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The small-claims court in Whitman County handles money disputes up to $10,000, with simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Whitman County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
Whitman County hears small claims at the courthouse listed here, with the venue confirmed at filing from the defendant's address or the location of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Locations change. The court publishes its current small-claims address on its own page; Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
The nearest counties to Whitman County are Garfield County and Columbia County. Whitman County covers 23 ZIP codes, including the Albion, Belmont and Colfax areas.
Electronic filing is accepted for small claims at this court, so the opening papers need not be delivered in person.
Certain small claims hearings can be attended remotely. Whether yours qualifies depends on the court and the case type.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Residents of Whitman County, Washington, which has a population of 48,399, can file small claims cases through the Washington District Court, where the claim limit is $10,000. Cases are handled at the Whitman County Courthouse, located at 404 N Main St in Colfax, 99111. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached at (509) 397-4622, and additional information is posted at https://www.whitmancounty.org/191/District-Court. Electronic filing is available. The county covers communities including Pullman, Palouse, Tekoa, Rosalia, Garfield, Oakesdale, Colton, Uniontown, Endicott, Saint John, Lacrosse, Malden, and Albion, along with ZIP codes such as 99163, 99161, 99170, 99171, and 99102. Whitman County lies near Garfield County, Columbia County, and Asotin County. The district court receives small claims filings, schedules hearings, and maintains the case records associated with them.
These 21 places sit inside Whitman County:
Albion, Belmont, Colfax, Colton, Endicott, Farmington, Garfield, Hay, Hooper, Lacrosse, Lamont, Malden, Oakesdale, Palouse, Pullman, Rosalia, Saint John, Steptoe, Tekoa, Thornton, Uniontown.
ZIP codes:
Whitman County is the 23rd most populous of Washington's 39 counties, with about 48,399 residents.
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
The other side's home county governs here, regardless of where events took place.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
In Washington's district court small claims department, no attorney or legal paraprofessional may appear or participate in the prosecution or defense of a case without the consent of the judicial officer hearing it. A narrow exception under RCW 12.40.025 lets an attorney who was already the attorney of record continue representing a party when a case is transferred from district court to the small claims department.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
Over the limit? Two routes exist: reduce the claim to the cap and stay here, or take the full sum to regular civil court. Reducing it normally forfeits the difference.
These are the limits for Whitman County, population about 48,399. They are the same across all 23 Whitman County ZIP codes, from 99017 onward.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $10,000. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
Whitman County Courthouse is the Whitman County courthouse listed below. Whitman County has about 48,399 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
Whitman County Courthouse publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Whitman County Courthouse lists (509) 397-4622 as its number.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand. Courts in Washington generally rely on delivery arranged by the court or email service where the court allows it.
Depending on the court: the sheriff or constable, a professional process server, the clerk by certified mail, or another adult who isn't part of the case. Methods and costs vary by county.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned. Service: 10 days before hearing (in-county), 13 days (out-of-county). Proof of service filed before hearing (or bring to hearing).
A completed proof of service records who delivered the papers and when, and it is filed with the court beforehand.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Garfield County and Columbia County are the counties nearest to Whitman County. A Whitman County address carries one of its 23 ZIP codes, 99017, 99033 and 99102 among them.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| What the claim is about | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 3 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
They do not change from one Whitman County ZIP code to another, 99017 included. The same periods apply in Whitman County as in nearby Garfield County and Columbia County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in Washington generally accrues interest at 12% per year before judgment (Wash. Rev. Code §4.56.010, §19.52.020).
Interest can be calculated before filing using the Squabble interest calculator.
Whitman County is under the same state rate as nearby Garfield County and Columbia County. It is the same rate across all 23 Whitman County ZIP codes.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the Whitman County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $35–$55 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
Start for FREE →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
Whitman County papers go to Whitman County Courthouse in Colfax. Albion, Belmont and Colfax are among the places in Whitman County that filings come from.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Whitman County has about 48,399 residents. Hearings in Whitman County cases are listed at Whitman County Courthouse in Colfax.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
There is also an examination procedure: the debtor is ordered to attend and give sworn answers about earnings and assets. Interest normally accrues at the statutory rate until payment.
The judgment in a Whitman County case comes from Whitman County Courthouse in Colfax. Garfield County and Columbia County are the counties nearest to Whitman County.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Whitman County case for you.
