Washington County Public Records /Washington County Court Records

Washington County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Washington County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Washington County, Utah, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. WashingtonUTRecords.us provides a directory of publicly available information related to court records maintained by government agencies serving Washington County. Depending on the case type and the court of record, individuals may find information such as:

Criminal case filings, charges, and dispositions
Civil complaints, judgments, and orders
Family law matters, including divorce decrees and custody orders
Probate filings and estate proceedings
Traffic citations and infractions
Small claims case outcomes
Justice court dockets and minute entries

Court records in Washington County may be searched through five primary methods:

Clerk of Court or Court Records Office — The Fifth District Court clerk's office maintains official case files for district-level matters. Members of the public may submit requests in person or by mail, providing the case number, party name, or filing date to assist staff in locating the record. The clerk's office can confirm whether a record exists and advise on applicable fees for copies.
Courthouse Public Access Terminals — Public terminals are available at the Fifth District Court courthouse in St. George. These terminals allow members of the public to search case information without charge during regular business hours. No account or registration is required to use in-person terminals.
Online Court Search — The Utah Courts system provides the Xchange public case search tool, which indexes district court and justice court case information statewide, including Washington County. Registered users may access expanded case details; basic searches are available to the public at no cost.
State-Level Judicial Search Tools — The Utah Courts records and publications portal offers access to MyCase for parties with active cases, as well as the Xchange directory for general public searches. These tools reflect current case status and docket activity.
Written or Mail Requests — Individuals who cannot appear in person may submit written requests to the clerk of court. Requests should include the full name of a party, approximate filing date, and case type. Fees for copies and certified documents apply and must be submitted with the request.

Are Court Records Public In Washington County

Court records in Washington County are public records under current Utah law. Utah Code § 63G-2-301, the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), establishes the presumption that government records, including court records, are accessible to the public unless a specific exemption applies. The Utah Rules of Civil Procedure and the Utah Code of Judicial Administration further govern access to court case files.

Records that are public under current law include:

Case docket entries and hearing schedules
Party names and case numbers
Filed complaints, petitions, and answers
Court orders and final judgments
Sentencing entries and probation terms
Civil judgment amounts and creditor information

Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:

Juvenile court records, which are protected under Utah Code § 78A-6-209
Adoption proceedings and related filings
Mental health commitment records
Records sealed by court order following expungement
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth, which are redacted from public filings under Utah Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 26(c)
Certain domestic violence protective order details

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While the public may inspect most case files in person at the clerk's office, not all documents available for in-person review are accessible through online search tools. Sealed filings and restricted exhibits are withheld from both in-person and electronic access.

What Are Court Records in Washington County?

Court records are the official documents and data generated by a court in connection with a legal proceeding. In Washington County, court records are created from the moment a case is filed and are updated continuously through each stage of litigation, including hearings, motions, orders, and final disposition.

A docket entry is a chronological log of all actions taken in a case, while a full case file includes the actual documents filed by parties and issued by the court. These are distinct: a docket may be reviewed to track case progress, while the full file contains the substantive pleadings and evidence submitted.

Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract claims, personal injury actions, landlord-tenant disputes, and family law proceedings. Criminal court records document the prosecution of individuals charged with violations of state law, from arraignment through sentencing or acquittal.

Filed pleadings are the documents submitted by parties to initiate or respond to a case, while final judgments are the court's official rulings resolving the matter. Public filings are accessible to any member of the public; sealed or restricted filings are withheld by court order or statute.

Trial court records are maintained by the clerk of the originating court. Appellate records are maintained by the Utah Court of Appeals or the Utah Supreme Court and reflect the record transmitted from the trial court on appeal.

In Washington County, the Fifth District Court clerk's office maintains district-level records. The Washington County Justice Court maintains records for matters within its limited jurisdiction. Historical court records dating to statehood are preserved by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service, which holds Washington County district court records.

Fifth District Court — Washington County
220 N. 200 E.
St. George, UT 84770
Phone: (435) 656-6300
Utah Courts

Washington County Justice Court
197 E. Tabernacle St.
St. George, UT 84770
Phone: (435) 634-5728
Justice Court | Washington County of Utah

What's Included in a Washington County Court Record?

A court record in Washington County may include a range of documents and data depending on the case type, the court of record, and applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information are present in court records subject to public disclosure:

Case identification information: case number, court name and division, filing date, and case type
Party information: names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and attorneys of record
Case status: open, closed, on appeal, or transferred
Docket entries: a chronological log of all filings, hearings, and court actions
Hearing dates and continuances: scheduled and past court appearances
Filed documents: complaints, petitions, answers, motions, briefs, notices, stipulations, and declarations
Court-issued documents: orders, minute entries, judgments, decrees, writs, and warrants where publicly filed
Outcome information: dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Financial and administrative data: filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where reflected in the public record

The following categories are excluded or restricted from public court records:

Sealed filings and expunged case records
Juvenile court files protected under state statute
Adoption records and related proceedings
Protected personal identifiers redacted under court rules
Certain exhibits containing sensitive personal or financial data
Mental health and competency evaluation records where restricted by order

Types of Courts in Washington County

Washington County is served by a two-tier court structure under the Utah state judiciary system. The Fifth District Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court for Washington County, handling the full range of civil, criminal, family, probate, and juvenile matters. The Washington County Justice Court is a limited-jurisdiction court handling class B and C misdemeanors, infractions, and traffic violations arising within unincorporated areas of the county.

Washington City maintains its own Justice Court, which handles matters arising within Washington City limits. The official record for each court is maintained by the clerk of that court.

What Types of Cases Do Washington County Courts Hear

The Fifth District Court hears felony criminal cases, civil matters involving amounts exceeding the small claims threshold, family law proceedings including divorce and custody, juvenile delinquency and dependency matters, probate and guardianship cases, and appeals from justice courts. As a general-jurisdiction court, it has authority over all case types not exclusively assigned to another tribunal.

The Washington County Justice Court and Washington City Justice Court handle class B and C misdemeanors, infractions, traffic citations, and small claims matters up to the statutory limit. These are limited-jurisdiction courts; their records are maintained separately from district court files but are indexed in the statewide Xchange public case search system.

Washington City Justice Court
111 N. Washington Fields Rd.
Washington, UT 84780
Phone: (435) 656-6300
Justice Court – Washington City Utah

How to Search Washington County Court Records for Free?

Several methods for searching Washington County court records are available at no cost to members of the public.

Method	Cost	Notes
In-person inspection at clerk's office	Free	No fee to view records on-site
Courthouse public access terminals	Free	Available during business hours
Xchange online case search (basic)	Free	Registration required for full access
MyCase (party access)	Free	Available to parties in active cases
Paper copies (per page)	$0.25–$0.50 per page	Fee set by court fee schedule
Certified copies	$4.00 per document	Certification fee applies
Electronic document downloads (Xchange)	Fee may apply	Varies by document type

Members of the public may inspect case files and view docket entries at the Fifth District Court clerk's office without charge. The Utah Courts records portal provides free access to basic case information through Xchange. Fees apply to physical copies, certified copies, and certain electronic document downloads. Court filing fees and copy fees are established pursuant to Utah Code § 21-1-1, which governs fees charged by clerks of court.

How Long Does Washington County Keep Court Records?

The retention period for court records in Washington County varies by case type and is governed by the Utah Judicial Council's records retention schedules, administered in coordination with the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service.

Retention periods under current judicial policy include the following general categories:

Felony criminal case files: Retained permanently or for a minimum of 75 years from the date of final disposition
Misdemeanor and infraction files: Retained for a minimum of 10 years from final disposition
Civil case files: Retained for a minimum of 10 years from final disposition; complex civil matters may be retained longer
Family law and domestic relations files: Retained permanently in many instances due to ongoing enforceability of orders
Probate files: Retained permanently
Juvenile court records: Subject to separate retention and destruction schedules under state statute
Docket books and minute records: Retained permanently as the official record of court proceedings

Paper files may be destroyed after imaging and transfer to electronic storage, provided the digital record meets archival standards. Destruction of a paper file does not constitute expungement; the record remains accessible in its electronic form. Older records, including Washington County district court records dating to 1896, are preserved by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service in paper, microfilm, and digital formats.

Expungement is a separate legal process governed by Utah Code § 77-40a-301, which, upon court order, results in the sealing of a record from public access. Expungement does not destroy the physical record but restricts its disclosure.

How To Find a Court Docket in Washington County

A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions taken in a case. It differs from the full case file in that it records what happened and when, rather than containing the full text of filed documents. A docket entry may note that a motion was filed, a hearing was held, or an order was issued, without reproducing the document itself.

Dockets for Washington County district court and justice court cases are accessible through the Utah Courts Xchange public case search system. To locate a docket using Xchange:

Navigate to the Xchange case search portal on the Utah Courts website.
Enter the party's name, case number, or attorney name in the search fields.
Select the appropriate court location, such as Fifth District – Washington County.
Review the case summary, which displays docket entries, hearing dates, and case status.
Select individual docket entries to view available document images, where public access is permitted.

A court docket in Washington County includes hearing dates and times, continuances and rescheduled appearances, motion filings and responses, minute entries from completed hearings, status updates, and case disposition entries. A docket does not include sealed entries, confidential exhibits, restricted attachments, or the full text of documents not released for public electronic access.

Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be available separately through the Fifth District Court clerk's office. Members of the public may contact the clerk's office directly to confirm scheduled hearing dates for a specific case. As noted by the Utah Courts system, "Xchange is a repository of district court and justice court case information," providing a centralized point of access for docket review across all Utah courts, including those serving Washington County.