Welcome to Grays Harbor County District Court
Court Website & Information About Court Procedure 

The Montesano Office:  Criminal & City of McCleary Cases
County Courthouse
Grays Harbor District Court #1
102 W. Broadway Ave., Room 202A
Montesano, WA 98563
Telephone: (360) 249-3441   Fax: (360) 249-6382
ghdc1@graysharbor.us

The Aberdeen Office:  Traffic Infractions & Civil Cases
Pearsall Building
Grays Harbor District Court #2
2109 Sumner Ave., Room 201
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Telephone: (360) 532-7061   Fax: (360) 532-7704
ghdc2@graysharbor.us

District Court Adult Probation:
County Courthouse
Grays Harbor District Court Probation
102 W. Broadway, Room 105
Montesano, WA 98563
Telephone: (360) 249-6868   Fax: (360) 249-6871
dcprobation@graysharbor.us

Office Hours:  8 AM to 4:30 PM
(Both offices close from 12 - 1 PM for lunch)
District Court #1
Montesano 		 Open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM
(Except legal holidays)
District Court #2
Aberdeen		 Open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM
(Except legal holidays)







Proposed 2023 Court Rules
Please submit public comments regarding proposed rules to ghdc1@graysharbor.us. June 30, 2023 will be the last day comments are accepted.

List of District Court Filing Fees

Contact The Office of Public Defense for an attorney at little to no cost for county criminal cases (360) 964-1591

District court cannot provide legal advice. Please call for procedural information on the following topics:


Overview of the Court System in Grays Harbor County

The District Court of Grays Harbor County consists of two full-time judges, an administrative support staff of eight, and an adult probation department of two. The judges serve four-year terms after election by county voters. There are two courtrooms and court offices, one in Montesano at the courthouse, and one in Aberdeen at the Pearsall building. The probation department has a separate office in Montesano.

Cases Heard in District Court

The District Court caseload includes:

  • Criminal misdemeanor violations (includes Driving Under the Influence and Domestic Violence) involving up to a $5,000 fine and/or up to one year in jail.
  • Traffic, non-traffic and parking infractions.
  • Preliminary hearings in felony cases.
  • Small claims cases up to $5,000.
  • Civil actions involving $100,000 or less (concurrent with Superior Court)
  • Protection against unlawful harassment cases.
  • Name changes.
  • Domestic violence protection orders (concurrent with superior court).

Court Funding and Revenue from Operations:
Grays Harbor County is required to fund the entire cost of District Court & Adult Probation through its general fund.  All fees, fines, penalties & other assessments in civil, infraction and criminal cases are divided according to law between the state and the county (deposited in the county general fund).

Overview of Fine Enforcement Process
Criminal fines, costs and restitution amounts, and probation fees are enforced by judicial process, to hold all offenders accountable for their actions. Payments are allowed. Probation monitors and collects its fees separately.  Persons who are not able to pay due to no fault of their own are given an option to perform community restitution work. Failure to comply in a traffic infraction case may result in driver’s license suspension and referral to a state licensed collection agency. Community restitution work is also available for those unable to pay traffic fines.

The courts of limited jurisdiction in the county other than Grays Harbor County District Court are the Municipal Courts of each city:

Aberdeen Cosmopolis
Elma Hoquiam
Montesano Oakville
Ocean Shores Westport


Each municipal court has a judge appointed by the mayor and/or council to a four-year term. The judges hold court on a part-time basis. A municipal court's jurisdiction extends to criminal misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor violations of city ordinances (includes Driving Under the Influence and Domestic Violence cases) with a maximum fine of $5,000 or less and/or a jail sentence of 364 days or less in a city or county jail; and traffic, non-traffic and parking infractions. Municipal courts do not handle civil or small claims cases, name changes, or protection from harassment cases.

How can I find out more information about my case, including my next court date? What do I do if I lost my traffic ticket or citation?

Start by reading the entire ticket, both front and back. The court’s name, address and telephone number should be printed on your copy. Instructions explaining how to respond are also included. If you have lost your copy of the citation or infraction (“ticket”), your correct name (as it is printed on your drivers license) and date of birth will help locate your records. Some information about your case, including your next court date, may be located on-line. Go to the Washington Courts website (http://www.courts.wa.gov/) and click on “Find Your Court Date.”

Most courts have computer access to an index of cases filed in limited jurisdiction courts in the state. Even if you go to the wrong court office, in most cases court staff should be able to direct you to the correct court location. 

Links to other Courts

Information to those whom it applies:
  • The court does not accept online community service and original forms must be turned in for completed hours to be considered.
  • The alcohol and drug information school must be completed in person or via Zoom if it is a live class. No online courses will be accepted. 
Resources