Snohomish County Superior Court Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Sealing or redaction motions must be noted before a judge or regularly appointed Court Commissioner, with a limited exception for certain unopposed Juvenile Court sealing motions heard by a temporary judge or commissioner.

Motions to seal or redact court records pursuant to GR 15 shall be noted before a judge or regularly appointed Court Commissioner. Motions to seal or redact may not be heard by a Judge Pro Tem or Court Commissioner Pro Tem unless the motion is brought to seal/redact Juvenile Court records pursuant to RCW 13.50.050 and is unopposed by the State.

A party or interested person seeking to seal or redact a court record must propose written Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law identifying the alleged compelling privacy or safety concerns.

Any party or interested person who moves to seal or redact a court record shall propose written Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law which identify the compelling privacy or safety concerns which are alleged to outweigh the public interest in access to the court record.

A party or interested person seeking redaction must provide a redacted copy of the court record to the court, clerk, and each opposing party.

Any party or interested person who moves to redact a court record shall provide the court, the clerk and each opposing party a redacted copy of the court record which is the subject of the motion to redact.

All papers filed with the clerk must comply with GR 22 and GR 31 confidentiality requirements, including proper redactions before filing and confidential coversheets when required.

The confidentiality requirements of GR 22 and GR 31 shall apply to all papers filed with the clerk. Parties shall apply proper redactions prior to filing and use confidential coversheets when required.

Sealed files and materials may not be examined without a court order containing findings that satisfy GR 15 and applicable statutes.

(6) Sealed Files and Materials. The clerk shall not permit the examination of any sealed file or other sealed materials except by order of the court. Such order shall include findings to meet the requirements of GR 15 and any applicable statutes.

When a trial de novo is requested, the clerk automatically seals the arbitration award and any memorandum decision or award.

(a) The clerk shall automatically seal any award and any memorandum decision/award if a trial de novo is requested.

The required federal tax returns and supporting income records must be filed separately and under seal pursuant to General Rule 22.

In order to provide sufficient income information to the court, each party shall file separately and under seal pursuant to GR 22, complete copies of the last two (2) years for federal income tax returns, which shall include copies of all W-2 forms, 1099 forms and all schedules, 1040 forms and either a copy of the most current paystub with the year-to-date information included within the same or, if such information is not available, all paystubs for the prior six (6) months.

The court may grant a non-testator’s request to withdraw a sealed will only after a hearing and good cause are shown, and after appropriate notice to the testator or, if deceased, others the court determines.

A non-testator request to withdraw a will filed with the court under seal pursuant to RCW 11.12.265 shall be granted only upon a hearing and good cause shown, after notice to the testator unless deceased and, in that case, to the named personal representative(s), heirs and legatees as the court shall determine appropriate under the circumstances of the case.

Sentencing records and reports may not be sealed without a court order issued under the procedures in GR 15.

No sentencing records or reports will be sealed except by order of the court pursuant to the procedures set forth in GR 15.

Documents, reports, evaluations, and other assessments outside the Official Juvenile Court File must be filed under seal using a cover sheet designated “Sealed Confidential Document.”

Any document, report to the court, evaluation, or other assessment that are not part of the Official Juvenile Court File, shall be filed under seal, by use of a coversheet designated: “Sealed Confidential Document.”

The listed background-check information must be kept confidential by the Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

Snohomish County Superior Court hereby orders that the following information required by RCW 11.130.210 shall be kept confidential by the Superior Court Clerk’s Office:

Access to the confidential background-check information is limited to specified individuals and court personnel.

Access to this information shall be limited to the subject of the information, the parties, the parties’ attorneys, the guardian ad litem, the Clerk and Superior Court employees in the performance of their duties.

A party seeking to seal portions of the record must comply with GR 15 and other applicable rules and laws.

Parties seeking to seal portions of the record are responsible for complying with GR 15 or other applicable rules and laws.

The proposed agent’s social security number must be redacted from the declaration filed with the court, while an unredacted copy must be filed under seal.

Pursuant to GR 31(e), the social security number should be redacted from the declaration filed with the court. An unredacted copy shall be filed with the court under seal;

The court may order improper or inappropriate material to be sealed under the requirements of GR 15.

The court may order that the document or material be sealed, in which event the requirements of GR 15 shall apply.