Klickitat County Court Records

Klickitat County court records are maintained by the County Clerk at the Superior Court in Goldendale. You can search Klickitat County court records through the Washington State Digital Archives for cases from 2000 forward, or use the free statewide search at dw.courts.wa.gov to look up cases across all court levels. The clerk's office at 205 S. Columbus Avenue handles in-person access, certified copy requests, e-filing, and public records inquiries for all Superior Court case types. This page covers how to find and request court documents in Klickitat County, including civil, criminal, family law, probate, and guardianship cases.

Klickitat County Superior Court Clerk

The Klickitat County Clerk's office was established to give the public open access to a fair and accurate record of the judiciary. The clerk files and indexes all records for Klickitat County Superior Court and serves as the ex-officio Clerk of Superior Court. By fulfilling this mission, the clerk helps ensure the separation of powers among the three branches of government.

Case types filed in the Superior Court Clerk's Office include criminal felony cases, civil cases including protection orders, domestic and family matters, probate and guardianship, paternity and adoption, mental illness, juvenile dependency, and judgments. The clerk also issues writs, subpoenas, warrants, writs of execution, garnishments, attachments, and letters testamentary. The clerk collects statutory fees, fines, trust funds, and support funds and maintains a computerized accounting system.

The clerk also handles passport services and jury management for the county. The newspaper of record for legal notices in Klickitat County is the Goldendale Sentinel, located at 117 W. Main Street, Goldendale, WA 98620. Legal and public notices can be submitted to Legals@goldendalesentinel.com or by calling 509-773-3777.

The Klickitat County Clerk of Superior Court page lists case types, e-filing instructions, and links to the document request portal.

E-Filing and Requesting Case Documents

The Klickitat County Clerk's office accepts electronic filing of documents through TrueFiling. This lets attorneys and self-represented parties submit documents without a trip to the courthouse. All documents presented in Superior Court cases must be received and processed by the clerk before they are official. E-filing makes this faster for common filings.

To request electronic copies of case documents, use the Document Request link on the county clerk's webpage. For case file information requests, contact Public Records Officer Renea Campbell at the clerk's office. Her email is reneac@klickitatcounty.org and the office address is Room 204, 205 S. Columbus Ave., Goldendale, WA 98620. The county responds to public records requests within five business days where possible. Fees for copies and research time are set by state law and local fee schedules.

Electronic records requests are accepted and may be fulfilled by email when practical. Requests should be specific and identify the records sought with reasonable clarity. If you are requesting records from multiple departments, submit each request to that department's designated officer. Misdirected requests will be forwarded but may cause delays.

Administrative Records vs. Case Files

Klickitat County distinguishes between administrative court records and case file records. This distinction matters when you submit a request. Administrative records do not include case files. If you want copies of case documents, contact the clerk's office at 509-773-5744. Administrative records requests follow a separate process.

For administrative office records, the Administrative Records Officer is Mary Jo Hanson, the Court Administrator. Her office is at Room 206, 205 S. Columbus Ave., Goldendale, WA 98620. Email: superiorcourtadmin@klickitatcounty.org. To make an administrative records request, download the request form from the county website, complete it, date it, and sign it. A letter will be sent within 30 days with the status of your request. Note that this court meets irregularly, which may affect response times.

The Klickitat County Superior Court Administrative Records Request page explains the difference between case files and administrative records and how to request each type.

If you would like to appeal a records denial, download the review form from the county website and follow the delivery instructions provided. Appeals of public records denials follow the procedures in state law. The county follows RCW 42.56 for handling public records requests for non-court county records.

Klickitat County Records in Digital Archives

The Washington State Digital Archives holds Klickitat County Superior Court case files from 2000 to 2026. The total record count is over 404,000 cases. Case types include civil, criminal, divorce, and probate. Access to adoptions, dependency, and mental competency proceedings is restricted and those files are not available online. For restricted files, contact the clerk's office directly.

Each case file in the archives contains documents from both parties and the presiding judge. These may include awards, complaints, decrees, depositions, orders, pleadings, sentences, and verdicts. Cases are listed numerically by initiation date. Documents are not previewable before ordering. Original records are located at the Klickitat County Clerk's office in Goldendale. For more information, contact the Central Regional Branch at 509-963-2136.

The Washington State Digital Archives Klickitat County Superior Court collection contains over 404,000 records from 2000 to 2026.

The full digital archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov cover many Washington counties and hold over 200 million searchable records. You can search by keyword, collection, or advanced criteria. Certified copies can be ordered online at $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page. Sealed or confidential documents will not display in results and cannot be purchased online.

The statewide name and case search at dw.courts.wa.gov also covers Klickitat County courts. Use it to search by name or case number across all court levels. The portal updates daily at 3:00 a.m. Official copies must be ordered from the court of record.

Laws That Apply to Court Records

Access to court records in Klickitat County is governed by GR 31, the Washington Supreme Court's general rule on court records. This rule defines what is public, what can be sealed, and how to access restricted records. Sealed types include adoption, paternity, juvenile dependency, and mental illness proceedings. Most other case types are open to the public.

RCW 36.23 sets out the duties of the county clerk, including the requirement to file, index, and store all court records and provide public access. The clerk acts as financial officer for the courts and quasi-judicial officer when needed. RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act, governs non-court county records. For court case files specifically, GR 31 is the controlling authority. Personal identifiers may appear in case records, and the responsibility for redacting them rests with the parties and counsel who filed the documents.

Cities in Klickitat County

Klickitat County's county seat is Goldendale, where the Superior Court Clerk's office is located. Other communities in the county include White Salmon, Bingen, Lyle, and Stevenson (bordering Skamania County). Klickitat County borders Oregon to the south along the Columbia River.

No cities in Klickitat County currently meet the qualifying population threshold for individual city pages. All Superior Court cases for county residents are handled at the courthouse in Goldendale.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Klickitat County. Klickitat also shares a border with Oregon to the south along the Columbia River Gorge.