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.
Benton County, Washington, has about 218,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Benton 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, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Benton County public records, Benton County arrest records, Benton County warrants, Benton County inmate search, Benton County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Benton County
In Benton County, the Benton County Superior Court 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.
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 Benton County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at bentoncountywa.gov/departments/courts_and_judicial_services/distric... (page title: Benton County, WA), phone 855-873-9709, 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 Benton County
Together, the five agencies in Benton County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,460 arrests to the FBI that year; the Prosecuting Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Benton County Superior Court or the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at bentoncountywa.gov/government/elected_officials/prosecuting_attorne... (page title: Benton County, WA), phone 509-735-3591, 7122 W. Okanogan Place Kennewick, WA 99336, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Benton County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Benton County criminal records, Benton County divorce records, Benton County traffic tickets, Benton County DUI and Benton County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Benton County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Benton County and Washington. These court pages from its Benton County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Washington Courts (dw.courts.wa.gov)
Cities in Benton County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Benton County Superior Court or the District Court; tickets under a city's own ordinances go to its municipal court where it has one.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Benton County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Benton County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at bentoncountywa.gov, phone 855-873-9709. Statewide, Washington Courts Search Case Records is the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Benton County?
The Benton 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 Benton County?
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 Benton County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.