Prepare the right exhibit set for your Washington court
Start with the county, proceeding and case order. Use the scoped instructions below to plan the exhibit list, document copies and delivery steps.
Each rule statement has its own source and scope. This guide covers selected procedures; compare them with current orders in your case before relying on a deadline or format.
King County Superior Court
Use the case-schedule deadlines and the separate Case Center upload instructions for the procedure assigned to your matter.
- For King County civil cases governed by an LCR 4 Case Schedule, exchange witness lists, exhibit lists excluding impeachment-only exhibits, and documentary copies excluding illustrative-only exhibits no later than 21 days before trial, subject to court-ordered schedule changes. King County LCR 4: Civil Case Schedule — LCR 4(d), (j) and (k) (opens in a new tab)Scope: Civil cases governed by a Case Schedule under LCR 4; deadlines may be changed by court order under LCR 4(d).Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- In King County cases governed by an LCR 4 Case Schedule, non-documentary exhibits other than illustrative-only exhibits must be available for inspection no later than 14 days before trial, subject to court-ordered schedule changes. King County LCR 4: Civil Case Schedule — LCR 4(d), (j) and (k) (opens in a new tab)Scope: Civil cases governed by a Case Schedule under LCR 4; deadlines may be changed by court order under LCR 4(d).
- Unless waived by a judge, King County LCR 4 Case Schedule cases require a Joint Statement of Evidence no later than 5 judicial days before trial, with witness and exhibit lists and exhibit authenticity or admissibility agreement notations. King County LCR 4: Civil Case Schedule — LCR 4(d), (j) and (k) (opens in a new tab)Scope: Civil cases governed by a Case Schedule under LCR 4; deadlines may be changed by court order under LCR 4(d).
- King County Superior Court’s Case Center covers non-criminal trials authorized for digital exhibits by a filed pretrial order, second-appearance Family Law civil protection hearings, and hearings whose judge or bailiff confirms digital-exhibit approval. King County Superior Court: Electronic Exhibits — Eligibility; Rules for Uploading Exhibits; Exhibit Naming Convention Rules (opens in a new tab)Scope: Non-criminal cases eligible for Case Center under the clerk’s listed trial/hearing approval conditions; not King County District Court.
- King County Case Center requires one file per exhibit, permits multiple pages in that exhibit, and does not accept ZIP files or partial exhibit identifiers. King County Superior Court: Electronic Exhibits — Eligibility; Rules for Uploading Exhibits; Exhibit Naming Convention Rules (opens in a new tab)Scope: Non-criminal cases eligible for Case Center under the clerk’s listed trial/hearing approval conditions; not King County District Court.
- King County Case Center instructs users to omit exhibit numbers from filenames because the system assigns numbers; exhibit titles must be neutral. King County Superior Court: Electronic Exhibits — Eligibility; Rules for Uploading Exhibits; Exhibit Naming Convention Rules (opens in a new tab)Scope: Non-criminal cases eligible for Case Center under the clerk’s listed trial/hearing approval conditions; not King County District Court.
Your next step
Before uploading, reconcile the identifiers on your prepared documents with the Case Center exhibit numbers and descriptions; keep an unchanged copy of the set you reviewed.
Pierce County Superior Court
Use this checklist for a LINX filing; arrange trial-exhibit delivery with the assigned department separately.
- Pierce County Superior Court’s LINX instructions specify PDF, 8.5 inches by 11 inches, portrait orientation and no embedded video; for documents outside those formatting instructions, the clerk directs filers to add the listed cover sheet first. Pierce County Superior Court Clerk: E-Filing — E-Filing tab: upload formats and receipt/acceptance notices (opens in a new tab)Scope: Superior Court clerk electronic document filings through LINX; not District Court guidance or a universal trial-exhibit delivery rule.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- Pierce County Superior Court sends an initial filing-receipt email and a later acceptance or rejection decision after clerk review. Pierce County Superior Court Clerk: E-Filing — E-Filing tab: upload formats and receipt/acceptance notices (opens in a new tab)Scope: Superior Court clerk electronic document filings through LINX; not District Court guidance or a universal trial-exhibit delivery rule.
Your next step
Inspect the final PDF and any cover sheet before submission, then save the clerk’s acceptance or rejection notice with your filing record.
Snohomish County: remote civil trials
Confirm that your case is assigned to the remote civil trial procedure before using this checklist; read the version and scope in the linked protocol.
- Under Snohomish County’s posted remote civil trial protocol, absent a contrary court order, exchange exhibit and witness lists, physical exhibit copies and the Pre-Trial Conference Summary at least one week before trial; electronic copies may supplement but not replace that paper exchange. Snohomish Superior Court: Protocol for Remote Civil Trials — Paragraphs 2, 3(e), 4(a); footnotes 1–2, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Court-approved remote civil trials under the posted November 29, 2023 protocol, still linked by the Civil Trial Calendar when checked; not all Snohomish trials.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- The Snohomish remote civil trial protocol starts petitioner/plaintiff exhibits at 1 and respondent/defendant exhibits at 101, with a higher number series by agreement if plaintiff/petitioner exhibits exceed 100. Snohomish Superior Court: Protocol for Remote Civil Trials — Paragraphs 2, 3(e), 4(a); footnotes 1–2, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Court-approved remote civil trials under the posted November 29, 2023 protocol, still linked by the Civil Trial Calendar when checked; not all Snohomish trials.
- Snohomish’s remote civil trial protocol assigns each separate document its own exhibit number and calls for page-number references on multi-page documents. Snohomish Superior Court: Protocol for Remote Civil Trials — Paragraphs 2, 3(e), 4(a); footnotes 1–2, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Court-approved remote civil trials under the posted November 29, 2023 protocol, still linked by the Civil Trial Calendar when checked; not all Snohomish trials.
- For Snohomish remote civil trials, the posted protocol calls for original and working-copy exhibit sets in separate notebooks or packets by noon the day before trial. Snohomish Superior Court: Protocol for Remote Civil Trials — Paragraphs 2, 3(e), 4(a); footnotes 1–2, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Court-approved remote civil trials under the posted November 29, 2023 protocol, still linked by the Civil Trial Calendar when checked; not all Snohomish trials.
Your next step
Reconcile the master exhibit list, paper sets and witness copies before printing; if the court changes the protocol for your case, update every affected set together.
ER 904: selected civil-case documents
Read the listed document categories and objection provisions before choosing this procedure; review admissibility separately from labeling.
- For the civil-case documents listed in ER 904(a), ER 904(b) requires notice to all parties no fewer than 30 days before trial, accompanied by numbered document copies and the specified index. Washington ER 904: Admissibility of Documents — ER 904(a), (b), (c)(2) and (d), pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Documents within ER 904(a) offered in civil cases under the rule amended September 1, 2026.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- The ER 904 index must identify each document by number and include its description, applicable ER 904(a) category, and the author or maker’s name, address and telephone number. Washington ER 904: Admissibility of Documents — ER 904(a), (b), (c)(2) and (d), pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Documents within ER 904(a) offered in civil cases under the rule amended September 1, 2026.
- Under ER 904(b), file the notice and index with the court; do not file the document copies accompanying that notice under this procedure. Washington ER 904: Admissibility of Documents — ER 904(a), (b), (c)(2) and (d), pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Documents within ER 904(a) offered in civil cases under the rule amended September 1, 2026.
- ER 904(c) allows written objections served on all parties within 14 days of notice; relevancy objections may wait until trial under ER 904(c)(2). Washington ER 904: Admissibility of Documents — ER 904(a), (b), (c)(2) and (d), pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Documents within ER 904(a) offered in civil cases under the rule amended September 1, 2026.
Your next step
Check the index fields and your service record, and distinguish papers being filed from document copies being served under ER 904.
Before you prepare the final copies
- Confirm the exhibit number ranges, label position and any sticker colors with the assigned department.
- For audio or video, confirm the receiving channel and playback arrangements before copying files to physical media.
- Review every prepared PDF for complete pages, readable labels, correct descriptions and unobstructed evidence.
- After a replacement or renumbering, check the exhibit list, notice, brief references and every copy you plan to distribute.
Common preparation questions
Can I upload one ZIP file to King County Case Center?
King County Case Center requires one file per exhibit, permits multiple pages in that exhibit, and does not accept ZIP files or partial exhibit identifiers.
Does a Pierce County filing receipt mean the clerk accepted it?
Pierce County Superior Court sends an initial filing-receipt email and a later acceptance or rejection decision after clerk review.
Which documents are filed under ER 904?
Under ER 904(b), file the notice and index with the court; do not file the document copies accompanying that notice under this procedure.
Keep the checklist with your matter
Use the Washington PDF guide when you plan the packet, then revisit the linked sources before submission.
Free Washington Exhibit Guide
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Court-rule updates and exhibit-prep tips, by state
Use the guide as a preparation checklist
- Check the instructions for your assigned court.
- Confirm labels, deadlines, and delivery method.
- Review the finished files before submitting.
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