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 24, 2026.
King County, Washington, has about 2.3 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the King 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: King County public records, King County arrest records, King County warrants, King County inmate search, King County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from King County
Court cases from King County are filed in the King 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.
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 King County
For King County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dja/courts-jails-legal-system/case-records/r... (page title: Accessing Superior Court Records | King County, Washington), phone 206-477-0691, 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 King County
Together, the 36 agencies in King County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 31,397 arrests to the FBI that year; the Prosecuting Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the King County Superior Court or the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at kingcounty.gov/en/dept/pao (page title: Prosecuting Attorney's Office | King County, Washington), phone 206-477-1200, 516 Third Avenue, W400, Seattle, WA 98104, 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 King County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: King County criminal records, King County divorce records, King County traffic tickets, King County DUI and King County property records.
More Official Court Pages for King County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for King County and Washington. These court pages from its King County listing were opened again on October 1, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Washington Courts (dw.courts.wa.gov)
Cities in King County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the King 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 King County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
- Seattle (780,995)
- Bellevue (154,377)
- Kent (136,588)
- Renton (105,543)
- Federal Way (100,252)
- Kirkland (95,499)
- Auburn (85,513)
- Redmond (82,195)
- Sammamish (66,474)
- Shoreline (66,251)
- Burien (52,046)
- Bothell (51,770)
- SeaTac (34,024)
- Des Moines (33,207)
- Maple Valley (28,553)
- Mercer Island (25,302)
- Kenmore (24,166)
- Tukwila (21,636)
- Covington (21,567)
- Woodinville (13,942)
- Snoqualmie (13,748)
- Lake Forest Park (13,276)
- Enumclaw (13,173)
- Newcastle (13,072)
- Duvall (9,176)
- North Bend (8,553)
- Pacific (7,085)
- Black Diamond (6,787)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in King County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kingcounty.gov, phone 206-477-0691. Statewide, Washington Courts Search Case Records is the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in King County?
The King 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 King 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 King 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.