Camas Bench Warrants Search
Camas bench warrants are handled by the Camas-Washougal Municipal Court, which serves both the City of Camas and the City of Washougal. If a judge in Camas signs a bench warrant, the case goes into the Clark County court system and the state court data. You can run a Camas warrant search by name using free state tools. The county sheriff also keeps a copy of each active warrant. A simple name lookup is the most common way to check for an open bench warrant.
Camas Bench Warrants
Camas-Washougal Municipal Court
The Camas-Washougal Municipal Court is a shared court. It handles misdemeanor, traffic, and city code cases for both Camas and Washougal. The main phone line is (564) 397-2424. The court administrator is Bryan Farrell. Five judges rotate on the bench. A bench warrant from this court applies in both cities and can be served anywhere in the state.
Felony cases and larger matters move up to the Clark County Superior Court. Clark County District Court also handles many of the cases. A Camas bench warrant can end up in any of these court files, so it pays to check the state data warehouse to see them all at once.
Start at the state Data Warehouse to run a name search that covers Camas-Washougal Municipal Court and the Clark County courts.
The Data Warehouse returns Camas case data and active bench warrant flags from the Camas-Washougal Municipal Court and Clark County courts.
How to Run a Camas Warrant Search
A name is all you need. Open the Washington Courts Data Warehouse, type the first and last name, and click search. You can add a date of birth to narrow results. The tool shows case number, court, charge, and warrant status. Most searches take less than a minute.
If the name is common, filter by court. Pick Camas-Washougal Municipal Court or Clark County District Court from the list. This cuts down the noise. The court directory at courts.wa.gov/court_dir has contact info for every court in the state.
The state court directory makes it easy to find the clerk and phone number for the court that holds the warrant.
The directory maps every court in Washington, including the Camas-Washougal Municipal Court.
Note: The court clerk can confirm an active Camas bench warrant, but the clerk cannot give legal advice or tell you what to do next.
Legal Rules Behind a Camas Bench Warrant
A judge at the Camas-Washougal Municipal Court issues a bench warrant under court rule CrRLJ 2.2. This rule applies to all courts of limited jurisdiction in Washington. A superior court judge uses CrR 2.2. Both rules say a warrant can issue for failure to appear or when there is probable cause. The court rules are on the Washington Courts website.
The Department of Corrections also runs its own warrant list for people on supervision under RCW 9.94A.716. Check the DOC warrant tool as a backup to the court search. Washington court records are public under GR 31 and RCW 42.56, so a bench warrant search does not require a reason.
Common paths to clear a Camas bench warrant:
- File a motion to quash with the court
- Post the bail the judge set on the warrant
- Turn yourself in at Camas Police
Related Court Tools for Camas
The Odyssey portal covers many Washington courts and is another way to check a case. For deeper data, the JIS-Link service gives subscribers more access. Most people can get what they need from the free tools. Court forms, including motions to quash, are on the Washington Courts forms page.
The WSP WATCH tool at fortress.wa.gov/wsp/watch gives a name based criminal history check. It does not show every warrant but it helps confirm a person's record. See the WSP criminal history page for more.
More Camas Warrant Tools
A Camas warrant search does not have to stop at the court data warehouse. The Washington State Patrol runs a tool called WATCH, which stands for Washington Access to Criminal History. WATCH is a name based search of the state criminal record system. It does not show every active bench warrant, but it does show conviction data that can help confirm a person's record. A name only search is free. A full record check has a small fee. You can reach WATCH at fortress.wa.gov/wsp/watch.
The WSP criminal history page has more on how the system works and what a record check returns. This is a good second stop after the court data warehouse for a Camas bench warrant check. The JIS-Link service is a third option. JIS-Link is a paid tool for people who need deeper court data, like lawyers and research firms. The public Data Warehouse is free and covers most Camas needs.
Visit the WSP WATCH portal to run a name based criminal history check that backs up a Camas warrant search.
WATCH lets the public run a name search of the Washington State Patrol criminal history system for Camas and other cities.
The Washington Courts directory lists every court in the state. Use it to reach the Camas-Washougal Municipal Court and the Clark County courts by phone. A call to the clerk is often the fastest way to confirm an open Camas bench warrant and ask about the next step.
Public Defense and Legal Help in Camas
A person with an active Camas bench warrant may qualify for a public defender if the case is a criminal matter. Public defense is free for people who meet the income rules. It covers cases where jail time is possible. Traffic tickets and civil cases are not usually covered. The court clerk can tell you if public defense is an option on a given case.
Legal aid groups help low income residents across Washington. Northwest Justice Project runs the statewide CLEAR hotline. Local bar associations run lawyer referral services that connect people with private attorneys at a lower first consultation rate. These calls are free. A short talk with a lawyer can help you pick the right path to clear a Camas warrant.
Things to have ready when you call a lawyer about a Camas bench warrant:
- Case number from the state court search
- Name of the court that signed the warrant
- Charge listed on the case summary
- Any paperwork the court sent you
Note: Public defense in Washington is free for people who qualify by income, and the court clerk can hand you an application at the window.
Deeper Camas Court Data
One more tip. When a Camas bench warrant case is old, the court file may be in off-site storage. Ask the clerk if a retrieval fee applies. Most old case files can still be pulled for public review. The state open records rule covers them. A warrant that is years old can still be active. Age does not clear a warrant. Only a judge can. Call the court first before you plan a trip. A short phone call can save a long wait at the clerk's window.
Records on a Camas bench warrant can also show up in the Judicial Information System, or JIS, which is the back end for most Washington courts. The public Data Warehouse pulls from JIS. That is why one name search can return results from many courts at once. It is the best single tool for a Camas warrant lookup.
Clark County Bench Warrants
Camas is in Clark County. The county runs the superior and district courts that hold larger Camas cases. Visit the county page for more on the court system and warrant search tools.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Camas in southwest Washington.