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.
Whatcom County, Washington, has about 235,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Whatcom 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: Whatcom County public records, Whatcom County arrest records, Whatcom County warrants, Whatcom County inmate search, Whatcom County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Whatcom County
In Whatcom County, the Whatcom 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 Whatcom County
For Whatcom County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at dw.courts.wa.gov (page title: Find My Court Date | WA.gov), 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 Whatcom County
Together, the six agencies in Whatcom County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,498 arrests to the FBI that year; the Prosecuting Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Whatcom County Superior Court or the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at whatcomcounty.us/304/Prosecuting-Attorney (page title: Prosecuting Attorney's Office | Whatcom County, WA), phone 360-410-6365, 311 Grand Ave., Ste. 201 Bellingham, WA 98225, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 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 Whatcom County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Whatcom County criminal records, Whatcom County divorce records, Whatcom County traffic tickets, Whatcom County DUI and Whatcom County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Whatcom County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Whatcom County and Washington. These court pages from its Whatcom County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Washington Courts (dw.courts.wa.gov)
Cities in Whatcom County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Whatcom 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 Whatcom County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
- Bellingham (95,860)
- Lynden (16,783)
- Ferndale (16,706)
- Blaine (6,371)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Whatcom County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at dw.courts.wa.gov. Statewide, Washington Courts Search Case Records is the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Whatcom County?
The Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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.