, mental health, juvenile records, and other court documents containing sensitive personal details. Special court orders are needed to access these confidential court records. To get copies of court documents, interested persons can call or visit the court clerk at:
Clallam County Clerk of Superior Court
223 East 4th Street, Suite 9
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: (360) 417-2231
Court records are also accessible online via the Washington Courts Case Search portal. This platform allows users to search by case number, party name, or hearing date. Online access to public court records is free, however, requesters may pay copy or search fees to obtain court records in paper format.
