Chelan County Probate Court Records

Chelan County probate court records are filed and maintained at the Chelan County Superior Court in Wenatchee. The Superior Court Clerk handles all estate cases, will filings, guardianship matters, and probate records under RCW Title 11. Wenatchee is the county seat and serves as the center for all probate activity in Chelan County. Records can be accessed in person at the clerk's office or through the statewide Odyssey Portal for online searches. The county uses public access terminals at the courthouse for free in-person viewing.

Chelan County Superior Court Clerk

The Chelan County Clerk is Martin D Young. The clerk's office is at 350 Orondo Avenue, Suite 501, in Wenatchee. The phone is (509) 667-6380. Email for the office is superiorcourt.clerk@co.chelan.wa.us. Office hours are standard business hours Monday through Friday. The clerk handles probate, civil, criminal, domestic, and juvenile cases filed in Chelan County Superior Court.

Chelan County does not have a separate probate court. All probate matters fall under Superior Court jurisdiction as in every other Washington county. The county clerk files petitions, stores original wills, issues letters testamentary and letters of administration, and provides certified copies to anyone who requests them. Public access terminals are available at the courthouse during business hours for free record viewing.

The District Court is also at 350 Orondo Avenue, on the 4th floor, with phone (509) 667-6600. The Juvenile Court is at 316 Washington St, Suite 202, Wenatchee, phone (509) 667-6350. For probate matters, use the Superior Court on the 5th floor. Copy fees in Chelan County are $5.00 for certified copies and $0.25 per page standard.

Search Chelan County Probate Records

Chelan County probate records are searchable online through the statewide Odyssey Portal. Search by party name last name first or by case number. The portal shows case type, party names, docket entries, and case status. Chelan County cases are included in the statewide database. This is the fastest way to find whether a probate case exists without visiting Wenatchee.

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov has historical Chelan County court records. Select the Superior Court Cases collection and search by name or case number. Older records from the early county years through the 1980s are available at the Central Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, phone (509) 963-2136.

For in-person access, visit the clerk's office at 350 Orondo Avenue. Bring the full name of the decedent or ward and the approximate filing year. Staff can search records and provide copies. Public access terminals in the courthouse lobby let you view records for free. Certified copies require a fee. Many probate cases are confidential as noted by the clerk, so call ahead at (509) 667-6380 to confirm what is publicly available for a specific case type.

Note: Adoption, dependency, and mental competency files are not available online and access to these is restricted. Contact the clerk directly for those record types.

Chelan County Probate Fees

The probate filing fee in Chelan County is approximately $290 for a standard estate case under Washington State fee schedules. Guardianship filings carry the same base fee. Call the clerk at (509) 667-6380 to verify the current fee before filing. Fees are set by state law but counties can have minor local variations.

Copy fees at the Chelan County clerk's office: standard copies are $0.25 per page, and certified copies are $5.00. Documents viewed on public access terminals at the courthouse are free. Letters testamentary cost $5.00 each. Mail requests require a stamped return envelope. Include the case number if you have it to speed up the request.

What Chelan County Probate Records Contain

Probate case files in Chelan County document estate administration from opening petition through final distribution. Standard documents include original wills, probate petitions and court orders, letters testamentary, estate inventories, notice to creditors records, creditor claims, court orders during administration, and the final decree of distribution. Each document carries the case number and filing date.

Guardianship files contain their own set of records including the petition for guardianship, court orders appointing the guardian, annual accountings of the ward's finances, reports on the ward's care and condition, and eventual termination orders when the guardianship ends. The clerk keeps these records permanently as required by Washington retention schedules.

Historical Chelan County probate records going back to the county's early years are held at the Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg. This branch serves nine central Washington counties. The branch includes genealogical records such as birth and death records from the turn of the 19th century, marriage records, naturalization records, and probate case files from ca.1889 to ca.1980. Contact the branch at (509) 963-2136 or cebrancharchives@sos.wa.gov for research appointments.

Probate Resources in Chelan County

Free official probate forms are at courts.wa.gov/forms. Online case search is at the Odyssey Portal. Historical records are at the Washington State Digital Archives. Full probate law text is at RCW Title 11. Court rules are at courts.wa.gov/court_rules.

The Chelan-Douglas Legal Aid Program provides free civil legal help to qualifying residents. The Washington State Bar Association referral service is at (206) 443-9722. Their directory is at wsba.org. WashingtonLawHelp at washingtonlawhelp.org has step-by-step estate guides. Columbia Legal Services also serves the Wenatchee area for low-income residents needing probate help.

Cities in Chelan County

Chelan County includes Wenatchee and several other communities. All probate matters for county residents go through the Chelan County Superior Court.

Other communities in Chelan County include Cashmere, Leavenworth, and Chelan. All probate matters go through the Superior Court in Wenatchee.

Nearby Counties

These counties are adjacent to Chelan County. Check where the decedent lived to confirm which court has jurisdiction.