Yakima Residents Directory
The Yakima Residents Directory helps you find public records tied to people who live or have open cases in Yakima, Washington. Use it to search city clerk files, municipal court cases, police records, and county recorded documents. Most city records flow through the City of Yakima RecordsApp portal and the Office of the City Clerk. Court records come from the Yakima Municipal Court and the Yakima County Clerk of Superior Court. Yakima is the seat of Yakima County, so many records also live at the county level. This page lines up the right link for each type of record.
How the Yakima Residents Directory Works
The City of Yakima is committed to providing full access to public records in accordance with the Washington State Public Records Act under RCW Chapter 42.56. All general records requests go through the City's online portal, RecordsApp, at records.yakimawa.gov. Responses and communications with requesters are processed through the portal. You can also contact the City Clerk's office by phone at (509) 575-6037, by mail or in person at 129 N. 2nd St., Yakima, WA 98901, or by email to public.records@yakimawa.gov. Requests received through alternative options are entered into RecordsApp for communication and response.
Under RCW 42.56.520, the city must respond within five business days. Under RCW 42.56.070, identifiable, non-exempt records must be made available to the public. The Clerk's office also handles accident and collision report requests through BuyCrash, GIS mapping and parcel information, and the Permit Center for business licenses, building permits, inspections, and land use.
Start at the Yakima Public Records Portal to file a new request.
The image below shows the city's main records portal.
That page is the first stop for any Yakima records request that is not handled by the Municipal Court.
Yakima Residents Directory Municipal Court Records
The Yakima Municipal Court handles misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and infraction cases under city ordinances. For any court record request, you will need a case number, or the defendant's full name and date of birth. You can get Yakima Municipal Court case records or an audio copy of a court hearing at the court windows at the Yakima location. You can also get records by mail, fax, or email. Requests are processed in the order received. The court notes that expedited records requests cannot be processed at this time.
Under Yakima Municipal Court Rule YMLAR 9(g)(4)(a), a certified copy is $6.00 per document. A CD for FTR audio recording is $5.00 per CD. If there is a fee, you must submit payment within 4 business days of being notified that the records are ready. An invoice is sent to the email address on the records request. If payment is not received within 4 business days, a new request is required. The court accepts cash, money order, business check, or cashier's check. Whether you are requesting records on yourself or a third party, please be prepared to show your ID.
For statewide case lookups, the Washington Courts Odyssey Portal covers Superior, District, and Municipal courts. Court records are governed by General Rule 31 and GR 31.1, not the Public Records Act.
Note: Adoption, dependency, mental illness, and some paternity matters are sealed and not available to the public in Yakima County.
Yakima County Superior Court Records
Felony cases, civil litigation, domestic relations, probate, adoptions, and juvenile offender matters for Yakima residents go to Yakima County Superior Court. The Clerk of Superior Court processes court documents, assists in court proceedings, maintains court files and exhibits, and receipts fees, fines, and court-ordered payments. All documents filed in a Superior Court action are processed and maintained by the Clerk. The process involves assigning case numbers, classifying records, computer data entry, scanning, and indexing in the optical imaging system. Dependency matters are confidential and sealed. Adoption and mental illness cases are confidential and not public record.
See the Yakima County Clerk of Superior Court page for office contact and the list of case types handled by the Clerk.
Recorded Documents and Property Records
Documents are recorded and made public record in the Recording Division of the Yakima County Auditor's Office. All real estate documents are recorded with the Auditor, as well as many other kinds of documents. The office began using an electronic imaging system in February 1997 and updated to the Fidlar Imaging System in 2008. Documents recorded since February 23, 1997 are available as electronic images. Documents from August 1, 1985 to February 23, 1997 are electronically indexed with the documents on microfilm. All recorded documents can be viewed at the Auditor's Office Recording Division, Room 117, Yakima County Courthouse. Court records, including divorce decrees, are filed with the Yakima County Clerk, not the Auditor.
Yakima County provides four methods for accessing land record information. Tapestry is for occasional users at $8.95 per search and $1.00 per page printed. Laredo Anywhere is for large-volume users with a subscription. You can also visit the office for unlimited searches at $1.00 per page for regular copies, or $3.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page for certified copies. See the Researching Documents page for all four methods.
The page is the single best entry point for land record research in Yakima County.
Copies can be requested online from Official Records Online. Payment is by debit or credit card, with a $10 service fee. By mail, send your request with payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Yakima County Auditor's Office, PO Box 12570, Yakima WA 98909. Recorded documents are filed under RCW 65.04 and RCW 36.18.
The Yakima County Assessor's Office handles parcel data, property tax valuations, and exemption filings for city residents.
Yakima Residents Directory Police and Vital Records
Police records are handled by the Yakima Police Department Records Unit. For statewide conviction records, use the Washington State Patrol WATCH system. WATCH runs name-based searches and returns Washington court convictions only. It does not cover other states or federal courts. RCW 10.97 limits the release of non-conviction data to the general public, so some police records will be redacted or withheld.
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates for events in Yakima come from two places. The Washington Department of Health issues certified copies for events from 1968 to present. Older records may sit with the Yakima County Auditor. For historical marriage records, the Washington State Digital Archives Yakima County Marriage Records collection has indexed scans. Only qualified applicants can get certified copies of birth and death records under RCW 70.58A.560.
The Digital Archives site is free to use and is the best source for early Yakima County vital records.
Yakima Residents Directory Business Lookups
Business filings, registered agents, and UCC records are free at the Washington Secretary of State CCFS. You can search by name, UBI number, or registered agent. Most filings are free PDF downloads. The Secretary of State keeps the official record for every entity doing business in Washington. For property tax data, the Washington Department of Revenue lists every county assessor site. For the full text of any statute used on this page, go to the Washington State Legislature site. The full Public Records Act is at RCW Chapter 42.56.
Yakima County Residents Directory Link
Yakima sits inside Yakima County. Many records for Yakima residents live at the county level. Superior Court cases, recorded deeds, property assessments, and jail roster data all come from the county. Visit the Yakima County Residents Directory for the full set of county portals.
Nearby Cities
Other central Washington cities have their own records offices.