Find Franklin County Civil Court Records
Franklin County civil court records are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in Pasco and include civil filings, domestic relations cases, probate matters, and guardianship proceedings from the county's formation to the present. This guide covers how to search those records online, how to request copies in person or by mail, and what rules govern public access under Washington law.
Franklin County Court Quick Facts
- County Seat: Pasco
- Superior Court Clerk Phone: (509) 545-3529
- Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
- Address: 1016 N. 4th Avenue, Pasco, WA 99301
- Copy Fee: $0.50 per page (non-certified)
- Certified Copy: $5.00 first page + $1.00 each additional page
- Electronic Copy: $0.25 per page
- Online Search: Odyssey Portal (case records from 1996 forward)
Franklin County Civil Court Records Online
Franklin County participates in the statewide Odyssey Portal, which is the primary tool for online civil court record searches. The portal covers cases filed from approximately 1996 forward. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Results show case type, filing date, party names, hearing schedules, and docket entries. Access is free and does not require an account to view basic case information, though creating a free account allows you to save searches and receive case updates.
The Washington Courts name and case search tool at courts.wa.gov also covers Franklin County civil cases alongside records from other Washington counties. This statewide portal is a useful starting point if you are not sure which county a case was filed in or if you want to search across multiple counties at once. No login is needed.
The Franklin County Court Records page at franklincountywa.gov provides direct guidance on how to access local records, including links to online search tools and information on mail and in-person requests.
The page is updated by county staff and reflects current procedures, fees, and contact information for the clerk's office.
Note: Cases filed before 1996 may not appear in the Odyssey Portal; contact the clerk at (509) 545-3529 to request older records, which may require a manual file search.
Superior Court Clerk Office in Pasco
The Franklin County Superior Court Clerk's office is at 1016 N. 4th Avenue in Pasco. This is where all civil court records for the county are filed and stored. Staff handle walk-in requests, mail-in requests, and phone inquiries. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you plan to visit in person, bring as much identifying information as possible, such as a case number, party name, or approximate filing date, to help staff locate records quickly.
Mail requests are accepted. Send a written request describing the case you need, along with payment for copy fees, to the address above. The clerk's office publishes daily new case and judgment audit reports, which are useful for tracking recently filed actions. Audio recording requests are also available through the court, and court transcriptionists can provide certified transcripts of proceedings.
The Franklin County Superior Court Clerk records request page at franklincountywa.gov outlines the exact process for submitting a records request, including what information to include and how to pay.
Using the official request form reduces delays and ensures your request reaches the right staff member.
Types of Civil Court Records in Franklin County
The Franklin County Superior Court handles a range of civil matters. General civil cases include contract disputes, personal injury actions, and property disputes where the amount at issue exceeds the District Court's jurisdiction. The court also handles domestic relations cases such as divorce, legal separation, and child custody. Probate matters, including estate administration and will contests, are filed here as well. Guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, which involve care for incapacitated adults or minors, are also part of the court's civil docket.
Felony criminal cases are filed in Superior Court, but those are separate from the civil docket. If you are looking for civil records specifically, you will want to filter your search by case type in the Odyssey Portal. Case types in the portal include codes for domestic relations (DR), probate (PR), civil (CV), and guardianship (GR), among others. Knowing the case type code can narrow results significantly in a county like Franklin where the docket covers a wide range of matter types.
Not all records are public. Washington court rule GR 31 restricts access to certain case types, including adoption records, juvenile non-offender matters, mental illness commitment proceedings, and cases that have been sealed by court order. If a search returns no results for a case you know exists, it may be restricted under these rules.
Copy Fees and How to Pay
Standard copy fees in Franklin County follow state guidelines. Non-certified paper copies cost $0.50 per page. Electronic copies, when available, are $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the first page plus $1.00 for each additional page. These fees apply to most civil case documents, including complaints, motions, orders, and judgments.
Payment is accepted in person at the clerk's office. For mail requests, check or money order payable to the Franklin County Clerk is the standard method. Call (509) 545-3529 before sending a mail request to confirm the current accepted payment methods and get an estimate of copy costs for larger files. Some requests, particularly those involving older pre-digital records, may take additional processing time.
Public Access Rules Under GR 31
Washington General Rule 31 (GR 31) is the state court rule that governs public access to court records. Under GR 31, most civil court records are open to the public. You can view records for free at a public access terminal in the courthouse during business hours. There is no charge to look at records on screen; fees only apply when you request paper or electronic copies.
GR 31 also defines which records are restricted from public access. Restricted categories include adoption files, juvenile records for non-offenders, mental health commitment records, and any case or document that a judge has sealed by court order. These restrictions exist to protect the privacy of vulnerable individuals. If you believe a record has been improperly sealed or restricted, you can file a motion to unseal through the court.
The rule applies statewide, so the same access standards govern Franklin County as every other Washington county. Local variations, such as the specific search tools a county uses or the layout of the clerk's office, do not change the underlying access rights. Anyone, resident or not, can access public civil court records in Franklin County under GR 31.
Historical Records and the Digital Archives
For older Franklin County civil court records that predate the Odyssey Portal, the Washington State Digital Archives offers another search option. The Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov holds digitized historical government records from counties across the state. Coverage varies by county and record type, but it is worth checking for older civil filings, probate records, and estate inventories that may not be in any online court system.
If the Digital Archives does not have what you need, contact the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk directly. Staff can check physical files and microfilm for pre-1996 cases. Turnaround time for these requests depends on how the records are stored and the volume of current requests, so plan ahead if you need historical records for legal or research purposes.
Legal Help and Court Forms
Washington Law Help at washingtonlawhelp.org provides free legal information for people who represent themselves in civil cases. The site covers topics like small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, family law, and debt collection. It is not a substitute for an attorney, but it can help you understand what documents to file and what to expect in court.
The Washington Courts forms library at courts.wa.gov/forms provides standardized forms for civil filings, family law matters, and probate proceedings used across all Washington counties, including Franklin.
Many of these forms are fillable PDFs you can complete before visiting the clerk's office, which speeds up the filing process.
If you need help finding legal representation in the Tri-Cities area, the Washington State Bar Association's referral service can connect you with attorneys who practice in Franklin County. Legal aid organizations serving eastern Washington may also provide assistance for qualifying individuals in civil matters.
Pasco and Franklin County Civil Filings
Pasco is the county seat and the largest city in Franklin County. All civil cases originating in Pasco are filed with the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk at 1016 N. 4th Avenue. There is no separate city court for civil matters above the District Court level. Residents of Pasco who need to access civil court records can visit the clerk's office in person or use the Odyssey Portal online. The city of Pasco is the only qualifying city in Franklin County with a dedicated records page on this site.
Nearby Counties
Civil court records in counties bordering Franklin may also be relevant depending on where a case was filed. Each county maintains its own Superior Court records.