Find Bankruptcy Records in Franklin County

Franklin County bankruptcy records are filed through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Cases from Pasco and the rest of Franklin County go through Spokane, where the main clerk's office is located. This page covers every tool and resource you need to search for cases, pull filed documents, and understand the process whether you are a debtor, a creditor, or just looking up public records.

Federal Bankruptcy Court for Franklin County

Franklin County is part of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington. The clerk's office in Spokane handles all filings for this county. That is where petitions are submitted, where the clerk processes documents, and where most hearings take place. A second court location in Yakima is available by appointment for some matters in the southern part of the district, which can be more convenient for Pasco-area residents depending on case type.

The Eastern District court handles all chapter types filed by Franklin County residents and businesses. Its website at waeb.uscourts.gov has local rules, approved credit counseling providers, fee schedules, and downloadable forms. If you need to file documents or attend a creditors meeting, contact the court ahead of time to confirm the location assigned to your case. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Hearings for Franklin County cases sometimes take place in Richland rather than Spokane. Call the Spokane clerk's office to confirm before you travel. Electronic filing is available through the court's CM/ECF system for attorneys who are admitted to practice in the district. Self-represented filers typically submit documents by mail or in person at the Spokane office.

Franklin County Superior Court Clerk

The Franklin County Superior Court Clerk's office is located at 1016 N. 4th Street in Pasco. This office does not handle federal bankruptcy filings. Bankruptcy petitions go to the Eastern District court in Spokane. The Superior Court does, however, maintain state court records that often come up during bankruptcy proceedings. These include civil judgments, liens, domestic relations orders, and property records filed at the county level.

One thing to know about Franklin County's court setup: the Superior Court operates jointly with Benton County Superior Court. The combined court holds sessions at the Benton County Justice Center, located at 7122 W. Okanogan Place in Kennewick. If you need to appear in Superior Court or pick up certified copies of state court documents, that is the location to keep in mind. Call the Franklin County Clerk at (509) 545-3505 before you travel to confirm hours and which courthouse to visit.

The Franklin County District Court operates separately from the Superior Court and is located at 1016 N. 4th Street in Pasco, reachable at (509) 545-3545. District Court handles lower-level civil and criminal matters. Its records may be relevant if you need to show a creditor that a judgment was entered in a district court proceeding.

How to Search Franklin County Bankruptcy Records

You have two main options for searching federal bankruptcy records from Franklin County: PACER and VCIS. Both pull from the Eastern District of Washington's live case database. The difference is how you access them and what they cost.

PACER is the federal courts' online access system. Register for a free account at pacer.uscourts.gov or call 800-676-6856. Once you log in, select the Eastern District of Washington and search by debtor name, Social Security number (last four digits only), or case number. Each page you view costs $0.10, with a $3.00 cap per document. If your total charges in a quarter stay under $30, the fees are automatically waived. For most one-time searches, you pay nothing. PACER gives you docket sheets, filed documents, and full case histories. It is the most complete source for Franklin County bankruptcy records.

VCIS, the Voice Case Information System, is free and always available. Call 866-222-8029 any time, day or night. The automated phone system searches by debtor name or case number. It returns the filing date, chapter type, case number, trustee name, and current case status in about two minutes. No account needed. This works well if you just need to confirm whether someone has filed or check the status of an open case.

The Washington Courts name search at dw.courts.wa.gov covers state court records only, not federal bankruptcy cases. Use it to look up civil judgments, liens, or domestic filings entered in Franklin County Superior Court or District Court. The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov holds older county court records that may be relevant for historical research.

The screenshot below shows the PACER public access portal, which is the primary tool for searching bankruptcy records filed in the Eastern District of Washington, including cases from Franklin County.

The PACER system is where you access full dockets, court filings, and case histories for Franklin County bankruptcy matters.

After registering, navigate to the Eastern District of Washington and enter a debtor name or case number to pull up available filings.

Bankruptcy Chapters and Filing Fees

Federal law provides several types of bankruptcy relief. Each one fits a different financial situation. Franklin County residents file all chapter types through the Eastern District court in Spokane. Here is a plain-language breakdown of what each chapter does and what it costs to file.

Chapter 7 is the most used type. It is called liquidation bankruptcy. A trustee looks at your non-exempt assets and may sell them to pay creditors. Most individual filers with limited assets get a discharge of remaining unsecured debts in four to six months. The filing fee is $338. To qualify, you must pass a means test based on your income and expenses. Most people in Franklin County who apply do qualify.

Chapter 13 is a repayment plan bankruptcy for people who have regular income and want to keep their property, including a home facing foreclosure. You propose a three-to-five-year plan to repay some or all debts, and if the court confirms it, creditors must accept the terms. The filing fee is $313. There are debt limits for both secured and unsecured obligations, so not everyone qualifies.

Chapter 12 applies to family farmers and fishermen with regular annual income. The filing fee is $278. It works much like Chapter 13 but is tailored to the seasonal and irregular income patterns common in agriculture. Chapter 11 is a reorganization chapter used mostly by businesses. The filing fee is $1,738. Some individuals with debts that exceed the Chapter 13 limits also use Chapter 11. Before you file any chapter, you must complete an approved credit counseling course. The Eastern District website lists all approved providers in Washington.

Washington Bankruptcy Exemptions

When you file for bankruptcy in Franklin County, Washington state law lets you keep certain property. These are called exemptions. You pick either Washington's state exemptions or the federal exemption set when you file. Washington's state exemptions are generally better for most people here.

Under RCW 6.15, you can protect up to $3,500 in household goods and furnishings, up to $15,000 in a motor vehicle, up to $15,000 in tools you use for your job or trade, and up to $10,000 as a wildcard exemption that can cover any property you choose. As of July 2023, married couples who file jointly each get their own full set of these exemptions, which effectively doubles the protected amounts. That change was significant for Franklin County families filing together.

Washington's homestead exemption falls under RCW 6.13. The amount you can protect equals the median sale price of a single-family home in your county at the time you file. This number changes as the housing market moves. For Franklin County, where Pasco has seen rising home values in recent years, the homestead exemption has become a more meaningful protection. You must live in the home to claim the exemption. Investment properties do not qualify.

Talk to a bankruptcy attorney before you file if you own a home or significant personal property. How you handle exemptions before filing can affect what you keep. The exemption rules are set at the state level and apply the same way across all Washington counties, including Franklin County.

The Washington State Legislature's page on RCW 6.15 is shown below. It lists the exact amounts and categories for personal property exemptions available to Franklin County bankruptcy filers.

The RCW 6.15 exemptions page is the official source for current personal property protection amounts under Washington law.

Review this statute before filing to know exactly which assets you can protect from creditors in your Franklin County bankruptcy case.

Legal Help for Franklin County Residents

Bankruptcy has lasting effects on your finances and your property. Getting advice from a qualified attorney before you file is the best step you can take. Several resources serve Franklin County residents at low or no cost.

The Washington State Bar Association maintains a legal help directory and lawyer referral service at wsba.org/for-the-public/find-legal-help. You can search by practice area and location to find bankruptcy attorneys in the Tri-Cities area who handle Franklin County cases. Many bankruptcy attorneys offer a free first consultation.

CLEAR, the Coordinated Legal Education, Advice, and Referral program, provides free civil legal help to low-income Washington residents. Call 888-201-1014 from Franklin County. The Northwest Justice Project at nwjustice.org also serves low-income people across Washington, including the Tri-Cities region, with free legal help on civil matters including bankruptcy. The Office of Civil Legal Aid at ocla.wa.gov can connect you with services near Pasco.

The U.S. Trustee Program oversees bankruptcy cases in the Eastern District. The Spokane office is at 920 W. Riverside Avenue, Suite 593, and can be reached at (509) 353-2999. The Trustee does not give legal advice but does handle complaints about fraud, abuse, or misconduct in bankruptcy cases. The U.S. Trustee Program website has more information about its role and how to file a complaint.

Cities in Franklin County

Pasco is the county seat of Franklin County and its largest city. You can search bankruptcy records for Pasco on this site. Kennewick and Richland, which are part of the Tri-Cities metro area, are located in Benton County, not Franklin County, so filings from those cities go through a separate county record system. All federal bankruptcy cases from Franklin County, regardless of city, are filed through the Eastern District court in Spokane.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County shares borders with several eastern Washington counties. If you need records from a neighboring county or are trying to find which county a property falls in, check these nearby county pages.