Washington’s Judicial Branch is committed to openness, transparency, and the promise that the public should have reasonable access to administrative public records. In accordance with these ideals, the Supreme Court has established a rule regarding public access to administrative records.

Effective January 1, 2016, General Rule 31.1: Access to Administrative Records:

• Confirms the right of the public to examine administrative records of the judicial branch.
• Establishes procedures for requesting records and guidelines for those responding to requests.

Learn more about GR 31.1

Requests

Requests for records of the Washington Supreme Court, all divisions of the Court of Appeals, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), the Superior Court Judges’ Association (SCJA), and the District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association (DMCJA) will be coordinated by AOC’s public records officer. All requests must be in writing. A Request Form for these records is available for your convenience.

Requests for records from superior, district, or municipal courts, or from the Office of Public Defense or the Office of Civil Legal Aid, will be coordinated by the public records officer from individual courts or judicial agency. Contact the court or judicial branch agency directly. Refer to the court directory for contact information.

For requests handled by AOC, the public records officer will send you a response within five business days of submitting your request. The response will acknowledge your request with one or more of the following:

• Requested records provided.
• Anticipated date of arrival.
• Expected costs required to proceed.
• Further clarification required.
• Explanation for non-disclosable records.

As part of your records request, AOC is unable to:

• Answer general requests for information.
• Answer questions involving general research or compiling of information.
• Perform legal research.
• Create a record if a record does not currently exist.

Before submitting your request, please review Exemptions to understand which records are specifically exempted under court rule, statute, or case law.

Request other types of judicial records

Fees

There may be costs for copying or scanning records, and the court or judicial agency may charge a fee for the time it takes to complete the necessary research and prepare the records for inspection or copying if the request requires more than one hour of staff time. Additionally, there may be actual costs of copying or scanning the records. The public records officer will work with you to be sure your needs are understood and, where possible, to narrow the search, making the process as efficient and effective as possible. For most requests, the process of locating the records can be accomplished within an hour. For more extensive requests, the agency may charge for research and preparation time after the first hour.

FEES FOR RECORDS REQUESTS HANDLED BY AOC

Exemptions

Certain administrative records cannot be disclosed if prohibited under GR 31.1, or other court rules, federal statutes, state statutes, court orders, or case law.

For records that aren’t entirely exempt, non-disclosable information will be redacted.

Specific records exempted or prohibited from disclosure

If all or part of a judicial administrative record is non-disclosable, you will receive written notification explaining why.

Appeals

If you disagree with the decision that the record you requested cannot be disclosed or has been redacted, you may choose to request a review of the decision. Requests for review must be submitted within 90 days of the public records officer's decision.

Request for Review Form

Learn more about appealing a decision