Access Klickitat County Probate Court Records

Klickitat County probate court records are maintained at the Klickitat County Superior Court in Goldendale, the county seat. The County Clerk handles all estate cases, wills, guardianship filings, and probate records under RCW Title 11. Klickitat County sits along the Columbia River in south-central Washington. The county clerk's office accepts filings by e-filing through TrueFiling in addition to in-person submissions. Records can be searched online through the Odyssey Portal or the Washington State Digital Archives, and accessed in person at the courthouse in Goldendale.

Klickitat County Superior Court Clerk

The Klickitat County Clerk is Renea Campbell. The physical address is 205 S Columbus Avenue, Room 204, Goldendale, WA 98620. Phone is (509) 773-5744. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 5 PM, with the office closed during the lunch hour. The clerk handles all Superior Court case types including criminal felony cases, civil matters, domestic and family cases, probate and guardianship, paternity and adoption, mental illness cases, and juvenile matters.

Klickitat County offers several ways to file and pay. E-filing is available through TrueFiling for electronic document submission. Online payments are accepted through the Point and Pay website at 1-833-440-3761. Document requests can also be submitted online. The county newspaper of record for legal notices is the Goldendale Sentinel. For probate notice to creditors publications, this is the appropriate publication for Klickitat County estates.

The county clerk is the official keeper of all court records. For copies of probate documents, non-certified copies are $0.50 per page and certified copies are $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page per RCW 36.18.016(4). A postage fee applies for mailed copies. If you need document requests submitted online, the county's document request page handles those.

The Klickitat County Clerk page lists all case types, filing methods, payment options, and contact information for the Klickitat County Superior Court clerk's office in Goldendale.

Klickitat County Clerk Renea Campbell handles probate and guardianship filings for the county, with e-filing through TrueFiling and online payments available through the county's digital systems.

Search Klickitat County Probate Records

Klickitat County probate records can be searched online through the statewide Odyssey Portal. Enter the decedent's name or case number to find probate case filings. The portal shows case type, party names, and case status for cases in the system.

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is another option for searching Klickitat County probate records. Use the Detailed Search feature, select "Superior Court Cases" as the collection type, and enter the case number with dashes in format xx-x-xxxxx-xx. You can preview documents using the page and magnifying glass icon. Both certified and non-certified copy options are available through the Digital Archives. Note that payments through the Digital Archives cannot be refunded, so confirm the correct case before purchasing.

Historical Klickitat County probate records are maintained at the Central Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives in Ellensburg, phone (509) 963-2136. The Central Branch serves Klickitat County along with other south-central Washington counties. Contact the branch to confirm what Klickitat County materials are available and to make a research appointment for older records. Restricted case types including adoption, dependency, and mental competency are not available online regardless of date.

For in-person access, visit the clerk's office at 205 S Columbus Avenue, Room 204 in Goldendale during business hours (closed noon to 1 PM). Bring the decedent's full name and approximate year of filing. Staff can search by name or case number. Viewing records is free. Copy fees are $0.50 per page for non-certified and $5.00 first page for certified.

Klickitat County Probate Filing Fees

The probate filing fee in Klickitat County is approximately $290 for a standard estate case under Washington State fee schedules per RCW 36.18.020. Guardianship filings carry the same base fee. Contact the clerk at (509) 773-5744 to confirm the current fee. Online payments are available through Point and Pay at 1-833-440-3761.

Copy fees are set by state law. Non-certified copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page per document per RCW 36.18.016(4). Postage applies for mailed copies. Letters testamentary and letters of administration each cost $5.00 and are required to act on behalf of the estate with financial institutions and in real property transactions.

Klickitat County Probate Record Contents

Probate case files in Klickitat County include all documents filed during estate administration. Case types in the Klickitat system include civil, criminal, divorce, and probate. Standard documents in a probate file include the original will (if any), petitions and court orders opening the case, the personal representative's oath, notice to creditors publications in the Goldendale Sentinel, estate inventory, creditor claims, court orders during administration, and the final decree of distribution.

Restricted files in Klickitat County include adoption, dependency, and mental competency matters. These are NOT available online and require contacting the clerk directly. All other probate records are public. Contents of probate files include awards, complaints, decrees, depositions, orders, pleadings, and verdicts in addition to the estate-specific documents listed above.

Guardianship cases in Klickitat County are handled the same way as other probate matters through the Superior Court. The clerk maintains all filings including the petition, court appointment order, annual accountings of the ward's finances, reports on care and living situation, and the final termination order. These records remain in the court system permanently per Washington retention schedules.

Probate Resources in Klickitat 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 and the Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg at (509) 963-2136. Full Washington probate law is at RCW Title 11.

Columbia Legal Services serves south-central Washington residents including Klickitat County. The Washington State Bar Association referral service is at (206) 443-9722 and directory at wsba.org. WashingtonLawHelp at washingtonlawhelp.org has plain-language guides. Northwest Justice Project serves Klickitat County at (888) 201-1014.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Klickitat County in south-central Washington.