How to Get Court Records
Begin with the court that owns the file. Pierce County Superior Court records are held by the County Clerk. Search LINX, buy available images from the case page, visit Room 110, mail a focused request, or call (253) 798-7455 for older-file guidance and a price. District Court uses its own records page, form, counter, phone at (253) 798-7487, and preferred email delivery. Municipal and Juvenile records remain with those courts. Washington Courts, re:SearchWA, and JIS-Link may help locate a case, but they do not replace the custodian's file.
- Identify the court, cause number, party role, and exact document or hearing date.
- Choose LINX purchase, clerk counter, mail, phone guidance, or the court's request form.
- State whether a plain, certified, authenticated, audio, or inspection copy is needed.
- Confirm the current cost and approved payment method before sending funds.
- Review the delivered file against the docket and ask the clerk about omissions.
Pierce Records Across Three Eras
The filing date changes the Superior Court request route. Pierce County says public documents from January 1, 2002 forward may be viewed and purchased through LINX when available. Records from January 1991 through December 2001 use the Scan Document Request Form and are generally added to LINX within two business days. Pre-1991 files begin with a call to the Clerk at (253) 798-7455 with the cause number or litigant name.
These dates describe retrieval, not public status. A newer sealed document does not become public because it is electronic, and an older public file does not become confidential because it is paper. Historical work can take longer when staff must locate, scan, or review a file.
Types of Court Records
Pierce County records range from a short chronological docket to the documents supporting each entry. Superior files may cover felony, major civil, domestic, probate, guardianship, and other general-jurisdiction cases. District files include misdemeanor, civil, small-claims, protection-order, and infraction matters. A municipal court holds its own city cases, while juvenile access follows separate statutes and clerk procedures.
- Case indexes, docket sheets, and hearing entries
- Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, and declarations
- Signed orders, judgments, sentences, and dispositions
- Public exhibits, recordings, and filed attachments
- Civil, family, probate, criminal, and infraction files where public
Pierce Case and Agency Records
A court case-record request is not the same as a Pierce County administrative public-record request. Case files are governed mainly by Washington General Rule 31 and related court rules. Administrative records about court operations fall under GR31.1 and may use the Superior administrative-record form or a county Public Records Act route.
The administrative form asks for contact details, an exact description, delivery choice, signature, and date. Its stated charges include 15 cents per page, postage, and staff time after one hour at $30 per hour. Those figures do not replace the current case-copy fee schedule. Route a pleading or order to the clerk that holds the case, not to the general county records office.
What a Court Record Contains
A Pierce County file is organized around its cause number and docket. The header identifies the court, case type, filing date, public status, and assigned department when shown. Party labels distinguish roles without deciding the merits. Event rows connect dates to filings, settings, orders, or dispositions. A document link may be absent even when the docket event remains public.
| Cause Number | The unique court file key, often shown as 02-1-12345-1. |
|---|---|
| Pleadings | Public petitions, complaints, answers, motions, and declarations. |
| Orders & Judgments | Signed rulings, dispositions, sentences, and enforceable judgments. |
| Docket Sheet | A dated index of filings, hearings, actions, and public status. |
| Exhibits | Attachments or evidence when filed publicly and released by the court. |
Pierce Audio and Digital Exhibits
A hearing recording follows a separate route from a paper docket copy. Pierce County lists audio or video at $25 per court date under the June 2026 notice. Identify the case, exact hearing date, and court before ordering. A recording is not a transcript. If written transcription is needed, use the court's current approved process and provider information.
Digital exhibits also have a distinct $25-per-exhibit charge. An electronic storage medium is listed at $5 per device. Restricted, sealed, or unadmitted material does not become public merely because it can be stored in a digital format.
Certified Copies and Fees
A plain copy reproduces a public record. A certified copy adds the Clerk's seal, while an authenticated or exemplified certificate adds a higher form of official certification. Ask the receiving agency which form it needs. Pierce County warns that an electronically certified copy may not be accepted everywhere, so confirm format before paying.
The official LINX interface starts many current Superior copy orders.
Its case page leads to available document images and copy purchasing, while older files follow the Clerk's scan or retrieval workflow.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Non-certified copy | $0.50 per page |
| Certified copy with seal | $5 first page; $1 each additional page |
| Authenticated or exemplified certificate | $9 first page; $1 each additional page |
| Electronic copy or email | $0.25 per page on schedule |
| Search, written report, or special service | $30 per hour |
Pierce County Clerk Records & Copies
930 Tacoma Ave S, Room 110
Tacoma, WA 98402-2177
(253) 798-7455
Pierce Mail Request Checklist
A Superior mail request must identify the requester and contact information, cause number, and exact documents. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a cashier's check or money order. Personal checks are not accepted. Call first for the exact total because certification, page count, postage, handling, or a historical scan can change it.
Online LINX purchases use credit or debit. Counter transactions may accept cash, debit, cashier's check, or money order depending on the service. Fees are generally due in advance. Viewing a public file at a courthouse terminal is generally free, which can help a requester identify only the pages actually needed.
Public Access and Sealed Records
Public access does not mean every page is open. GR31 permits access subject to law, rule, case law, and court order. GR15 addresses sealing and redaction, and GR22 covers family-law records. Adoption, mental-health commitment, dependency, juvenile, confidential name-change, protected family, and sealed material may be restricted. Public copies should redact Social Security numbers, full financial account numbers, and driver-license numbers as required.
A sealed document may leave a public docket event or sealing order. Vacated does not mean erased, and dismissed does not mean sealed. If access is denied, ask which rule or order applies and how the court reviews an access decision.
Key Rules:
Washington GR 31 sets court-record access and exceptions.
Washington GR 31.1 governs judicial administrative records.
RCW 13.50.050 addresses juvenile offender and related records.