Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Kelso, Washington, in Cowlitz County, has about 13,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Cowlitz County Superior Court and the District Court, and the file of each case, kept by the County Clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Kelso public records, Cowlitz County court records, Kelso arrest records, Kelso warrants, Kelso inmate search, Kelso criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Kelso
Court cases from Kelso are filed in the Cowlitz County Superior Court, which hears felonies, civil cases over $100,000, divorces, probate and juvenile matters.
Below it, the District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims and civil cases up to $100,000.
A city with a municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the Superior Court, and the file stays with the County Clerk.
The County Clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56).
Looking Up a Case from Kelso
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.cowlitz.wa.us/2638/Court-Records (page title: Court Records | Cowlitz County, WA), phone 360-577-3020, Monday - Thursday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Statewide, Washington Courts Search Case Records is the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
The Washington court page SearchSystems verified is at courts.wa.gov/index.cfm.
What Reaches the Court from Kelso
Together, the six agencies in Cowlitz County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,358 arrests to the FBI that year; the Prosecuting Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Cowlitz County Superior Court or the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at co.cowlitz.wa.us/230/Prosecuting-Attorney (page title: Prosecuting Attorney | Cowlitz County, WA), phone 360-577-3080, 312 SW 1st Ave. First Floor Kelso, WA 98626, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the Washington State Department of Licensing, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other Kelso guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Kelso criminal records, Kelso divorce records, Kelso DUI and Kelso property records.
More Official Court Pages for Cowlitz County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Cowlitz County and Washington. These court pages from its Cowlitz County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Washington Courts (dw.courts.wa.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Kelso?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.cowlitz.wa.us/2638/Court-Records, phone 360-577-3020. Statewide, Washington Courts Search Case Records is the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Kelso?
The Cowlitz County Superior Court, which hears felonies, civil cases over $100,000, divorces, probate and juvenile matters. The District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims and civil cases up to $100,000.
Who keeps the court records in Kelso?
The County Clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Washington?
Yes: Washington Courts Search Case Records, the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
Is this the official Kelso website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.