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1. Does the City of University Place have a court system and related justice services?

The City of University Place contracts with the Pierce County District Court for court and related services. In addition to court hearings and trials, Pierce County provides University Place residents with prosecution services, assigned counsel services for indigent clients, assistance to victims, probation services, as well as maintenance of all court records.

2. What Court do I contact when I get a traffic ticket or other criminal traffic and non-traffic citation in University Place?

Contact the University Place Municipal Court for information relating to traffic infraction. The phone number is 253.512.2258.
 
University Place Municipal Court
6000 Main Street SW
Lakewood WA 98499

3. Does University Place Municipal Court handle other matters?

Yes. the University Place Municipal Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. In addition to the traffic matters listed above, the Court handles some civil matters, such as those involving certain damages for injury to individuals or personal property, civil claims (also known as 'small claims') for recovery of money not exceeding $4,000 as well as penalties and contract disputes no greater than $50,000. Please check the Pierce County District Court website, or call 253.798.7474 for more information.

4. What kinds of cases are handled in Pierce County Superior Court, and how can I obtain information about that Court?

The Superior Court is the highest trial court at the state level and is the only court of general jurisdiction. Visit the Superior Court Administration webpage for a list of all services provided by the Pierce County Superior Court, or call their office at 253.798.3654.

Additionally, the Pierce County Superior Court Clerk's Office maintains all Superior Court records and provides other court-related services. The Clerk's Office is located on the first floor of the County-City Building at 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma. Please check the Superior Court Clerk website for details about services and business hours, or call 253.798.7455.

5. How can I obtain information about Washington State Courts?

The Washington State Courts website provides excellent information about state appellate and trial courts, including the Washington State Court of Appeals/Division II in Tacoma and the Washington State Supreme Court in Olympia. In addition, most local libraries and the Washington State Library in Olympia maintain educational information about our state court system.

6. How can I obtain information about Federal Courts?

The U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for our area are located at 1717 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma. The District Court Clerk phone number is 253.593.6313. The Bankruptcy Court number is 253.593.6310.

Please visit The Federal Judiciary homepage for information about federal courts. You may also wish to visit the website of the highest court in the land, The U.S. Supreme Court.

The Federal Public Defender is located at 1331 Broadway, Suite 400, Tacoma, WA 98402. The phone number is 253.593.6710.