Spokane Bench Warrants Search
Spokane bench warrants are court orders that a judge signs when a person fails to appear in Spokane Municipal Court or skips a required step in a case. The city sits in Spokane County in eastern Washington, and most local cases run through the municipal court at 1100 W. Mallon Ave. You can look up an active bench warrant or outstanding warrant in Spokane by name through the city eCourt portal, the state court data warehouse, and the county search tools. Most checks are free, fast, and open to the public.
Spokane Municipal Court Bench Warrants
Spokane Municipal Court hears most local misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, traffic, and code cases for the City of Spokane. When a defendant misses a hearing the judge can issue a bench warrant under CrRLJ 2.2. The warrant stays active until the person is picked up, posts bail, or asks the court to quash it. The court office is at 1100 W. Mallon Ave, Spokane, WA 99260, and the clerk line is (509) 625-4400. You can also email mcadmin@spokanecity.org for general help.
The fastest local tool is the Spokane Municipal Court eCourt Portal. The portal lets the public look up case dockets, court dates, and warrant status by name or case number. You can search future court dates by defendant, search hearings by date, or pull a full case docket. The basic name search is free and does not need a login.
The main court page at my.spokanecity.org/courts/municipal-court links to forms, hearings, audio recordings, and the records request page. You can pull a court records form there too.
Visit the state data warehouse for a broader name search that pulls in Spokane Municipal Court records along with the rest of the state.
The data warehouse holds case and warrant info for Spokane and most other Washington courts in one place.
Spokane County Bench Warrant Tools
Spokane County also runs warrant data for cases filed in Spokane County District Court and Spokane County Superior Court. Felony bench warrants live in the superior court file. Misdemeanor and traffic warrants live in district or municipal court files. The county clerk and court system feed into the state portals.
You can also visit the Spokane County bench warrants page for the county level details. From there you can reach the county district court and superior court resources.
The Washington Courts directory lists every court in Spokane and the rest of the state. Use it to find clerk phone numbers and addresses if you need to call a court about a warrant. The directory is run by the state Administrative Office of the Courts.
Note: A Spokane bench warrant stays active until a judge quashes it, even if the original case is many years old.
How to Quash a Spokane Bench Warrant
If a Spokane bench warrant comes back in your name, do not panic. Most warrants can be cleared. The first step is to talk to a lawyer if you can. The Spokane County Bar can help if you do not have one. Next, file a motion to quash the warrant with the court that issued it.
The motion asks the judge to recall the warrant and reset the case for a new hearing. Some judges set bail, some just reset the date. The court forms page on courts.wa.gov/forms has the standard motion you can use. You can also pull a Spokane specific form from the city court website.
Visit the state forms page to grab a motion to quash or other warrant related forms.
The forms page has the motion to quash and other Spokane bench warrant filings you may need.
Bring photo ID when you turn yourself in or visit the clerk. The court will not let you sign in without one.
DOC and State Warrant Tools for Spokane
Some Spokane warrants are not held by the city or county. The Washington Department of Corrections runs its own warrant list for people on community custody who broke the rules of their release. These DOC warrants are tied to RCW 9.94A.716 and you can read the law on apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw. The DOC posts each name with photo and charge.
Start at the DOC warrant search page. You can also see the wanted and absconder list with current photos. Both tools update on a set schedule and are free to use.
The DOC warrant page is the main starting point for Spokane area community custody warrants.
The DOC tool lists Spokane area people with active community custody warrants and shows photos.
Note: Always call 911 or Spokane police if you spot a wanted person; never try to detain or confront them on your own.
Spokane Bench Warrant Records and Audio
Spokane Municipal Court keeps full case files for every warrant. The public can ask for a copy of most files. The court records request page is at my.spokanecity.org/courts/municipal-court/record-requests. You fill out a form and send it by mail, in person, or by email to mcrecords@spokanecity.org.
The court will respond within 5 business days with a request ID and a cost estimate. Some files have fees if the work takes more than an hour. Most basic name lookups have no fee.
Most Spokane Municipal Court hearings are recorded. You can search the audio at the court records page and play back a hearing. This is helpful if you missed your court date and want to know what the judge said. Bench copies must be sent to the judicial assistant per SPMCrRLJ 8.2(d).
Public Access Rules in Spokane
Most Spokane court records are public under GR 31 and the Washington Public Records Act in RCW 42.56, which you can read on apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw. Bench warrant data is part of the case file, so most of it is open. Juvenile warrants are not in the public system. Sealed cases do not show.
The clerk can tell you if a case is sealed. You do not need to give a reason or show ID for a basic warrant search.
For deeper criminal history you can use the Washington State Patrol WATCH portal at fortress.wa.gov/wsp/watch. WATCH does not list every bench warrant, but it does show conviction data for Spokane and the rest of the state.