Washington Courthouse Dress Code & Attire Rules (2026)

Short answer: Clean, non-ripped dark jeans are generally accepted for jurors and traffic court visitors, but shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and slides are prohibited across nearly all 10 courthouses in Washington. Updated 2026-11-04

All 10 county courthouses in Washington enforce judicial decorum dress codes: shorts, flip-flops, tank tops, halter tops, pajamas, and hats are prohibited in courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may refuse entry or reset your hearing if you are improperly dressed. Washington Superior Courts (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Clark) allow visitors and jurors to carry silenced cell phones and laptops into the courthouse.

County Courthouse	City	Courtroom dress code	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
King County King County Courthouse (Seattle) “Courtroom Decorum Order (King County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Seattle	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Pierce County Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Pierce County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Tacoma	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Snohomish County Snohomish County Courthouse (Everett) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Snohomish County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Everett	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Spokane County Spokane County Courthouse (Spokane) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Spokane County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Spokane	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Clark County Clark County Courthouse (Vancouver) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Clark County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Vancouver	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Thurston County Thurston County Courthouse (Olympia) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Thurston County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Olympia	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Kitsap County Kitsap County Courthouse (Port Orchard) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Kitsap County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Port Orchard	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Yakima County Yakima County Courthouse (Yakima) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Yakima County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Yakima	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Whatcom County Whatcom County Courthouse (Bellingham) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Whatcom County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Bellingham	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Benton County Benton County Courthouse (Kennewick) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Benton County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Kennewick	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you wear jeans or shorts to court in Washington?

Clean, non-ripped dark jeans are generally accepted for jurors and traffic court visitors, but shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and slides are prohibited across nearly all 10 courthouses in Washington.

How is this courthouse policy data verified?

We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.