Kitsap County
Named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish Tribe, Kitsap County is located in western Washington and has a total land area of 395 square miles. Established in 1857, it is home to 275,611 residents, with Port Orchard serving as the county seat.
The court system in Kitsap County comprises the Superior Courts, District Courts, and Municipal Courts. The Superior Court is the court of general jurisdiction in Kitsap County. It has authority over all felony criminal cases, civil matters exceeding $100,000, probate matters, and family law cases such as divorce, child custody, and adoption. This court also hears appeals from the District and Municipal Courts.
The District Court handles misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, protection orders, name changes, traffic offenses, and civil disputes under $100,000. It also oversees small claims of not more than $10,000, landlord-tenant cases, animal rights, and preliminary hearings for felony cases. Meanwhile, Kitsap County's Municipal Courts have jurisdiction over violations of local ordinances, such as minor criminal offenses and traffic infractions within city limits.
Kitsap County public court records are government materials and documents containing the legal proceedings of a case. Public court records include case filings, dockets, complaints, motions, judgments, and trial transcripts. These records are available to the public per the Washington Public Records Act. Publicly accessible records include:
- Criminal court records
- Civil record
- Family law records
- Probate records
These documents are accessible to the public in a bid to promote transparency in the government. However, some records are not accessible to the general public for safety and privacy reasons. These include adoption records, mental illness commitment records, alcohol & drug treatment commitment records, paternity records, confidential name change records, and juvenile non-offender records. Interested persons can get these records from the Kitsap County Clerk by calling, mailing, or visiting the office at:
Kitsap County Clerk of Court
614 Division Street, Room 202
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone: (360) 337-7164
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. While online viewing is free, obtaining physical or certified copies from the Clerk's Office incurs a fee for processing and document reproduction.
