Find Court Records in Columbia County

Columbia County court records are maintained by the County Clerk at the Superior Court courthouse in Dayton, Washington. The clerk's office handles civil, criminal, family law, probate, and juvenile case files for this small southeast Washington county. You can search Columbia County court records using the Washington State Digital Archives, the Odyssey Portal subscription service, or by contacting the clerk directly. This page covers all the key access points, fees, and procedures for finding records in Columbia County.

Columbia County Superior Court Clerk

The Columbia County Clerk serves as the official record keeper for all Superior Court cases filed in the county. Kriston Chapman holds the position of County Clerk, and Felice Wiens serves as Deputy Clerk. The clerk's office processes and manages case records for civil, criminal, domestic, juvenile, probate, and mental commitment proceedings. Staff collects fees, maintains trust accounts, and distributes funds as ordered by the court.

The courthouse is located at 341 E Main Street, Suite 2, Dayton, WA 99328. Phone: (509) 382-4321. Fax: (509) 382-2490. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a closure from noon to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. If you plan to visit in person, call ahead to confirm hours on holidays or court closure days. The clerk can assist with case lookups, copy requests, and guidance on what records are publicly available.

Columbia County Superior Court is presided over by the Honorable Brooke J. Burns. The court shares its judge with Asotin and Garfield counties, with the judge alternating between the three county seats. This is a trial court of general jurisdiction. It handles major criminal matters (felonies), civil cases, domestic relations, probate, adoptions, appeals from lower courts, and juvenile dependency matters.

The court assumes no liability for consequences arising from information on its pages. Always verify case details directly with the clerk's office before relying on them for legal purposes.

Accessing Columbia County Court Records

Columbia County offers two main options for electronic access to court records. For one-time or infrequent users, the Washington State Digital Archives is the recommended starting point. For frequent users who need regular access, an Odyssey Portal subscription is available through the clerk's office.

The Washington State Digital Archives provides electronic access to select publicly available Columbia County records. Available record types include civil, criminal (adult and juvenile), domestic, and probate/guardianship cases. Records that are statutorily confidential, court-ordered sealed, or restricted under state or local court rules are not available. Before you search, have your Superior Court case number ready. Enter it in the format: 12-2-000011-7. Search results show the top third of each document. To purchase a full copy, click "Add to my shopping cart" and follow the prompts.

Copy fees through the Digital Archives are straightforward. Non-certified copies cost $0.25 per page with a $1 service charge per document. A two-page document costs $1.50 total. Certified copies are $5 for the first page and $1 for each additional page, plus the $1 service charge. A five-page certified document comes to $10.00. After payment, certified copy orders are forwarded to the clerk's office for preparation and mailing to your address.

Note: For best search results in the Digital Archives, gather your Superior Court case number before you begin. Entering it in the correct format reduces search errors significantly.

Columbia County Odyssey Portal Subscription

If you need frequent access to Columbia County court records, a subscription to the Odyssey Portal is the more efficient choice. The subscription gives you ongoing access to publicly available records including criminal, civil, domestic, probate/guardianship, and juvenile offender case types. Attorneys of record can get elevated access to confidential records if a Notice of Appearance has been filed.

To register, the head of the firm, agency, or individual must complete and sign a Master Registration Form. Each user must be identified on that form and must review and sign the Subscription Agreement. Mail or deliver the original form to Kriston Chapman, Columbia County Clerk, 341 E Main Street Suite 2, Dayton, WA 99328. Allow two weeks for access to be processed. Once approved, you will receive an email with a link to set up your password. Your user name is the email address you supply on the registration form.

The annual subscription fee is a per-county charge that covers all employees in the organization. Companies with 1 to 3 employees pay $100 per year. The rate for 4 to 6 employees is $250. Companies with 7 to 10 employees pay $500, and organizations with more than 10 employees pay $600 annually. The annual fee is due yearly on the first of the month following your initial application date. For example, if you apply on May 16, your next annual fee is due June 1 of the following year. This structure applies to all registrants including government agencies unless federal, state, or local authority provides otherwise.

Required forms include the Odyssey Subscription Agreement, the Odyssey Portal Master Registration form, the Odyssey Portal Confidentiality Agreement, and a Modify Registration form for changes. These are available from the Columbia County Clerk's office or the county website at columbiaco.com/430/Access-to-Court-Records.

Electronic Filing in Columbia County

Columbia County now accepts electronic filing for court documents. Parties are encouraged to e-file but are not required to do so at this point. Filing hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific time, excluding court holidays. Documents received outside those hours are treated as filed at the start of the next business day.

To file electronically, register at eFile WA, which is hosted by Tyler Technologies. There is no fee for using the eFile and Serve platform itself. You pay only the standard statutory filing fees and any electronic payment convenience fees. Tyler Technologies customer support is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central time. Reach them by email at efiling.support@tylertech.com or by phone at 1-800-297-5377.

Some documents cannot be e-filed. These include original wills and codicils, certified records of proceedings for appeal, foreign government documents, ALR petitions, documents presented during a hearing, new cases with fee waiver orders, new cases requesting immediate relief, and affidavits for writs of garnishment and execution. For these items, file in paper at the clerk's office during business hours.

Note: Court staff have limited ability to help with technical e-filing questions. Contact Tyler Technologies support directly for platform issues.

Court Record Access Rules

Court records in Washington are governed by General Rule 31, not the Public Records Act. Courts are not "agencies" subject to RCW 42.56 in the same way other government offices are. Instead, GR 31 establishes the presumption that court records are open to the public, with defined exceptions. Those exceptions cover sealed records, juvenile records, and certain sensitive filings ordered closed by the court.

Under GR 31, a "court record" includes documents, information, exhibits, and other things maintained by a court in connection with a judicial proceeding. It also includes indexes, calendars, dockets, registers of actions, official proceedings records, orders, decrees, judgments, minutes, and case management system data. What is not included are materials maintained by or for a judge on a particular case, such as personal notes, drafts, and working papers.

The duties of county clerks are set out in RCW Chapter 36.23, which makes the clerk the ex-officio clerk of the Superior Court. The clerk is responsible for maintaining court records, managing juries, collecting fees, and preserving the integrity of judicial records. If you need to access a sealed or confidential record, you will generally need a court order. Contact the clerk's office or an attorney for help with such requests.

Cities in Columbia County

Columbia County is a small, rural county in southeast Washington. Dayton is the county seat and largest city. No cities in the county meet the population threshold for individual city pages. All court filings go through the Columbia County Superior Court in Dayton.

Communities in Columbia County include Dayton, Starbuck, and Pomeroy (which is in Garfield County). All civil and criminal matters for Columbia County residents are handled at the courthouse at 341 E Main Street in Dayton.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Columbia County. Note that Columbia County shares its Superior Court judge with Asotin and Garfield counties, with the judge rotating between county seats.