Kitsap County Superior Court sits at 614 Division Street in Port Orchard, serving a peninsula community that spans Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, and Bainbridge Island. The court has five judges and a commissioner who handles the bulk of family law hearings — and it is one of the more active courts in western Washington for military-connected cases, given the presence of Naval Base Kitsap.
Vernon Court Reporters is on the Kitsap County approved transcriptionist list and can begin work on your transcript as soon as you have the recording.
How Family Law Works in Kitsap County
In Kitsap County, a court commissioner presides over all family law hearings until a case goes to trial. That means custody motions, temporary orders, support modifications, and protection order hearings are all commissioner proceedings — and they are electronically recorded. If you want a judge to review a commissioner’s ruling, you have 10 days to file a motion for revision under RCW 2.24.050. A transcript of the commissioner hearing is typically what anchors that motion.
Family law motions in Kitsap County follow a specific schedule: parentage cases are heard Tuesday mornings and most other family law matters are heard Friday mornings. If you have a hearing coming up on the revision calendar, the clock starts the moment the commissioner rules.
Military Family Law
Naval Base Kitsap is one of the largest naval installations in the country, and its presence shapes a significant portion of the court’s family law docket. Deployments, PCS moves, custody disputes that cross state lines — these cases move fast and the paperwork has to keep up. We regularly work with military family law attorneys and service members navigating the system, and we understand the urgency those cases carry.
How to Get Your Audio Recording
Audio recordings from Kitsap County Superior Court cost $25 per hearing day, payable in advance by cash, money order, or card. Once your request is submitted and paid, the recording is typically available for pickup or digital download within 3 to 5 business days.
Visit the Kitsap County Clerk’s Office to submit your request and find current contact information.
Turn Your Recording Into a Certified Transcript
- Request your audio recording through the Kitsap County Clerk’s Office.
- Register an account on our platform.
- Upload your audio file or share the download link from the court.
- Get an instant quote with pricing and an estimated delivery time.
- Submit your request and we will take care of the rest.
Self-Represented Parties
Kitsap County Superior Court has a Courthouse Facilitator program that provides free assistance to self-represented parties in family law cases — help with court procedure, forms, and resources. If you are navigating your case without an attorney, that program is worth knowing about. We work with a lot of self-represented litigants in Kitsap County and the process is the same regardless of whether you have counsel.
Why Choose Vernon Court Reporters
We have been serving Washington courts for over 40 years. Every transcript is verbatim and certified for official use.
Vernon is approved in courts across western Washington, including Mason County, Snohomish County, and King County.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does it cost to get a recording from Kitsap County Superior Court?
- Audio recordings cost $25 per hearing day, payable in advance. Standard processing is 3 to 5 business days. Expedited 1 to 2 day processing is available for an additional fee. There is a $5 mailing fee per CD.
- Does Vernon Court Reporters handle military family law transcripts?
- Yes. We regularly work with military family law matters — custody disputes, divorce proceedings, and other cases connected to Naval Base Kitsap. The transcription process is the same regardless of case type.
- What is GR 35?
- GR 35 is Washington State General Rule 35, which requires every Superior Court to maintain a list of approved transcriptionists. Only transcriptionists on that list can prepare official certified transcripts of electronically recorded court proceedings for use on appeal.
- Can I order a transcript if I am representing myself?
- Yes. We regularly work with self-represented litigants. The process is the same regardless of whether you have an attorney.
