Find Criminal Records in Spokane
Spokane is the second largest city in Washington State and the hub of eastern Washington. Criminal records in Spokane are spread across three court levels. Misdemeanor violations committed within city limits go to Spokane Municipal Court. State-level misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors are handled by Spokane County District Court. Felony charges go to Spokane County Superior Court. If you want to search Spokane criminal records, the statewide Washington Courts case search and the Spokane County Court Viewer both cover multiple court levels at once. The Washington State Patrol WATCH system covers conviction history statewide. The Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Criminal Records unit each maintain separate sets of arrest and incident reports.
Spokane Overview
Spokane Municipal Court
The Spokane Municipal Court handles misdemeanor criminal violations, traffic infractions, and city ordinance matters. If someone was cited or arrested for a misdemeanor within Spokane city limits, the case goes here first. This court handles a large volume of cases given the size of the city. Records from this court are available through the statewide Washington Courts case search at dw.courts.wa.gov.
Municipal court records are public. You can search by name or case number through the statewide portal. The portal shows case numbers, party names, charges, case status, and hearing dates. It does not provide document images, but it confirms whether a case exists and what stage it is in. For actual document copies, contact the court directly.
Spokane County District Court
Spokane County District Court handles state-level misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases filed under Washington State law. This is separate from the municipal court. Some offenses go to one, some go to the other, depending on whether they were charged under city ordinance or state statute. The District Court is at 1116 W Broadway Ave and can be reached at (509) 477-3661.
The screenshot below shows the Spokane County court records portal, where District Court and other court-level case records for Spokane can be searched:
The District Court records page at spokanecounty.gov explains how to access court records and submit records requests. Cases can also be found through the Spokane County Court Viewer portal described in the next section.
Spokane County Superior Court
Felony cases involving Spokane residents go to Spokane County Superior Court. The Superior Court Clerk manages the official case files and processes records requests. The clerk's office is at 1116 W Broadway Ave and can be reached at (509) 477-3601. To get certified copies of a judgment, sentence, or other felony case document, start here.
Each felony file contains charging documents, plea agreements, sentencing records, and any related motions or orders. These are public records unless a court has sealed them. Cases go back many decades in some instances. If you know the approximate year a case was filed, that speeds up the search.
Spokane County also maintains a dedicated criminal records page at spokanecounty.gov/2657. That page explains the county's record-keeping structure and provides links to relevant online tools.
The county criminal records page is a useful starting point if you are not sure which Spokane County resource to use first.
Spokane County Court Viewer
Spokane County operates the Court Document Viewer, a free online portal that lets you search for court case records by name or case number. It covers District Court and Superior Court cases in Spokane County. The viewer shows case details including party names, charge information, case status, and scheduled hearings. It is one of the more detailed county-level court portals in eastern Washington.
The Court Viewer is available around the clock at no cost. For Spokane residents, it can pull up both misdemeanor and felony case records in a single search. Keep in mind the tool shows case-level data. Actual court documents require a separate request to the appropriate clerk's office.
Spokane Police Department Records
The Spokane Police Department records unit maintains arrest reports, incident reports, and collision reports for events within city limits. Police records and court records are different things. An arrest report covers what happened at the time of the incident. Court records follow what happened after charges were filed.
Washington's Public Records Act under RCW Chapter 42.56 gives the public the right to inspect and copy most government records. Some portions may be redacted to protect victims or ongoing investigations. Submit a public records request through the Spokane Police records unit to get copies of specific incident reports.
Note: Arrest reports from Spokane County Sheriff for incidents outside city limits are handled separately by the county.
Washington State Criminal History Tools
For a full conviction history on a Spokane resident, the Washington State Patrol WATCH system is the main state tool. WATCH costs $11 per name search and returns a RAP sheet covering all Washington State criminal convictions, adverse findings, and arrests less than one year old without a final disposition. You enter the person's exact name and date of birth and get a result within seconds.
The Spokane County Jail Roster at spokanecounty.gov/353 shows current jail bookings and is updated regularly. For state prison inmates, the Department of Corrections has a public search tool at doc.wa.gov. The Washington Sex Offender Registry at waspc.org lists Level II and Level III registered offenders. The Spokane County Sheriff manages local sex offender registrations.
More information on the WSP criminal history program is at wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history.
Spokane County Criminal Records
Spokane sits in Spokane County, and state-level misdemeanor and felony cases run through Spokane County courts. The county page has more detail on court locations, clerk contact information, and how to access county-level criminal case records.
Nearby Cities
Spokane Valley is the closest qualifying city near Spokane and has its own criminal records page.