Find Background Check Records in Franklin County

Franklin County background check records are available through the Superior Court Clerk, the Sheriff's Office, and a set of online tools that cover the Pasco area and the broader county. The County Clerk manages all Superior Court filings, including felony criminal cases, civil matters, family law, and probate. If you need to look up a court case, request a copy of a criminal record, or run a records search tied to Franklin County, this page explains where to go and what to expect at each step of the process.

Franklin County Background Check: Clerk's Office

Michael J. Killian has served as the elected County Clerk since 2001. The Clerk is a constitutional officer established under Washington State Constitution Article 11 Section 5. That means the office operates independently and is responsible for managing all Superior Court records, including criminal filings, civil cases, family law, probate, juvenile offender matters, and civil commitment cases. The Clerk does not just file papers. This office is the official keeper of the record for the county court system.

The Franklin County Courthouse is at 1016 N 4th Avenue, Pasco, WA 99301. The Clerk's Office supports seven Superior Court Judges and five Court Commissioners. It also handles jury management and passport services for the public. If you need a background check that covers Superior Court records in Franklin County, the Clerk's Office is the primary source for certified copies, case file access, and formal records requests.

The Franklin County Clerk's page explains the office's role as the constitutional officer responsible for all Superior Court records and the process for accessing them.

Franklin County Court Records Fees

The Franklin County Clerk's Office has a set fee schedule for records requests. Uncertified paper copies cost $0.50 per page. If you get documents by email, the cost drops to $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the first page of each document and $1.00 for each page after that. Authenticated or exemplified documents carry an added $3.00 per seal on top of the certified copy fees.

If you need records in a digital format, CD copies cost $0.25 per page plus a $20.00 CD charge. Cases from 1983 or older require a $30.00 search fee on top of any copy costs. Large copy jobs also carry a $30.00 fee to cover the clerk's time to calculate costs. Expedited service costs $30.00. Mail requests must include a cashier's check or money order. Personal checks are not accepted. You also need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return mail.

The Franklin County records request page has the full fee schedule and instructions for submitting requests by mail or in person.

Note: Adoption records filed in Franklin County Superior Court are confidential and are not available through public records requests.

Search Franklin County Background Check Records Online

Franklin County Superior Court records are accessible through the Odyssey Portal. The Washington Courts case search at dw.courts.wa.gov gives free public access to cases filed in municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts across the state. You can search by party name or case number. The system shows case status, docket entries, and hearing dates. It does not provide full document downloads, but it gives you enough information to know if a case exists and whether to submit a formal request.

The Clerk's Office also publishes Daily New Case and Judgment Audit Reports as archives. These are available for public access and can help you track recent filings. Audio recordings of court proceedings can be requested through a dedicated form on the court records page.

The Franklin County court records page links to the Odyssey Portal, audio recording request forms, daily audit reports, and the statewide case search tool.

Franklin County Public Records Requests

For records outside of what the online portal covers, Franklin County uses the GovQA Online Public Records Request Portal. Gray Blair is the Franklin County Public Records Officer. You can reach him at (509) 546-5854. For law enforcement and criminal records from the Sheriff's Office, Joy Gibson serves as the Sheriff's Public Records Officer.

The county operates under the Washington Public Records Act at RCW 42.56. This law gives the public the right to inspect and copy most government records. Agencies can charge fees under RCW 42.56.120. When you submit a request, be specific about what you need. Include case numbers, full names, date ranges, or other details that help the office locate the right documents. Discovery documents related to criminal prosecutions are handled by the Prosecuting Attorney's Office at (509) 545-3543.

The Franklin County official website links to the GovQA portal, department contacts, and the Public Records Ordinance 2025 that governs how records requests are handled.

What Franklin County Background Check Records Cover

Franklin County Superior Court handles a wide range of case types. When you run a background check using county court records, you can look for felony criminal cases, civil matters, family law filings, probate and guardianship records, juvenile offender cases, truancy matters, at-risk youth proceedings, and civil commitment cases. Each of these creates a public record in the Clerk's Office unless the court has ordered it sealed.

Some records carry restrictions. Juvenile dependency cases, adoption filings, and certain mental health proceedings are confidential. You will not get access to those through a standard background check request. If a record has been vacated or expunged under Washington law, it may not appear in public search results. The vacation of records statute at RCW 9.94A.640 governs when a prior conviction can be cleared from the public record.

For felony cases in Pasco and the surrounding area, Franklin County Superior Court is the court of jurisdiction. The Sheriff's Office handles arrest and incident records tied to county law enforcement. For misdemeanor and traffic matters, those records come from the Franklin County District Court.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County's largest city is Pasco, which is also the county seat. All court filings for Pasco residents go through the Franklin County Superior Court and District Court at the courthouse on N 4th Avenue.

Other communities in Franklin County include Connell, Kahlotus, Mesa, and Mesa. Residents of these areas also file cases at the Franklin County Courthouse in Pasco.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County borders several other eastern Washington counties. If a case or record could involve one of these neighboring areas, check each county's clerk office for records tied to that jurisdiction.