Columbia County Divorce Records Search

Columbia County divorce records are filed with the Superior Court Clerk in Dayton, Washington. The clerk's office is the official custodian of all dissolution case files, domestic relations records, and court decrees filed in Columbia County. If you need to search for a past divorce case, get a certified copy of a dissolution decree, or find out what electronic access options are available, this page explains your options. Columbia County is a small, rural county in southeastern Washington, and the clerk's office in Dayton handles all family law filings.

Columbia County Superior Court Clerk

County Clerk Kriston Chapman runs the Columbia County Clerk's office in Dayton. The clerk is the official custodian of all divorce and family law case files filed in Columbia County Superior Court. The office receives, processes, and permanently preserves all documents presented in a Superior Court case. This includes the Petition for Dissolution, all motions filed during the case, and the final Decree of Dissolution.

The clerk also collects filing fees, manages the court's financial records, and ensures that official records are properly indexed. Staff can provide copies of filed documents for a fee but cannot give legal advice or tell you how to fill out your paperwork. For questions about required forms, you should seek help from a court facilitator or attorney.

Visit the Columbia County Superior Court page for court contact details and current information.

The Columbia County Superior Court is the only court in the county that handles divorce and family law filings.

How to Access Columbia County Divorce Records

Columbia County offers two electronic access options for court records. The first is the Washington State Archives Digital Archives. This is the right option for people who need infrequent access to records. You can search the Divorce Records collection and enter Columbia County as a search term. Non-certified copies through the Digital Archives cost $0.25 per page plus a $1 service charge per document. Certified copies are $5 for the first page, $1 per additional page, plus a $1 service charge per document.

The Columbia County Clerk's Access to Court Records page explains both the Digital Archives option and the Odyssey Portal for electronic access.

The second option is the Odyssey Portal, available for frequent users such as law firms and legal professionals. To use the Odyssey Portal, the head of the firm must complete and sign a Master Registration Form and deliver the original to the clerk's office at 341 E. Main Street, Suite 2, Dayton. Electronic or faxed contracts are not accepted. The annual subscription fee runs from $100 for firms with one to three employees up to $600 for firms with more than ten employees. Contact Kriston Chapman at the clerk's office at (509) 382-4321 for more information.

For in-person access, go to the clerk's office at 341 E. Main Street in Dayton during business hours. You can request copies of records directly. Have the case number ready if possible. If the case is not in the digital system, a non-refundable $15 archival search deposit is required before processing.

The statewide Washington Courts Name and Case Search also lets you search Columbia County dissolution cases by party name or case number. Data updates every 24 hours. Results are reference material only, not official court records.

Note: After paying through the Digital Archives, certified copy orders are forwarded to the clerk for preparation and mailing. Allow extra time for this process.

Columbia County Superior Court Structure

Columbia County Superior Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction. It hears felony criminal cases, civil matters involving real property, domestic relations cases including dissolution, probate, appeals from lower courts, and appeals from state administrative agencies. The court also has jurisdiction over juvenile matters.

One notable aspect of Columbia County's court system is that it shares its judge with Asotin and Garfield Counties. The Superior Court judge for these three counties rotates between the county seats. When the judge is scheduled in Dayton, divorce hearings and family law motions are held there. The court administrator for Columbia County is Adrianne Krull.

The Washington State Courts Columbia County Directory lists current judicial officers including Judge Brooke J. Burns and commissioners Julie E. Karl, Robert Richard King, and David R. Risley. Check this directory if you need to confirm current court personnel or contact information.

The Washington State Courts directory provides official contact and personnel information for Columbia County's judicial officers.

Electronic Filing in Columbia County

The Columbia County Clerk's Office accepts electronic filing through the eFile WA system hosted by Tyler Technologies. E-filing is not mandatory; paper filings are still accepted during regular business hours. Filing hours for court documents run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Anything received outside those hours is treated as filed at the start of the next business day.

To e-file, register at the eFile WA site and complete the required training materials. There is no fee for using eFile and Serve itself, though statutory filing fees and a convenience fee for electronic payment still apply. New cases and fee-based documents filed with an Order to Waive Fees must be filed on paper; they cannot be submitted electronically. If you have questions about e-filing policies, call the clerk's office at (509) 382-4321. Technical support for the eFile WA system is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM CST, at 1-800-297-5377.

Forms and Divorce Procedures

Columbia County does not supply divorce forms. The clerk's office does not provide forms and is not permitted to tell you which forms you need or how to fill them out. That is legal advice, and court staff cannot provide it under Washington law. If you are asking about what forms to use for a dissolution, you likely need legal help from an attorney or court facilitator.

All mandatory family law forms are available free from the Washington State Courts at courts.wa.gov/forms. You will find forms for dissolution of marriage, legal separation, parenting plans, child support worksheets, and more. Self-represented litigants are responsible for making sure their paperwork is complete and correct before filing. The clerk can accept properly completed documents for filing and provide copies of filed documents for a fee, but cannot review forms for legal sufficiency.

Washington law governs all dissolution cases in Columbia County. Under RCW Chapter 26.09, the only ground for dissolution is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Under RCW 26.09.030, at least one spouse must be a Washington resident or member of the armed forces stationed here. A mandatory 90-day waiting period applies from the date the petition is served to the date the decree can be entered.

Columbia County Record Copy Fees

The Columbia County Clerk charges fees for copies of court records. Non-certified copies through the Digital Archives are $0.25 per page plus a $1 service charge per document. Certified copies are $5 for the first page and $1 per additional page, plus a $1 service charge per document when ordered through the Digital Archives. After you pay, the certified copy order is sent to the clerk for preparation and mailing.

For archival searches of cases not in the digital system, the clerk charges a non-refundable $15 deposit before starting the search. Any copy costs are deducted from that deposit. Filing fees for a dissolution petition are approximately $350, consistent with Washington State's standard fee schedule. Fee waivers are available for those who qualify based on income. Forms for fee waivers are available at courts.wa.gov/forms.

Columbia County District Court

The Columbia County District Court handles criminal misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases, civil actions up to $100,000, small claims up to $5,000, and traffic and non-traffic infractions. It does not handle divorce or family law matters. All dissolution and domestic relations cases go to the Superior Court, not the District Court.

The District Court phone number is 509-382-4812. Contact them only for misdemeanor, infraction, or small claims matters. Divorce inquiries go to the Superior Court Clerk at (509) 382-4321.

Divorce Certificates from Washington DOH

The Washington State Department of Health holds divorce records from 1968 to present and can issue a dissolution certificate. Fees start at $25 per copy. DOH issues certificates, not full decrees. A certificate simply confirms a divorce occurred. The full Decree of Dissolution, which includes property division, parenting plan, and other terms, must come from the Columbia County Superior Court Clerk. If the divorce was finalized recently, up to five months may pass before the clerk sends the record to DOH. For recent divorces, contact the clerk directly.

Getting Legal Help in Columbia County

Columbia County is a rural county and local legal resources are limited. The Northwest Justice Project's CLEAR line at (888) 201-1014 provides free legal help for low-income Washington residents, including family law cases. Washington Law Help at washingtonlawhelp.org offers self-help guides and plain-language explanations of the dissolution process. The Washington State Bar Association lawyer referral service can be reached at (206) 443-9722 or through wsba.org.

All mandatory court forms for dissolution of marriage are available free at courts.wa.gov/forms. The county website also links to official Washington State Court forms for dissolution, legal separation, and other family law actions.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Columbia County. File your dissolution case in the county where you or your spouse lives at the time of filing.