Thurston County Court Records

Thurston County court records cover cases filed in Superior Court, District Court, and several municipal courts in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and other communities. The County Clerk maintains all Superior Court case files at the courthouse complex on Lakeridge Drive in Olympia. District Court records are held separately at the same campus. Thurston County offers several ways to search court records, including an online case search through the Odyssey Portal, a District Court open records search, and an eCommerce service for purchasing document copies without leaving home. This page covers the full range of court record access options in Thurston County.

Thurston County Superior Court Clerk

The Thurston County Clerk handles all Superior Court record-keeping for the county. The Clerk's Office contact is tcclerk@co.thurston.wa.us and (360) 786-5430. The office is located at 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Building 2, Olympia, WA 98502. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Clerk maintains records for criminal, civil, family law, probate, juvenile, and mental commitment cases filed in Superior Court.

Thurston County was the first county in Washington State to co-locate all family and juvenile court operations in a single facility separate from other Superior Court operations. Five judicial officers are assigned to the Family and Juvenile Court: two Superior Court Judges and three Court Commissioners. Each serves on a minimum two-year assignment. The Family and Juvenile Court facility is in Tumwater. The main campus in Olympia handles criminal and civil cases.

Thurston County Case Search Online

The Thurston County Superior Court case and hearing search is available through the Odyssey Portal at no cost for basic case information. You can search criminal, civil, and family law cases by title or case number. The search results show criminal case attorneys, charges, calendar, and hearing dates. For civil cases, you can view parties, attorneys, and upcoming hearings. Registration is free for basic searches.

Associated public documents are not viewable over the internet. They can be viewed using Odyssey Portal kiosks inside the Clerk's Office. You cannot access Pierce or King County case information from the Thurston County Odyssey Portal. For those counties, use their own websites. The Thurston County portal covers only cases filed in Thurston County Superior Court.

For District Court cases, the county provides open court records access at weblink.co.thurston.wa.us/DCCASES/. You need the case number and law enforcement agency to search. This is a separate system from the Superior Court Odyssey Portal. The statewide Washington Courts case search covers all Thurston County courts in one place and updates every 24 hours.

Thurston County Superior Court

Thurston County Superior Court is a state trial court of general jurisdiction located at Building 2, 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia, WA 98502. Phone: 360-786-5560. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The court hears major criminal matters, civil cases, appeals from lower courts and state administrative agencies, juvenile offender matters, adoptions, dependency cases, family law, minor guardianships, protection orders, and probates.

The court is committed to providing essential services in a safe and responsible manner. ADA accommodations and language interpretation services are available. The court operates a Drug Court and a Family Recovery Court. Copy fees for Superior Court records are $0.50 per page for the first two pages and $0.25 per additional page. Certified copies add $5.00. The Thurston County Law Library provides public access to legal resources on the court campus.

Under General Rule 31, all court records are presumptively open to the public. Exceptions cover sealed records, juvenile files, and some sensitive filings. Pamela Byrnes handles transcript requests. Court reporters available include Kathryn Beehler, Rafe Beswick, Cheryl Hendricks, Cheri Davidson, and Aurora Shackell. Certified transcripts can be ordered for appellate and record purposes. Audio recordings can be requested on CD or digital format.

Thurston County District Court Records

Thurston County District Court is located at Building 3, 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia, WA 98502. Phone: 360-786-5450. Email: TCDC@co.thurston.wa.us. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The court handles misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, traffic violations, DUI, reckless driving, and civil cases under $100,000. Municipal courts in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Yelm handle city ordinance violations; District Court covers county-level matters.

To request case records from Thurston County District Court, complete the court records request form. Submit it by email to DCpublicrecords@co.thurston.wa.us or by mail to: Public Records Officer, Thurston County District Court, 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Building 3, Olympia, WA 98502-6045. Certified copies cost $5 per document. Regular copies cost $0.15 per page. The Public Records Officer will respond within five business days.

The District Court cannot provide Superior or Juvenile Court records. Administrative records requests are handled separately under GR 31.1. The District Court provides many services online, including fine payment and ticket responses. Text message reminders for upcoming court dates are available. Zoom codes are provided for courtrooms 1 through 5. Virtual Civil Motion Hearings are held on Fridays at 1:30 p.m.; schedule by emailing the Civil Department or calling 360-754-4102. Hearings are also viewable through the court's YouTube channel.

Note: If you receive a call, email, or text demanding immediate payment to avoid a warrant or jail, do not respond. This is a scam. The court will not contact you this way.

Online Document Purchase Service

Thurston County offers a convenient way to buy court document copies without going to the courthouse. The Clerk eCommerce service went live in April 2009, giving the public 24/7 access to non-confidential, non-sealed court documents from home or the office. A new platform called "Clerk Documents" launched March 18, 2025, making it even easier to purchase certified copies online.

Users can search by case number and receive copies within minutes. The service reduces wait times at the counter and is especially useful for people outside the Olympia area. Documents available through the service are limited to cases that are not confidential or sealed. The platform uses advanced security measures to protect personal information. Contact: tcclerk@co.thurston.wa.us or (360) 786-5430.

Legal Access Rules for Thurston County

Court records in Thurston County are governed by General Rule 31, not the Public Records Act under RCW 42.56. This rule creates a presumption of public access with limited exceptions. The County Clerk's role is established by RCW Chapter 36.23, which makes the clerk the ex-officio clerk of Superior Court. This is a constitutional role under Article IV of the Washington State Constitution.

Thurston County is the seat of state government. That means it has a notably high volume of cases involving state agencies and government matters. If you are looking for cases involving state-level defendants or agencies, Thurston County Superior Court is often the right place to start. For federal cases, access federal records through PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov; federal records are separate from the state court system.

Cities in Thurston County

All Superior Court cases for communities in Thurston County are filed at the Thurston County courthouse complex in Olympia. Municipal courts in individual cities handle city-level matters.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Thurston County. File in the county where you reside or where the case arose.