Moses Lake Court Records Search
Moses Lake court records are handled through the Grant County court system. The Moses Lake Municipal Court operates as a department of the Grant County District Court under an interlocal agreement signed in 2022. That means cases that arise from city ordinance violations and non-traffic infractions in Moses Lake are processed at the Grant County District Court branch located right in town at 1525 Wheeler Road E. For felony charges, family law, probate, and larger civil matters, records are kept at Grant County Superior Court in Ephrata. You can search Moses Lake court records online through the statewide Washington Courts portal at dw.courts.wa.gov, which covers all court levels across Washington and updates daily.
Moses Lake Overview
Find Moses Lake Court Records: Which Court to Contact
Moses Lake entered into an interlocal agreement with Grant County in January 2022. Under that agreement, the county processes all citations falling under municipal court jurisdiction for the city. The Moses Lake branch of the Grant County District Court is located at 1525 Wheeler Road E in Moses Lake. You can reach the main Grant County District Court office by phone at 509-754-2011. Municipal Court cases are heard by District Court judges on a rotating basis, and the city provides the facilities and court clerk for those sessions.
The Grant County District Court handles a wide range of case types for Moses Lake, including traffic cases, misdemeanor crimes, gross misdemeanors, non-traffic infractions, and preliminary hearings in felony cases. It also serves as the municipal court for several other Grant County cities including Coulee City, Ephrata, Grand Coulee, Quincy, Royal City, and Warden, among others. All these cases fall under the same court structure through the interlocal system.
| Local Branch | Grant County District Court - Moses Lake Branch |
|---|---|
| Address | 1525 Wheeler Road E Moses Lake, WA 98837 |
| Mailing Address | PO Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823 |
| Phone | 509-754-2011 |
| Fax | 509-754-6099 |
| Superior Court | Grant County Superior Court, Ephrata, WA |
For felony cases, family law matters, probate, and civil disputes over the jurisdictional threshold, you need to contact Grant County Superior Court in Ephrata. That court maintains records for the more serious cases that originate in Moses Lake. The case number on any charging document will tell you which court level the record is filed at.
How to Search Moses Lake Court Records Online
The Washington Courts Name and Case Search at dw.courts.wa.gov is the main free tool for searching Moses Lake court records online. You can search by name or case number. Results show party names, case type, filing date, hearing schedules, and current case status. The system covers municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts across the state, so one search can pull up results from multiple court levels. Data refreshes every day at 3:00 a.m.
You can also go directly to the Grant County District Court page at grantcountywa.gov/324/District-Court for court-specific information. From there you can find scheduling information, contact details, and links to records access. The Odyssey Portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov gives online access to Superior Court records in Grant County. You can search by case number or party name through the Smart Search feature. Note that hyphens in case numbers may not process correctly. If your search comes up empty, try removing the hyphen and entering four digits instead.
In-person searches at the Moses Lake branch or the main Grant County court office in Ephrata are another option. The clerk can search by name or case number and produce copies from the file. Bring a valid photo ID when you visit.
City of Moses Lake Public Records Requests
Court records and city administrative records are two separate things. If you need a copy of a court case file, you contact the court. But if you need police reports, city documents, or other administrative records maintained by the City of Moses Lake, you go through the city's public records request process at cityofml.com.
The city encourages requesters to use official forms and to go through the Public Records Officer's office. There is no fee just to inspect records. Printed copies cost $0.15 per page for standard sizes. Scanned copies are $0.10 per page. Electronic file delivery costs $0.05 for up to four files and $0.10 per gigabyte. Color prints and larger-format documents are charged at actual reproduction cost.
If the city does not respond within five business days of receiving your request, you should follow up with the Public Records Officer. The city may ask for clarification if your request is overly broad. For large requests, you may need to pay a deposit of 10 percent of the estimated total before copies are made. City records and court records operate under different rules. Court records are governed by GR 31. City records fall under RCW 42.56, the Washington Public Records Act.
Note: The city's records system does not include court case files. If you submit a city records request for a court document by mistake, staff will direct you to the appropriate court office.
Washington State Court Record Access Rules
Washington court records are presumptively public. General Rule 31, available at courts.wa.gov, sets the baseline that court records must be open for public inspection. Courts may only charge for actual reproduction costs and must allow free viewing. Some records are restricted: sealed cases, juvenile records, and certain sensitive filings are not accessible without a court order.
If you are looking for Moses Lake records that involve older or historical cases, the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is worth checking. The Digital Archives holds select court records from counties across Washington, including some Grant County materials. These records are useful for genealogy research or for locating files that may have been transferred out of the active court system.
Federal court cases involving Moses Lake residents are held separately. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington handles federal matters. Access to federal records goes through the PACER system at pacer.uscourts.gov. Federal cases are not searchable through the Washington State courts portal.
Grant County Court Records
Moses Lake is the largest city in Grant County. All court filings for the city go through the Grant County court system, with the District Court branch located right in town. For more about Grant County courts, clerk contacts, and how to access records county-wide, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
Moses Lake is the primary urban center in Grant County. Other major cities in central Washington are located in neighboring counties.