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  2. e-Filing and Case Access

King County District Court eFiling

! NOTICE OF EMERGENCY CHANGES TO COURT OPERATIONS!

King County District Court operations are substantially curtailed to help keep the public and our employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please visit COVID-19 Impacts to King County District Court to learn how these changes affect you, or call (206) 205-9200.

 

Please do not come into any King County District Court courthouse if you are sick or experiencing flu-like symptoms such as a cough, fever or other respiratory problem.


e-filing Requirement

  • Attorneys: e-filing is required for all case types: criminal, infraction and all civil cases, unless otherwise provided in LGR 30.  Additional filing requirements are set forth in LCrRLJ 8.2. Case documents or pleadings filed during a scheduled court hearing on the case do not need to be e-filed. Failure of attorneys to comply with mandatory e-filing rules may result in a sanction being assessed to the attorney for the non-compliance. 

     

  • Non-attorneys and pro se parties are permitted, but are not required, to e-file.  If you choose to e-file through the portal, you will need to follow the requirements set forth in LGR 30. 

     

  • Certain documents, such as a request for a waiver of a filing fee, trial, proposed hearing exhibits, or paperwork initiating an appeal, may not be e-filed and will be rejected for e-filing. Please review LGR 30 for the list of excluded documents. 


  • If you are not able to file a case through the portal because the case does not yet exist in the system or because of its age (may occur with Petitions to Vacate a prior conviction older than 10 years), please check to make sure you are filing in the correct court and if so, please contact the court at (206) 205-9200 for assistance.

 

e-Filing Portal

 

  • Register for a new user account?
  • In order to electronically file with KCDC, you will need to create a user account. Register here.

  • Log in to the KCDC e-Filing Portal?
  • Enter your email address and password here to log in to the KCDC e-Filing Portal.

  • File a new case?
  • Click here to initiate a new case with KCDC and pay for the filing fee with a valid eCheck, credit or debit card.

  • View an existing case summary?
  • Click here to search the portal for existing cases.

  • Electronically file documents into existing cases?
  • To electronically file document into existing cases, you must first search for the case, or access via My Filings. To begin via a search, click here.

  • Access my cases?
  • Click here to access cases you’ve initiated via the e-Filing Portal, or cases with activated token access. Here you can see case filing status, and take action such as view case information or file additional documents.

  • Access my filings?
  • Click here to access document filings you’ve made into any case in the e-Filing portal. Here you can check filing status, see fees paid, and view the document image.

    • General Portal

    On the e-filing Portal, you can search for and view case information on all filed King County District Court (KCDC) civil, infraction and criminal cases. You also can electronically file new civil cases and electronically file documents into existing cases of all types unless the document is one of the few exceptions listed in LGR 30 such as paperwork to initiate an appeal of an existing case.
    Yes. All e-filing site access, including case search, requires a log-in. Public access accounts are free, and are easy to set up. Register here for a free account.
     
    User accounts are NOT required for fine and ticket payment. For assistance, please contact kcdcefilinghelp@kingcounty.gov.
    Register here for a free account. All you need is basic information about yourself, an email address, and a password. New Prosecuting Attorney accounts must be requested from the court by contacting kcdcefilinghelp@kingcounty.gov.
    Accounts may be shared in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of use. The account owner is responsible for all activity performed under their account.
    Click to reset password. When resetting passwords, you will have one hour to respond to the password reset link – otherwise you will need to begin the process again.
    If your internet connection is down, your options include going to one of the many locations that offer free internet access, including public libraries. You also can visit any King County District Court location (excluding Vashon Island) to use a public access terminal. If the King County network is down or if the eCourt Portal is down during business hours, a notice will be posted on the KCDC homepage.
    YYes, you may visit any KCDC location to use a public access terminal or to speak with a court clerk to obtain assistance. Visit our Locations page for the addresses and open hours of each KCDC courthouse location.
    For assistance, please email us at: kcdcefilinghelp@kingcounty.gov.

    Case Search

    e-Filing

    e-Filing is an internet-based system for filing a court case or filing documents into a court case.
    To use e-filing you must have a (free) KCDC eCourt user account, a computer or other device with an internet connection, and pay the required filing fees. Register here for a free account.
    For information on e-filing training opportunities, please email kcdcefilinghelp@kingcounty.gov. KCDC also offers training periodically by webinar. Webinar information will be posted to the KCDC homepage, e-filing page, and will be distributed via our email ListServe.
    • Attorneys: e-filing is required for all case types – criminal, infraction and all civil cases - unless otherwise provided in LGR 30.  Additional filing requirements are set forth in LCrRLJ 8.2.
    • Non-attorneys and pro se parties are permitted, but are not required to e-file.
    Unless you receive a waiver from the court, mandatory e-filing applies to all attorneys for all case types, regardless of whether the case was initiated via paper or through e-filing. If the case originated as a paper filing, and you are an attorney, you must use e-filing for all future filings.
    Attorneys who are required to e-file, and do not do so will be assessed a $50.00 Paper Handling Fee as set forth in KCC 4A.634.100.
    The only fees are the state-mandated fees associated with filing certain court documents (such fees are not specific to e-filing and were applied to paper filings). The following convenience fees will be added to those document filing fees, based on the method of payment:
    • Credit card: 2.49% of the transaction value, with a minimum fee of $1.49
    • e-check: $1.00 flat fee 
    Regardless of the number of documents or new cases included in your cart, only one convenience fee is charged to complete the transaction. If no fee is associated with your filing, you will not be charged any fees for your e-filing submission.
    No. Payment must be made at the time of each transaction. KCDC does not offer ‘draw down’ accounts.
    No. Payment must be made at the time of the transaction. KCDC does not offer a mechanism to send invoices to filers for their transactions.
    For fee-based filings, yes. The KCDC eCourt Portal has an ‘add to cart’ feature. You can add multiple document filings, or even new case filings, to your ‘shopping cart’ and make one ‘check out’ transaction. For filings that do not require payment of filing fees, those are submitted to the court on a case-by-case basis. For a single case, you can add multiple documents to your filing at one time.
    File submissions are limited to 50MB.
    If you have a singular filing that exceeds filing size limits, you can try creating the document with a lower resolution, in black and white, or by other means to reduce file size, so long as the quality of the image isn’t compromised and you are satisfying the e-filing technical requirements. If you have multiple filings in your Cart, and you exceed the filing size limits, try reducing the number of items in your Cart, and making separate transactions to reduce file size. If your filing is still too large after trying these measures, please contact kcdcefilinghelp@kingcounty.gov.
    General Rule 30 (GR 30) for Washington State and KCDC Local General Rule 30 (LGR 30) identify the types of documents that cannot be e-filed and must be filed in paper form.
    Waivers of the mandatory e-filing requirements require a waiver application to be submitted to the KCDC Office of the Presiding Judge. You may apply for a waiver on a case-by-case basis. KCDC will consider the application and provide an approval or denial in writing. Timely submission of any waiver application will prevent unnecessary delay to your case. If the Waiver is denied, all filings must comply with the mandatory e-Filing Rule (LGR 30) or you will be assessed a $50 Paper Handling Fee. Filing an application for a waiver does not toll any mandatory filing deadlines.
    PDF is the only accepted document format.
    Select the document type that most clearly identifies the document you are e-filing. Properly identify the title of your documents to ensure efficient processing by KCDC staff. Documents or pleadings should be filed individually, where practical, to prevent document rejections. For example, a Summons and a Complaint must be filed as two separate documents: Summons; Complaint. A Motion for Default Judgment must be filed separately from the Proposed Order of Default Judgment.

    Click KCDC Document Titles Available for e-Filing to see the comprehensive list of document titles available for e-filing.

    If, after careful review of the available options, you are unsure of which document type to choose, you may select ‘Miscellaneous’ and provide a description of your submission in the field provided. However, if you are filing a document that has a fee associated with it, be sure to choose the document type that has the appropriate fee associated or your document will be rejected for non-payment.

    Click KCDC Document Titles Available for e-Filing to see the comprehensive list of document titles available for e-filing.

    Yes. State Court Rule ARLJ 10 requires the filing of a Case Information Cover Sheet for each new civil filing, except in infraction cases.
    If you are filing an Ex Parte motion, you must file a separate proposed order for the judge to sign. If you are filing a motion that will be heard before the judge in court, you may file a copy of your proposed order as an attachment to your motion document; Do not file this proposed order as a separate document. At the time your Motion is heard, you must provide the judge with an order, unless otherwise instructed by the judge.
    If you wish to e-file, you must first register for a free account. After logging in to your portal account, you can perform a Case Search to locate the relevant case. Once you have accessed the case, select the button for “Add Filing.” There is no fee for filing an Answer to Writ of Garnishment. Training videos are available on our e-filing Training Page to assist with both creating portal accounts and filing documents.
    Immediately after e-filing you will receive email confirmation of your transaction, including a receipt for any fees paid. Upon review by KCDC, you will receive either:
    • Confirmation of Acceptance, which will include a conformed copy of your filing for your records; or
    • Rejection Notice with information on the reason for the rejection and any cure method, if available
    Initial Acceptance/Rejection of filings should occur within 2 business days of your submission. If your filing requires additional action (such as review by a judge, signature, setting a hearing, etc.) please anticipate an additional 1-2 business days for complete processing.
    Upon acceptance of your filing, you will receive a conformed copy of your filing by email. Additional copies may be retrieved from the KCDC eCourt Portal by searching for your case and obtaining copies from the Documents folder.
    Filings made after regular KCDC business hours are considered filed the next business day at 8:30 a.m. KCDC’s regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PT), not including holidays.
    If your filing is not accepted, you will receive notification of the reason(s) for the rejection, and if applicable, instructions on how to cure the filing and resubmit.
    If KCDC rejects a filing, and the filing has already been served on another party, it is your responsibility to serve the party with any corrected pleading or notice, or to notify the party of any rejected filing.
    Unless otherwise notified of next steps by the court, corrected filings may be e-filed under the title of ‘Resubmission or Corrected Filing.’ These e-filings will be reviewed by court staff to ensure the required corrections have been made so that final processing of the filing can occur.
    You will receive confirmation of acceptance after KCDC staff review your filing for compliance with e-filing rules and requirements. You can also log into the KCDC eCourt Portal and from the ‘My Cases’ tab to see the filing status of all of your submissions.
    You can see the status of all of your e-filings by logging in to the eCourt Portal, and selecting ‘My Cases’ for cases you’ve initiated, and ‘My Filings’ for documents you’ve e-filed into other cases.

    Technical Requirements


    1. e-Filing account

    2. Active email address to list on your e-Filing account (This email address is where all information about your cases will be mailed. Make sure your email client and Security platform will allow you to receive emails from @kingcounty.gov addresses.)

    3. Internet access

    4. Recommended web browser. Other versions may not be compatible with KCDC's payment processer and e-filing vendor.

    • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 11
    • Mozilla Firefox, most recent stable version
    • Google Chrome, most recent stable version
    • Apple Safari version 5.1.7 (win) and 7.0 (Mac) or newer

    5. Comply with file format requirement: PDF

    6. Recommend use of Antivirus software


    eFiling Document Specifications


    • Comply with GR 14(a) format requirements.
    • Leave an 8.5"x1.5" blank space at the end of document text for the judge's signature.
    • Use only ADA compliant fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Geneva, Tahoma, Times, Times New Roman, Verdana)
    • Use 12 to 14 point font sizes
    • Use only PDF formats
    • Use 200-300 DPI resolution
    • DO NOT use JavaScript and macros
    • DO NOT use any hyperlinks
    • 50 MB document size limit

    Need help with the e-Filing Portal? Contact KCDC by using one of the following: