Search Kirkland Felony Records
Kirkland is a King County city of approximately 95,000 people on the eastern shore of Lake Washington, and felony records for Kirkland residents and cases are held by King County Superior Court. This page covers how to search those records through county online tools, how to request police records through the Kirkland Police Department, what the Kirkland Municipal Court handles and what it does not, and how statewide systems like WATCH give you access to conviction history across Washington. Understanding the split between municipal court and Superior Court is key to finding the right records quickly.
Kirkland Overview
King County Superior Court and Kirkland Felony Cases
All felony charges involving Kirkland go through King County Superior Court. This includes Class A, B, and C felonies such as assault, robbery, controlled substance offenses, and major property crimes. Kirkland has no separate felony court. Cases are filed at the county level and heard at the King County courthouse in Seattle.
King County uses the KC Script portal for public case searches. You can search by name, case number, or filing date and view charge details, case status, and hearing information. The search is free. For certified copies, contact the King County Superior Court Clerk. Standard copies cost $0.50 per page. The King County records access page has full details on how to request court documents.
The image below shows the King County Superior Court page. Go to King County Superior Court to search Kirkland felony records and contact the clerk for copies.
King County Superior Court is the official repository for all Kirkland felony records. The clerk maintains the case files and can provide certified copies for legal purposes.
Kirkland Municipal Court and Local Records
The Kirkland Municipal Court is located at 11740 NE 118th Street and is presided over by Judge John Olson. The court handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases, traffic infractions, and some civil matters. It does not handle felony cases. Virtual hearings are available for some proceedings. If you are looking for felony records, you need to go to King County Superior Court, not the municipal court.
The Kirkland Municipal Court page provides information on the court's location, how to check hearing dates, and how to handle local misdemeanor matters. It is a useful starting point for lower-level cases but is separate from the felony record system.
The image below shows the Kirkland Municipal Court page. Visit Kirkland Municipal Court for local court services, misdemeanor case information, and virtual hearing access.
Municipal court records are not the same as felony records. For serious criminal cases involving Kirkland residents, King County Superior Court is the correct source.
Kirkland Police Department and Arrest Records
The Kirkland Police Department handles law enforcement within the city. Arrest records and incident reports are maintained by the department and are separate from court records. A police record documents the arrest or incident. A court record at King County Superior Court documents the outcome of the case.
You can request police records through the Kirkland Police Department's public disclosure process. The Kirkland Police public disclosure page explains how to submit a records request for police reports, arrest records, and related documents. Requests are processed under the Washington Public Records Act.
The image below shows the Kirkland Police public disclosure page. Visit Kirkland Police Records to request arrest records, incident reports, or other law enforcement documents.
Under RCW 10.97, Washington restricts access to non-conviction data such as arrests that did not lead to charges. Conviction records are generally public. The police department follows these rules when responding to records requests.
Note that Kirkland's city clerk does not process marriage or divorce paperwork. Those records are handled by King County, not the city. For felony records specifically, the clerk's office can help direct you to the right agency. The Kirkland public records page covers all city records requests.
The city clerk handles non-law enforcement records. For arrest and criminal court records, the police department and King County Superior Court are the appropriate sources.
WATCH System for Kirkland Conviction History
Washington's WATCH system is the statewide tool for checking felony conviction records. The WATCH portal is run by the Washington State Patrol and covers convictions from all Washington counties, including King County cases for Kirkland residents. A name search costs $11.00, paid by credit card. This is the fastest way to check a person's felony conviction history across all of Washington.
WATCH draws from the WSP criminal history database. Results include felony and serious misdemeanor convictions. Pending charges and arrests that did not result in conviction are not included. If you want to check the full Washington conviction history without searching each county separately, WATCH is the right tool.
For formal or certified background check requests, the WSP Criminal History Records division handles more detailed requests. Both WATCH and WSP draw from the same central database. WSP is the official repository for Washington criminal history records.
Under RCW 10.97, Washington's criminal records privacy statute, conviction records are generally accessible to the public while non-conviction data has more restricted access. WATCH complies with these rules and only returns legally releasable information. Arrest records that did not lead to conviction are not shown in WATCH results.
Vacating Kirkland Felony Convictions
Washington law allows some people to vacate felony convictions under RCW 9.94A.640. A vacated conviction is removed from public view in court records and from WATCH. Not all felonies qualify. Class A felonies, sex offenses, and most violent crimes are not eligible. Class B and C felonies may qualify after completing all sentence conditions and waiting the required period without new convictions.
For Kirkland cases, you file the vacation motion at King County Superior Court. The court notifies the prosecutor and holds a hearing. If the court grants the motion, the clerk updates the record. WATCH is updated to reflect the vacation after the court order is entered, though there is often a delay before the change appears in the system.
King County legal aid organizations can help with vacation petitions for those who cannot afford an attorney. The Washington Courts website also has general information on the process. Contacting the King County Superior Court Clerk directly is the best first step to confirm eligibility for a specific Kirkland case.
DOC Warrant Search and Digital Archives
The Department of Corrections provides a public warrant search for active DOC-related warrants. The DOC warrant search is free and covers warrants tied to corrections supervision. For court-issued warrants in Kirkland felony cases, those appear in the King County Superior Court case file on the KC Script portal.
For older Kirkland cases, the Washington State Digital Archives holds digitized historical records from courts and government agencies. The archives are free to search and can be useful for records from earlier decades that are not in current online systems.
The WA Courts statewide name search is another free option that covers multiple courts across Washington. If you are not sure whether a case was filed in King County or a neighboring county, this tool lets you search multiple jurisdictions at once.
King County Felony Records
Kirkland felony records are part of the King County court system. Visit the county page for the courthouse address, clerk contact information, and all county-level resources for King County.
Nearby Cities
Other King County cities near Kirkland have their own pages with local records and court information.