Sealing Juvenile Court Records

Court records are maintained by the clerk of each court.  Court records, like court hearings, are generally open to the public.  However, a person who has been the subject of criminal charges in Juvenile Court may file a motion asking the court to seal his or her court file, if the person meets certain requirements.

If you would like to ask the court to seal your court file, please read the following materials:

• Juvenile Offender Records Sealing Procedure -- forms and instructions from King County Superior Court describing the steps you must take to have your court file sealed.
  
  
• A Guide to Sealing and Destroying Court Records, Vacating Convictions, and Deleting Criminal History Records -- an informational brochure from the Washington Administrative Office for the Courts.
  
  
• Sealing Juvenile Court Records in Washington State -- an informational report from Washington LawHelp, a website offering free legal education materials.

NOTE:  Sealing a court record does not necessarily affect the records maintained by law enforcement agencies, other government offices, or private concerns.  Requests concerning such records must be made directly to those organizations.