Find Court Records in Kitsap County

Kitsap County court records are managed by the County Clerk at the Superior Court in Port Orchard. You can search Kitsap County court records online through the Washington State Digital Archives, the Odyssey Portal, or the statewide case search tool. The clerk's office at 614 Division Street handles in-person access, certified copy requests, and records inquiries for Superior Court cases. Kitsap County District Court and Bremerton Municipal Court also maintain records for misdemeanor, traffic, and civil cases. This page explains how to find and request court documents across all court levels in the county.

Kitsap County Superior Court Clerk

The Kitsap County Clerk's office is the official keeper of all Superior Court records. It processes copy requests, manages court filings, and provides public access to case information. The clerk's office is required to always be open on judicial days. Court records are maintained in accordance with Washington State court rules, and most case files are public unless sealed by court order.

Kitsap County Superior Court resolves criminal felony cases, civil cases, juvenile offender and dependency cases, family law matters including parentage and adoptions, probate and guardianship matters, domestic violence cases, mental health cases, and appeals from District and Municipal Courts. The court has specialized departments for family law, criminal, civil, and juvenile matters. Case scheduling information and court calendars are available online through the court website.

The Kitsap County Superior Court is located at the same address as the clerk's office: 614 Division Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366. The courthouse handles all general jurisdiction matters for the county. For family law matters specifically, the clerk's office also provides form kits that walk unrepresented parties through the filing process.

Forms, Kits, and Filing Instructions

The Kitsap County Clerk's office sells form kits for common court proceedings. These kits include the documents you need and step-by-step instructions. The clerk cannot give legal advice, but staff can identify required forms for your situation. Kits are sold in person at Room 202, 614 Division Street, Port Orchard, or online through the county's kit order system.

Available kits and their prices include dissolution kits, probate starting kits at $15.00, guardianship kits starting at $25.00, and adoption kits starting at $20.00. Document charts are available for dissolution, registered domestic partnerships, parenting plans, parentage, child support modification, minor guardianship, adult guardianship, and probate. Kit prices and availability may change, so confirm current pricing before ordering.

The Kitsap County Clerk Forms, Kits and Instructions page lists available form packets with prices and links to the online ordering system.

For probate cases, the filing fee is $290, payable in cash, credit card, money order, or cashier's check. Ex Parte Court hours are Monday, Thursday, and Friday at 3:30 p.m. Probate case files are public unless sealed by court order. The clerk's office manages all probate filings and maintains the related case records.

Search Kitsap County Court Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives holds Kitsap County Superior Court case files from 1973 to the present. The collection has over 5.6 million records. Case types include civil, criminal, divorce, and probate. Public access to adoptions, dependency, and mental competency proceedings is restricted and those files are not available online. You can search the Kitsap collection at digitalarchives.wa.gov.

The Odyssey Portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov provides another free online option for Kitsap County cases. Kitsap is one of the counties using the Odyssey case management system. You can view case summaries, docket entries, and party information after registering for a free account. Document access may require fees. The statewide search at dw.courts.wa.gov also covers Kitsap County Superior Court, District Court, and municipal courts.

The Kitsap County Superior Court page provides access to court calendars, case scheduling, and links to online record search tools.

Case documents are not previewable in the digital archives before ordering. Contact the county clerk before ordering if you have questions about document content. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. Sealed or confidential documents will not appear in search results and cannot be purchased online.

Access to all Kitsap court records is governed by GR 31, the Washington Supreme Court's general rule on court records. Under this rule, the original records are located at the Office of the Kitsap County Clerk in Port Orchard.

Kitsap County Public Records Center

For non-court county records, the Kitsap County Public Records Center handles requests from the public. Mark Brockman serves as the Public Records Officer. Requests can be submitted through the online portal at the county's public records center page. The county will provide records, deny the request, or acknowledge it and give a time estimate within five business days of receipt.

It's important to understand that court records are not subject to the Public Records Act in the same way. Access to court case files is governed by court rules and common law. Most court records are open to the public and accessible through the clerk's office. If you need court case files, contact the Kitsap County Clerk directly at 360-337-7164 rather than the public records center. For Sheriff's Office records, requests go directly to the Sheriff.

The Kitsap County Public Records Center handles non-court government records requests with an online portal and five-business-day response standard.

Common public records fees are $0.10 per page for scanning hard copy records and $0.15 per page for hard copy reproduction. A fee chart is available through the Public Records Center FAQ on the county website. Electronic records requests are accepted and may be fulfilled by email when practical.

Historical Records in the Digital Archives

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the first digital archives in the nation dedicated to preserving electronic records of both state and local government. It hosts over 200 million searchable records across many collections. For Kitsap County, the archive includes Superior Court case files, marriage records, birth records, death records, and naturalization records.

Many court case files are transferred to the archives within two business days of being processed by the clerk. You can search by collection, by keyword, or use the advanced search options. The site provides free public access to historical records. For cases prior to the digital archives coverage window, contact the clerk's office directly for older paper records.

The Washington State Digital Archives Kitsap County collection contains over 5.6 million court records from 1973 to the present.

Note: The index for each case gives information about the parties involved and what documents are in the file. Documents are not previewable before you order. Contact the clerk at 360-337-7164 before ordering if you want to confirm the contents.

Laws Governing Kitsap Court Records

RCW 42.56, Washington's Public Records Act, applies to government records generally but does not govern access to court case files. Court records follow court rules, primarily GR 31. This rule defines which records are public, what can be sealed, and who may access restricted case types. RCW 36.23 outlines the duties of the county clerk, including the requirement to maintain accurate court records and provide public access.

Under GR 31, the responsibility for redacting personal identifiers in filings rests with the parties and their attorneys. The clerk and court do not review each document for redaction compliance. Restricted case types in Kitsap County include adoptions, juvenile dependency, mental illness proceedings, and paternity. These cannot be searched or ordered online. For access to sealed or confidential case files, contact the Kitsap County Clerk at 360-337-7164.

Cities in Kitsap County

Kitsap County includes several communities on the Kitsap Peninsula. All Superior Court cases go through the courthouse at 614 Division Street in Port Orchard. Bremerton is the largest city in the county and has its own municipal court for city ordinance violations and traffic matters.

Other communities in Kitsap County include Port Orchard, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Silverdale, and Kingston. All Superior Court cases for residents of these areas are handled through the Kitsap County Superior Court in Port Orchard.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Kitsap County or are nearby by ferry. Check your address to confirm which county handles your case.