Thurston County facilities are open to the public with safety measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect public and employee health. Learn more here.

Frequently Asked Questions
Payments
Do you accept credit cards, debit cards or checks?

Cash, checks, money orders, debit card and credit cards are acceptable when making payments in person.  Checks and money orders are acceptable for payments made via mail.  There are a couple of exceptions: 1) checks are not an acceptable when making a rent payment in Unlawful Detainer actions; and they are not acceptable for bail payments.

How do I make payments on my Legal Financial obligations (LFOs)?

LFO payments may be made in-person, via mail, by phone or online.

Cash, checks, money orders, debit card and credit cards are acceptable when making payments in-person.  Checks and money orders are acceptable for payments made via mail.  Credit cards, debit cards and electronic checks are acceptable for online payments.

Documents
How do I obtain a copies of court documents?

​To obtain a copy of publicly available court documents:

  • Via in-person:  Come to either the main courthouse or to the Family and Juvenile Court facility to obtain copies of documents for ANY case type. 
  • Via mail:  Contact us with your request at County_Clerk@co.thurston.wa.us.  Once payment has been received and a self-addressed, stamped envelope provided, the documents will be sent to you.
  • Via email:  Contact us with your request at County_Clerk@co.thurston.wa.us.  Once payment has been received, the documents will be sent to you.

Copy costs per document:

  • Certified paper copies (with the Clerk's seal affixed) cost $5 for the first page and $1 for each additional page.
  • Paper copies  (without the Clerk's seal) cost $.50 per page.  Advance payment is required. 
  • eMail copies (without the Clerk's seal) cost $.25 per page.  Advance payment is required.
What is a Conformed Copy?

​It is a copy of a document you have filed, stamped with the filing date (and Judge's name if an Order was signed),

How do I get a Conformed Copy of the documents I file?

​Bring an extra copy of your document with you to the Clerk's office when you file.

If filing by mail, include your request for conformed copies; provide the copies you would like stamped and returned; and enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.  Be sure adequate postage has been provided.

Filings
What should my pleadings and documents look like?

​Formatting Requirements: 

  • All pleadings and other papers filed with the Clerk's Office shall be legibly written or printed. 
  • The use of 8 1/2" x 11" paper is mandatory. 
  • All text and images shall appear on only the front side of a page. 
  • The top margin of the first page shall be a minimum of 3"; and the right, left and bottom margins at least 1".  All subsequent pages shall have a minimum of 1" margins. 
  • Papers filed shall not include any colored pages, highlighting or other colored markings.  
Can I FAX my documents to you for filing?

No.

I want to file my documents by mail. Where do I send them?

​Thurston County Clerk's Office
2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, Bldg. 2
Olympia, WA 98502

Does the court need to know when a hearing is scheduled for the documents I file?

​Yes.  Local Court Rule (LCR) 10(e) requires that documents filed for all civil, probate, guardianship, and family law cases have the following box placed in the upper left-hand corner of the first page.  The box must be filled in prior to filing.

 

The court wants bench copies. What are they and where do I file them?

​Bench copies are an extra copy of the documents for the Judge or Court Commissioner.  Bench copies should be provided to the Superior Court Administrator's Office.  They are not filed at the Clerk's Office.