Access Yakima County Family Court Records

Yakima County family court records are maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court at 128 North 2nd Street in Yakima. The clerk holds all filings for dissolution of marriage, child custody and support, adoption, minor guardianship, and protection orders for the county. Online access to Yakima County family court records runs through the Odyssey Portal and the Washington Courts statewide case search. Historical Superior Court case files are also available through the Washington State Digital Archives. This page covers how to search online, where to get copies and certified documents, what laws apply, and how to get help if you are representing yourself.

Yakima County Clerk of Superior Court

The Yakima County Clerk of Superior Court is an elected official with duties defined by Chapter 36.23 of the Revised Code of Washington and Article IV, Section 26 of the Washington State Constitution. The Clerk's Office serves as the executive officer of the Superior Court and the custodian of all court records and exhibits. The clerk receives and processes court documents, assists in court proceedings, maintains court files, manages the jury system, issues writs and subpoenas as a quasi-judicial officer, and receipts fees and court-ordered payments. The office was established to give the public access to a fair, accurate, and independently established record of judicial opinions and decisions.

The Clerk's Office is located at 128 North 2nd Street, Room 323, in Yakima. The Superior Court itself is in the same building at Room 314. The Yakima County District Court is also at 128 N. 2nd Street in Room 226. Yakima Municipal Court is at 129 N. 2nd Street. For family law matters, all filings go through Superior Court. District Court handles misdemeanor cases, civil matters under $100,000, infractions, and small claims. Municipal Court handles city ordinance violations.

The Clerk's Office maintains separate court calendars for family law matters. The Domestic Relations calendar covers Title 26 family court matters including dissolution, paternity, and child custody. It is updated the day before each session. Protection orders have their own calendar, also updated the day before. Minor guardianship has a separate calendar. If you need to appear for a hearing, check the current calendars on the Yakima County website or call the court at the number below.

Copy fees at Yakima County Superior Court are $0.50 per page for paper copies (minimum order $1.00), or $0.25 per page for email or electronic copies (minimum order $1.00). Certification costs $5 for the first page plus $1 per additional page. Research fees are $20 per hour of clerk staff time. Court hearing recordings on CD cost $3 for one or two CDs, $6 for three or four, $9 for five or six, plus the research fee. The ex parte presentation fee is $20, payable to Yakima County Clerk at 128 N. 2nd St., Room 323, Yakima, WA 98901.

The official Yakima County Clerk of Superior Court website at yakimacounty.us/154/Clerk-of-Superior-Court outlines the clerk's constitutional duties, services available to the public, and information on accessing court records.

How to Search Yakima County Family Court Records Online

Yakima County Superior Court records are accessible online through the Odyssey Portal. The statewide gateway at dw.courts.wa.gov is the entry point. From there, select Yakima County to search Superior Court records. Online dockets may occasionally show display issues. For complete or certified records, contact the Clerk's Office at (509) 574-1430. For civil matters, call 509-574-2704. For criminal and domestic (family law) matters, call 509-574-2702. When leaving a message about a telephonic hearing, include your case number, case name, nature of the motion, attorney name if any, your name, and your phone number.

The Odyssey Portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov/odyportal provides direct access to Yakima County Superior Court case records with party name search, case number lookup, and docket information for non-sealed matters.

The Odyssey Portal lets you search by party name using Smart Search or by case number. It shows docket entries, case status, hearing dates, and party information for all non-confidential cases. Sealed matters including adoptions and dependency cases do not appear in public searches. When searching by case number, leave out hyphens. A Quick Reference Guide is available in the portal. E-filing through Odyssey is available for registered attorneys. For records not online, submit a request to the Clerk's Office in writing or by phone.

The Washington State Courts central case search at dw.courts.wa.gov routes Yakima County Superior Court searches to the Odyssey Portal and serves as the statewide entry point for public access to court records.

The JIS-Link system provides subscription-based display-only access to district, municipal, and superior court records at $0.145 per transaction with a $13 monthly minimum. JIS-Link is a legacy system. It may lack complete data for courts that have moved to newer platforms like Odyssey. For most Yakima County family court searches, the Odyssey Portal is the better choice. When you cannot find a record online, the clerk's office is the next step.

Family Court Case Types in Yakima County

Yakima County Superior Court handles all family law matters filed by county residents. Under RCW Chapter 26.09, the court handles dissolution of marriage and legal separation, temporary and permanent parenting plans, child support establishment and modification, spousal maintenance, relocation disputes, and non-parent custody actions. Paternity establishment and modification of existing support and custody orders are also part of the regular Domestic Relations docket. Domestic Relations calendars cover all Title 26 family court matters including dissolution, paternity, and child custody by a parent.

The Superior Court also handles adoption petitions and minor guardianship cases under separate statutes. Adoption records are sealed by law. Protection orders including domestic violence, anti-harassment, and other civil protection orders have their own calendar at the Superior Court. Community Motions and Supplemental Proceedings calendars cover other post-judgment family law matters. Probate matters involving estates, wills, and guardianships of incapacitated adults are handled separately from family court but also go through the same Superior Court.

Yakima County District Court at 128 N. 2nd Street, Room 226, handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor criminal cases, civil disputes up to $100,000, traffic and non-traffic infractions, and small claims up to $5,000. That is a different court with different records. Municipal Court at 129 N. 2nd Street, phone (509) 575-6060, handles city ordinance violations. If you are not sure which court holds the records you need, the clerk's office at (509) 574-1430 can help you confirm.

Historical Yakima County Records in the Digital Archives

The Washington State Digital Archives holds historical Yakima County Superior Court case files covering civil, criminal, dissolution, and probate matters from earlier periods. The main Digital Archives search lets you search across all Washington State collections by record series and keyword. Pre-1968 vital records are also available here, as are Frontier Justice territorial court records and other historical Superior Court collections from across the state. For Yakima County dissolutions that predate the Odyssey system, the Digital Archives is a good starting point.

Some records are restricted. Adoption, dependency, and mental competency case files are not available online regardless of their age. To access those records, contact the Yakima County Clerk directly. Case documents in the Digital Archives are generally not previewable before you order them. If you are not sure a specific file contains what you need, call the clerk's office first. Sealed and confidential documents cannot be purchased through the online system.

Divorce Certificates and Marriage Records for Yakima County

Washington State issues two types of dissolution records. A divorce certificate is a single certified page stating that a dissolution occurred and when. A divorce decree is the full court order with all the terms: property division, support, parenting plan, and name changes. Certificates for dissolutions finalized from 1968 forward are available through the Washington State Department of Health vital records portal. The base fee is $25 per copy by mail, which takes 6-8 weeks. Online ordering through the department-approved vendor costs $40.50 and typically takes 3-7 business days. No ID is required.

The Washington DOH vital records portal at doh.wa.gov allows anyone to order certified divorce and marriage certificates for Yakima County cases from 1968 forward, with standard mail and expedited online ordering options.

For the full decree with all the terms, contact the Yakima County Superior Court Clerk. Provide the case number or both parties' names. Paper copies are $0.50 per page, electronic copies are $0.25 per page. For dissolutions before 1968, DOH has no records. Those older cases must be requested from the clerk or the Washington State Digital Archives. New records may take up to five months after the dissolution is finalized before they appear at DOH, so recently finalized cases might not yet be in the state system.

Marriage licenses in Yakima County are issued by the Auditor's Office. Marriage records can be requested through the Yakima County Auditor in person or by mail with a $3 processing fee. Birth and death certificates from 1921 to present can be ordered through the Yakima Health District. Records from 1907 can be obtained through the Washington State Department of Health for $20.

Laws That Apply to Yakima County Family Court

Yakima County family court cases are governed by Washington State law. RCW Chapter 26.09 is the primary statute for dissolution proceedings. It covers the no-fault ground for dissolution, residency requirements, equitable property division, temporary maintenance, permanent parenting plans, child support guidelines, and relocation notice requirements. A mandatory 90-day waiting period runs from the date the petition is filed and served before the court can finalize a dissolution. Mediation is required in most contested family matters. Special mediation rules apply when domestic violence is present. The Superior Court Clerk is required by RCW 26.23.033(2) to forward all support orders to the Washington State Support Registry within five days of entry.

RCW Chapter 26.12 establishes the family court structure that Yakima County Superior Court operates under. The chapter covers family court judge designations, court commissioner roles in family law, guardian ad litem appointments, required parenting seminars when children are involved, the courthouse facilitator program, and the address confidentiality program. Yakima County Superior Court also has a Family Court Facilitator and a Family Court Investigator. The clerk is required to forward copies of orders appointing the Family Court Investigator to the facilitator within two court days of entry.

Adoption cases at Yakima County Superior Court fall under RCW Chapter 26.33, which seals adoption records from public access. The confidential intermediary program provides a formal path for qualifying parties to seek sealed adoption records. Protection orders follow Washington's domestic relations protection order statutes. All official court forms are available free at courts.wa.gov/forms. Local Yakima County rules may require additional forms beyond the standard statewide set.

Legal Help for Yakima County Family Court Cases

Washington Law Help provides free legal guides for Yakima County residents on dissolution, custody, child support, protection orders, parenting plans, relocation, guardianship, and adoption. The site has resources in multiple languages, which is particularly useful in Yakima County where a large portion of residents may prefer materials in Spanish or other languages. The courthouse facilitator program at Yakima County Superior Court provides free procedural help to self-represented parties. The Family Court Facilitator handles procedural questions; they cannot give legal advice but can explain how court processes work.

Northwest Justice Project serves low-income residents in central and eastern Washington through the CLEAR hotline at 1-888-201-1014. They handle family law matters including dissolution, custody, support, and domestic violence for eligible clients. Legal aid gives priority to cases involving children, safety, and essential family needs. The Washington State Bar Association can provide referrals to attorneys in the Yakima area. Free or low-cost mediation may be available for parenting plan and custody disputes.

All official court forms are free at courts.wa.gov/forms. The site has dissolution packets, parenting plan forms, child support worksheets, protection order packets, relocation notice forms, adoption petitions, and minor guardianship forms. The Guide and File interactive tool helps you build a customized form packet. Translated forms are available in multiple languages. Court staff at the Yakima County Clerk's Office can point you to forms and explain procedures. They cannot fill out documents for you or tell you what to file.

Cities in Yakima County

Yakima County is home to the city of Yakima and a number of surrounding communities. All family court cases filed by county residents go through Yakima County Superior Court at 128 North 2nd Street in Yakima, regardless of which city or community you live in.

Other communities in Yakima County include Selah, Union Gap, Wapato, Grandview, Sunnyside, Prosser (in Benton County), and Toppenish. These communities do not have individual city pages on this site but all residents within Yakima County file family court matters at Yakima County Superior Court.

Nearby Counties

Yakima County borders several other counties in central Washington. Family court cases are filed in the county where you reside. Make sure you are in the right jurisdiction before you file your petition.