Columbia County Public Records

Columbia County public records are kept at the courthouse in Dayton, Washington, by elected offices including the Clerk, Auditor, and Assessor. The county uses an online records portal for general requests and the Odyssey Portal for court cases. This page covers how to find and request Columbia County public records, including court case files, recorded land documents, and other county records.

Columbia County Public Records Portal

Columbia County maintains a public records portal at columbiaco.com/633/Public-Records for submitting and tracking records requests. You can also use the online Public Records Request Form or visit any Columbia County office during regular business hours to inspect records in person. The county's public records policy is established by ORDINANCE 2009-02.

Columbia County handles requests under RCW 42.56, the Washington Public Records Act. The county must respond within five business days. Records coordinators are designated by department. If your request is denied, an appeals process is available. Fees are charged according to state statutory guidelines, with standard copies at $0.15 per page.

The Columbia County public records portal at columbiaco.com allows you to submit requests online, track status, and access county records from Southeast Washington.

The Columbia County website at columbiaco.com provides access to all county departments, forms, and contact information for records requests in Dayton, WA.

Columbia County Superior Court Records

The Columbia County Superior Court is at 341 East Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328. Krissy Chapman is the Court Clerk. Reach her at 509-382-4321 or kriston_chapman@co.columbia.wa.us. Felice Wiens can also assist at felice_wiensn@co.columbia.wa.us. Courts are not subject to the Public Records Act. Contact the court directly for court records rather than using the county portal.

Court cases can be searched online through the Washington State Courts Odyssey Portal using Odyssey Code No. 07 for Columbia County. The portal lets you search by name or case number and see basic case status and docket information. Full document images may require an in-person visit or contacting the clerk.

Available court records include civil, criminal (adult and juvenile), domestic, and probate and guardianship cases. Records that are statutorily confidential, court-ordered sealed, or restricted by court rule are not available. For infrequent or one-time users who need court records, the Washington State Digital Archives is recommended as a starting point.

Copy fees for court records: non-certified copies are $0.25 per page plus a $1 Digital Archives service charge per document. Certified copies cost $5 for the first page and $1 for each additional page, plus the $1 Digital Archives service charge. These fees reflect Columbia County's arrangement with the Digital Archives system for records access.

The Columbia County Superior Court page at columbiaco.com explains how to access court records in Dayton, including online search options and copy fee schedules.

Columbia County Clerk Office

Diane Dill serves as Columbia County Clerk. The office is at 341 E Main Street, Third Floor Suite 4, Dayton, WA 99328. Call (509) 382-4812, fax (509) 382-2490, or email court@co.columbia.wa.us. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, closed from noon to 1:00 PM.

The Clerk's office maintains court records and official documents. Marriage licenses are available through this office. Passport services may also be available. Certified copies of court records can be obtained here in person or by mail. If you mail a request, include the case number if you have it, the names of the parties, and payment for the applicable fees.

Columbia County Auditor and Recording

Will Hutchens serves as the Columbia County Auditor. The office is at 341 E. Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328. Call (509) 382-4541. The Auditor handles elections, budget preparation, annual financial reports, licenses and titles, and recording and preserving documents. The county recorder functions are handled by the Auditor's office, which maintains permanent land records for Columbia County.

The office provides public access to recorded documents. Recording fees are established by statute. Historical records are preserved and available to the public. E-recording may be available for certain document types. Contact the Auditor directly at (509) 382-4541 to confirm current options and fees before submitting documents or requests.

Online Search Tools

For Columbia County court records, start with the Washington State Courts Odyssey Portal using Code No. 07. The Washington State Digital Archives is particularly useful for Columbia County records, as the county's fee schedule references Digital Archives for document access. The archives are free and hold over 21 million digitized records from across Washington State.

For vital records, contact the Washington State Department of Health. Marriage licenses are available from the Columbia County Clerk in Dayton. For guidance on public records law or disputes with agencies, the Washington State Attorney General's Open Government office can help.

Cities in Columbia County

Columbia County includes the county seat of Dayton and the city of Starbuck. All Superior Court filings go through the courthouse at 341 East Main Street in Dayton. No cities in Columbia County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with Columbia County in Southeast Washington. If you are not sure which county holds the records you need, check the location of the event or the courthouse shown on any existing case documents.