Whatcom County
Whatcom County was carved out from a portion of Island County in 1854. It is bordered by Canada and British Columbia to the north, and its largest city and county seat is the coastal city of Bellingham. The Census Bureau estimated its population in 2023 to be 231,919.
The Whatcom County court system features Municipal, Superior, and District Courts. The Whatcom County Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction and has the authority to hear the most complex and high-stakes legal matters. It is responsible for handling adult felonies, mental illness cases, paternity actions, adoptions, divorce, and civil cases involving claims exceeding $35,000. Additionally, this court has a Juvenile Court Division that addresses juvenile delinquency and truancy cases.
The Whatcom District Court focuses on simpler and less complex legal issues. It presides over criminal misdemeanor cases punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail, and gross misdemeanor cases with a maximum penalty of 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. It also adjudicates general civil actions with damage claims for $100,000 as well as traffic violations. Whatcom Municipal Courts address city or municipal ordinance violations within their respective local jurisdictions. They also handle small claims cases, gross misdemeanors, and infractions.
Whatcom County public court records consist of calendars, dockets, minute entries, or decrees in a case management system prepared by the court concerning a judicial proceeding. The District Court Administrator maintains court records for the District Court, while the Superior Court Clerk preserves those of the Superior Court. Public court records do not include juvenile non-offender records, adoption records, paternity records, and mental illness records.
Superior Court records in Whatcom County are not currently accessible online but can be viewed or printed at a reduced cost by visiting the Law Library. Also, the Clerk's Office provides regular copies of court records at 50 cents per page and $5 for certified copies.
To access District Court records, submit a completed Whatcom County District Court Records Request Form by email, fax at (360) 778-5401, or mail to the following address:
Whatcom County District Court
311 Grand Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
