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Copy Requests

For help, please contact
the Clerk's Office

(206) 370-8400 (Seattle)
(253) 882-3800 (Tacoma)
questions@wawd.uscourts.gov

Electronic Copies
Most docket reports and documents in criminal and civil cases are available electronically through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service. Once you have registered for a PACER account, you may login and access reports and documents filed in the Western District of Washington.

 

Copy Fees
Complete the Copy Request Form (PDF) and e-mail it to questions@wawd.uscourts.gov, mail it, or bring it to the Clerk's Office. Please make checks or money orders payable to Clerk, U.S. District Court. You may also contact the Clerk's Office to pay by credit card.

  • 10 cents per page if the document image is available electronically and printed from a public terminal at the Clerk's Office.
  • 50 cents per page if Clerk's Office staff print the electronic copies, if the document image is not available electronically, or is on microfiche.
  • $11.00 per document for certification, plus $.50 cents per page.

 

Archived Case Files
Concluded cases which were initiated before 2004 are archived at the Federal Records Center in Seattle.

If you need copies from a case that has been archived you will need to first contact the court to get a case number and a set of transfer numbers. The transfer numbers (called an accession, location and box number) will allow the records center to locate the file in their warehouse. While the file is located at the FRC it is still the property of the Western District of Washington and can be recalled back to the courthouse for a fee of $70.00 for the first box, plus $43.00 for each additional box.

Cases are held in the Federal Records Center for a period of time determined by the Administrative Office of the US Courts in consultation with the National Archives. Once this period of time has elapsed, the file will either be destroyed or transferred to the custody of the National Archives. Once the National Archives takes possession, the court surrenders ownership of the file.

The Clerk’s Office will only be able to conduct limited research in cases filed prior to CM/ECF. If your case was filed before 1980, you will need to contact the FRC at the number listed below for assistance.

Federal Records Center
6125 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115-7999
(206) 336-5115