Bellevue Felony Records
Bellevue felony records are filed and maintained by King County Superior Court, which handles all serious criminal cases in the city. Bellevue does not have its own municipal superior court, so anyone looking to search, obtain, or verify felony records connected to Bellevue, Washington must go through King County. This page explains how to search those records online, how to get copies, and where else to look for criminal history information.
Bellevue Overview
How Bellevue Felony Cases Are Handled
Bellevue is Washington's fifth-largest city, but it does not run its own superior court. All felony cases from Bellevue go to King County Superior Court in Seattle. That court handles everything from theft in the first degree to assault charges, drug crimes, and other Class A, B, and C felonies. Court filings, hearing dates, and disposition records are all stored in the King County court system.
Bellevue also does not operate its own municipal court. Instead, the city contracts with King County District Court for misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases. The King County District Court Bellevue location handles lower-level offenses. Felony-level cases always go up to Superior Court, regardless of whether Bellevue has a local courthouse.
This structure matters if you are searching for records. A case that started as a misdemeanor in District Court may have been refiled as a felony in Superior Court. You may need to check both court systems to get a complete picture of a person's case history in Bellevue.
Searching Bellevue Felony Cases Online
King County offers an online case search tool called KC Script. The KC Script case search portal lets you search for felony cases by name, case number, or date range. The portal shows party names, charges, case status, and scheduled hearings. It is free to use and available to the public.
For a broader search that covers all Washington counties, you can use the Washington Courts name and case search. This statewide tool is useful if you think a person may have cases filed in multiple counties or if you are not certain whether a Bellevue case was filed in King County or somewhere else.
The image below comes from the Bellevue Police Department public records page. The Bellevue Police public records page covers police reports and incident records held by the department.
Police records from Bellevue PD cover arrests and incidents within the city. These are separate from court records and do not show what happened after an arrest.
Bellevue Police Records and Arrest History
The Bellevue Police Department keeps records of arrests, incident reports, and calls for service within city limits. To get a copy of a Bellevue police report, you go through the department's public records process. The Bellevue PD public records page explains the process and provides submission options.
Keep in mind that an arrest record is not the same as a conviction. Arrest records show that a person was taken into custody, but they do not show whether charges were filed or what the court outcome was. For that, you need the King County Superior Court records.
Washington's Privacy Act under RCW 10.97 limits what criminal history information can be released to the public and sets rules about how agencies can share that data. Records that involve pending cases or non-conviction arrests may be restricted depending on how the law applies.
The Bellevue City Clerk also handles public records requests for city-generated documents. The Bellevue city clerk public records page covers things like city contracts, council minutes, and administrative records. Criminal case files are not held by the city clerk.
The clerk's office can point you toward the right agency if you submit a request and it falls outside their scope.
King County District Court for Bellevue Misdemeanors
As noted above, Bellevue does not have a municipal court. Misdemeanor cases are handled by King County District Court. The Bellevue location handles criminal misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors for city residents. These records are also public but are stored separately from Superior Court felony records.
If you are searching for someone's full criminal history in Bellevue, check both King County Superior Court for felonies and King County District Court for misdemeanors. The KC Script portal may show both, but it is worth confirming which court system holds the records you need.
The image below is from King County Superior Court. The King County Superior Court page has contact information, filing hours, and links to clerk services for Bellevue felony cases.
The clerk's office in Seattle is the main point of contact for copy requests and certified documents from Bellevue felony cases.
WATCH System and Statewide Conviction History
The Washington State Patrol runs the WATCH system, which stands for Washington Access To Criminal History. The WATCH portal is the fastest way to get a statewide conviction record check. It costs $11.00 per name search, paid by credit card online.
WATCH searches the WSP criminal history database, which pulls from court records, fingerprint submissions, and agency reports across Washington. It covers felony and serious misdemeanor convictions. Pending cases and arrests that did not result in conviction generally do not appear. For a full background check with fingerprints, the WSP Criminal History Records division handles those requests at a higher level of detail.
WATCH is a good tool when you want a broad look at someone's criminal record in Washington without searching county by county. Since Bellevue felony convictions feed into the state system, a WATCH check will return Bellevue-related convictions along with any others from across the state.
Under RCW 10.97, certain arrest records and non-conviction data are not releasable through WATCH. The system only returns what is legally public under state law.
Vacating Felony Convictions in Bellevue
Some Bellevue residents may qualify to have a felony conviction vacated under RCW 9.94A.640. Vacation removes the conviction from public view in court records, though the underlying records may still exist in restricted law enforcement files.
To qualify, a person must have completed the sentence, paid all fines and restitution, waited the required time without new offenses, and the conviction must be for an eligible offense. Class A felonies, sex offenses, and most violent crimes are not eligible for vacation. Class B and C felonies may qualify depending on the specifics.
The motion is filed in King County Superior Court, which handled the original case. The court sets a hearing and notifies the prosecutor. If granted, the clerk updates the record and the WATCH system should be updated as well. Legal aid organizations in King County can assist with this process if cost is a barrier.
Getting Copies of Bellevue Felony Records
Copies of Bellevue felony case records come from the King County Superior Court Clerk. The standard fee is $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost more. You can request records in person at the Seattle courthouse or submit a written request by mail with the case number and a check for the estimated cost.
The Washington Digital Archives may hold older records that have been transferred out of active court files. Not all court records are digitized, but the archive is worth checking for historical cases. For recent cases, the KC Script portal is the most direct route.
Warrants connected to Bellevue cases may appear in the DOC warrant search if the person is under DOC supervision. Active warrants from court orders may also show up in the KC Script portal.
King County Felony Records
Bellevue felony cases are part of the King County court system. The county page covers all courts, clerk contact details, and record access options across King County.
Nearby Cities
Cities near Bellevue also route felony cases through King County Superior Court. You can search records for these nearby communities using the same tools.