Benton County Felony Records Search

Benton County felony records are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in Prosser and cover criminal cases for the entire county, including Kennewick, Richland, and other Tri-Cities communities. This guide explains how to search and obtain those records through the court clerk, online portals, the county's public records system, and statewide conviction databases.

Benton County Superior Court and Felony Records

The Benton County Superior Court handles all felony cases filed in the county. It is the court of general jurisdiction for criminal matters involving Class A, B, and C felonies. The court clerk maintains every case file from arraignment through sentencing and post-conviction proceedings. You can reach the clerk by email at clerk@co.benton.wa.us. The Benton County Superior Court page has contact details, court schedules, and links to filing information.

Benton County is one of the more populous counties in eastern Washington. The volume of felony cases filed here is significant, particularly in the Kennewick and Richland areas. The clerk's office processes a high number of record requests each year. If you are looking for felony case records tied to Kennewick or Richland specifically, those cases are still filed with the Superior Court Clerk in Prosser, not with any city-level office.

The Superior Court uses both Odyssey case management software and the statewide Odyssey Portal for online case access. Public searches on the portal show case-level information for felony cases including charge descriptions, hearing dates, and disposition status.

The Superior Court page for Benton County shows the court structure and links to clerk services for felony record requests.

The court serves the full county population of roughly 210,000 people, making it one of the busier Superior Courts in eastern Washington.

How to Request Felony Records from the Benton County Clerk

Benton County offers both in-person and online record request options. For online requests, the county uses the Benton NextRequest portal. You can submit a public records request through this system and track its status online. NextRequest handles a broad range of county records, including court clerk records. This is the most convenient option for people who cannot visit the courthouse in Prosser.

In-person requests go directly to the clerk's office. For mailed requests, address your letter to the Benton County Superior Court Clerk and include the defendant's full name, date of birth, and the approximate filing year. The research fee is $20 per hour when the clerk's staff must perform searches on your behalf. Providing a specific case number eliminates the research fee since no searching is required.

The Benton County Court Records FAQ explains record retention policies. Superior Court records are kept permanently. District Court criminal records are generally kept for three years, with exceptions for domestic violence and DUI cases, which are kept for ten years. For felony records, all Superior Court files are available regardless of age.

Below is the Benton County NextRequest public records portal, which allows online submission of felony record requests.

The NextRequest system sends email confirmation when your request is received and updates you as the clerk processes it.

Benton County District Court and Preliminary Felony Hearings

Before a felony case reaches Superior Court, it starts in the Benton County District Court. The District Court has two locations. The main branch is at 7000 West Grandridge Boulevard in Kennewick, reachable at (509) 735-8476. A second location serves the Prosser area through the main courthouse at (509) 786-5480. Initial appearances, probable cause hearings, and bail settings for felony arrests happen at District Court before the case is bound over to Superior Court.

District Court records for preliminary felony matters are separate from Superior Court records. If you are trying to trace the full history of a felony case from arrest through conviction, you may need to check both courts. District Court records for the preliminary phase are generally not part of the Superior Court case file unless they were specifically filed there. The Benton County District Court page lists both locations and their contact numbers.

Under RCW 10.97, conviction records are public, but records of arrests that did not lead to convictions have more restricted access. This applies at both the District Court and Superior Court level. The statute limits what courts and law enforcement agencies can release about non-conviction records, particularly for dismissed charges.

The District Court page for Benton County shows both court locations and explains how misdemeanor and preliminary felony hearings are handled.

The Kennewick location at Grandridge Boulevard is the larger of the two and handles the bulk of preliminary felony matters in the county.

Benton County Sheriff and Arrest Records

The Benton County Sheriff's Office runs a 24-hour information line at (509) 628-0333. The Corrections Division, which operates the jail, can be reached at (509) 783-1451. The Benton County Sheriff page has current contact information and links to related services. Arrest records, incident reports, and jail custody information are maintained by the sheriff's department, separate from the court clerk's files.

When someone is arrested in Benton County on felony charges, the sheriff's office creates a booking record. That arrest record is distinct from the court case file that the clerk maintains once charges are formally filed by the prosecutor. If you need both the arrest record and the court record, you will need to contact both offices. For people currently in custody at the Benton County Jail, the Corrections Division can confirm current status.

The Washington Department of Corrections also maintains an inmate and warrant search for people under state DOC supervision. People convicted of the most serious Benton County felonies, particularly Class A offenses, are typically sent to a state prison rather than serving time in the county jail.

Fees for Benton County Felony Record Copies

The Benton County Superior Court Clerk uses a standard state-aligned fee schedule. Non-certified paper copies cost $0.50 per page. Electronic copies sent by email are $0.25 per page. Certified copies require a $5.00 certification fee plus $1.00 per page. Audio recordings of hearings can be ordered on CD. Standard audio CD copies cost $25.00 per hearing. Expedited audio copies run $45 to $50 per hearing. The research fee for clerk staff time is $20.00 per hour.

For large case files with many documents, electronic delivery is the most cost-effective option. Emailed copies at $0.25 per page cost half as much as paper copies. If you use the NextRequest portal to submit your request, you can specify your preferred delivery format. Prepayment is required before the clerk releases any copies, so plan for processing time on top of the clerk's search and copy time.

Washington WATCH and Statewide Felony Searches

The Washington State Patrol runs the WATCH system for statewide felony conviction searches. Each name search costs $11. The system covers conviction records across all Washington counties, not just Benton County. This is useful for people who have lived in multiple counties across the state. Results include felony and gross misdemeanor convictions but do not show arrests without convictions.

The WSP Criminal History Records division handles formal background checks for situations where a more thorough record is needed. These checks are fingerprint-based and more precise than name-only WATCH searches, particularly when a person may have used different names.

For Benton County cases specifically, the statewide Odyssey Portal also provides case-level access for anyone with a case number or the defendant's name. Anonymous public access is free and shows case information without requiring an account. Older felony records from Benton County may also appear in the Washington State Digital Archives, which has scanned historical court documents from across the state.

Under RCW 9.94A.640, certain Washington felony convictions can be vacated after specific waiting periods and conditions are met. A vacated conviction is removed from public access in the court record system. If a WATCH search or court records search shows no result but you have reason to believe a conviction exists, the conviction may have been vacated under this statute.

Cities in Benton County

Benton County includes several cities, two of which have dedicated pages on this site.

Other communities in Benton County include Prosser, West Richland, Benton City, and Finley. Felony records for residents of all these communities are filed with the Benton County Superior Court Clerk in Prosser.

Nearby Counties

Benton County sits in south-central Washington and borders several counties with their own Superior Court felony records systems.