Olympia Felony Records
Olympia felony records are maintained by the Thurston County Superior Court Clerk, whose office is located in Olympia, the state capital and county seat. All felony cases filed within the city go through Thurston County's court system, and the Odyssey Portal provides online access to case information. As both the state capital and Thurston County seat, Olympia has multiple court levels and agencies that handle different parts of the criminal records system. This guide covers how to search Olympia felony records, request copies, and use statewide conviction tools.
Olympia Overview
Thurston County Superior Court for Olympia
Olympia is the Thurston County seat, so the Thurston County Superior Court Clerk at co.thurston.wa.us/clerk is right in the city. All felony cases originating in Olympia are on file here. The clerk's office maintains case files from charging through final sentencing, including all motions, orders, and judgments. You can visit in person during business hours or submit a written request by mail. Bring the defendant's full name, the approximate year of filing, and a case number if you have it.
Standard copy fees apply: certified copies are $5 for the first page and $1 per additional page. Non-certified paper copies run $0.50 per page. Electronic copies are $0.25 per page. For research requests requiring clerk assistance, an hourly research fee may be added.
The Odyssey Portal provides online access to Thurston County Superior Court case information. Search by name or case number to find felony case summaries, charges, and hearing dates. Document images are available for many cases through the portal. Registration may be required to access document-level content. This is the most direct online tool for searching Olympia felony records without visiting the courthouse.
Thurston County Clerk Records Access
The Thurston County Clerk page at thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/county-clerk provides detailed information about the clerk's services, including how to request records, fee schedules, and what types of records are available for public inspection. The clerk is the official records custodian for all Thurston County Superior Court cases, including every Olympia felony filed in the county.
The clerk's page also explains what records are restricted from public access, including sealed cases, juvenile records, and certain mental health proceedings. If you are not sure whether a specific case is public, the clerk's staff can tell you before you make a formal request.
Note: Records from cases that were sealed by court order, dismissed, or that involve juveniles are not available through standard public access channels, even if the case was filed in Olympia.
Thurston County Sheriff and Olympia
The Thurston County Sheriff's Office at co.thurston.wa.us/sheriff handles law enforcement for unincorporated Thurston County and maintains arrest records and incident reports for cases handled by the Sheriff's deputies. The Olympia Police Department handles incidents within the city limits. Both agencies feed felony cases into the Thurston County Superior Court system, but they maintain their own records separately.
For police incident reports from Olympia Police, contact the city's public records process at olympiawa.gov/public-records. For incidents handled by the Thurston County Sheriff, contact that agency directly. Court case files for any felony from either agency are held by the Thurston County Superior Court Clerk.
Washington classifies felonies as Class A, B, or C. Class A carries the most serious penalties, potentially including life in prison. Class B carries up to ten years. Class C carries up to five years. The sentencing guidelines under RCW 9.94A.640 use offense seriousness and the offender's prior criminal history score to calculate the standard sentencing range. These statewide guidelines apply to every Thurston County felony case, including those originating in Olympia.
Thurston County District Court and Olympia
The Thurston County District Court at co.thurston.wa.us/distcrt handles misdemeanors and the early stages of felony cases for Olympia residents and others in the county. When someone in Olympia is arrested on a felony charge, their initial appearance typically occurs in District Court before the case moves to Superior Court. District Court maintains its own records of these preliminary proceedings, which are separate from the main Superior Court case file.
If you are tracing the complete history of an Olympia felony case, check both court systems. District Court documents bail decisions, pre-trial release conditions, and probable cause hearings. Superior Court holds everything from arraignment onward. The Odyssey Portal covers Thurston County and may show records from both court levels in some cases, but the specific records available vary by case type and court.
Under RCW 10.97, Washington's Criminal Records Privacy Act, felony conviction records are publicly available. Non-conviction data, including dismissed charges and acquittals, is protected from disclosure. When you search the Odyssey Portal or run a WATCH query, the conviction data you see is publicly accessible under state law.
Statewide Felony Resources for Olympia
The Washington State Patrol's WATCH system provides name-based conviction searches for $11. It covers all Washington counties, including Thurston, and returns felony and gross misdemeanor convictions from across the state. This is useful when you want to check someone's full Washington conviction history without accessing individual county records. As Washington's capital city, Olympia residents may have dealings with state government agencies that require background checks, and WATCH is the standard tool for those purposes.
The WSP Criminal History Records division is located in Olympia and handles formal background check requests including fingerprint-based searches at $58. Since WSP is headquartered here, Olympia residents and businesses have direct access to this resource. Fingerprint searches cover state and federal databases and take 7-10 business days.
The Washington Department of Corrections offender search tracks people serving or having served state prison sentences. The DOC main administrative offices are in Olympia, and Thurston County convictions feed into the state prison system. The DOC warrant search lists individuals with outstanding Secretary's Warrants. VINE at vinelink.com provides free custody status notifications. The Washington State Digital Archives, also based in Olympia, holds historical court records from many counties and is free to search.
Thurston County Felony Records
Olympia is in Thurston County and serves as the county seat. All Olympia felony cases are filed through Thurston County Superior Court. Visit the Thurston County page for more information on the Odyssey Portal, clerk contact details, and additional county-level access resources.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Olympia have dedicated felony records pages on this site.