Cowlitz County
Cowlitz County was founded on April 21, 1854. Its county seat is Kelso, and its largest city is Longview. The total land mass constitutes 1,166 square miles and has a population of over 110,000 residents. Cowlitz County is one of the smallest counties and is in the southwestern part of Washington.
Two Superior Courts and a District Court have the legal authority to decide cases in Cowlitz County. The Superior Courts are in Longview and the other in Kelso. They handle contract disputes, mental competency cases, truancies, probate, wills, divorce, and civil cases. The District Court resolves civil cases in which the amount of money involved in dispute is up to $100,000 and passes anti-harassment orders. It also handles municipal ordinance violations for the cities of Cowlitz, Longview, and other cities.
Court records contain motions, pleadings, and orders contained in a case. They include docket sheets, which provide summaries of the actions and judgments taken in cases. All actions and decisions made during court activities are then filed and entered into the court records system. The Clerk of the Superior Court is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining permanent records of court proceedings.
Typically, court records are open to the public except if they are sealed by court order or have been expunged. In Cowlitz County, several court records are available for the general public to view. These include:
- Guardianship Court Records
- Probate Court Records
- Civil Court Records
- Family Court Records
- Criminal Court Records
If you are searching for courtroom hearings and proceedings, you may visit the Superior Court Clerk's Office to submit your request. The Superior Court Clerk can be located at 312 SW 1st Ave, Suite 233, Kelso, WA 98626.
The Cowlitz County website provides several options for viewing court records. You can fill out and submit a form to view documents, pleadings, audio, and video recordings as regards cases. You may also search online on the Odyssey Portal Records Search Page or the Washington State Records Search Portal.
