A Guide to Washington State Courts is supported in part by a grant from the Program on Law and Society of the Open Society Institute and the League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund.

Previous editions of this booklet were published in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2006 and 2008 by the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). Revisions are made regularly.

Note to educators:

Definitions of italicized court terms used in this booklet are included in a companion text, A Guide to Terms Used in Washington Court, an online-only publication. Online copies of A Guide to Terms and A Guide to Washington State Courts are available and can be downloaded from the Washington Courts homepage at www.courts.wa.gov, by clicking on “Resources, Publications and Reports,” and scrolling down to “Informational Brochures.”