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Where Can I Print Court Papers? What Washington Courts Want
Where Can I Print Court Papers? What Washington Courts Want
Short answer: you can print court papers at home, at a library, or at a print counter like ours in Monroe. What matters is how they come out. Washington's court format rule, GR 14, says letter-size paper (8½ x 11), print on one side only, a 3-inch top margin on page one, 1-inch margins everywhere else, and no colored pages, highlighting, or colored marks. If you'd rather not fight a home printer, bring the file to The Mail Station's printing counter and we'll print it letter-size, one-sided, in black and white.
Filing a divorce, parenting plan, or small civil case on your own? You probably bought a self-help packet or downloaded forms as a PDF. Now you have to print 30 or 40 pages, and your printer wants to do it double-sided.
We see this at the counter a lot. Someone walks in with a court packet on their phone, worried they'll get it wrong. Honestly, the rules aren't hard. They're just not printed anywhere on the forms, so most people never hear about them.
The rule is called General Rule 14 (GR 14). It covers every court in Washington: Superior Court, District Court, family law, civil, all of it. Here's what it says, what trips people up, and where to print near Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, and Snohomish.
One thing up front: we're a print shop, not lawyers. We can tell you what the rule says and print your file. Which forms you need, and what goes in them, is a question for the court clerk, a courthouse facilitator, or a lawyer.
What GR 14 Says, Line by Line
Here's the rule, quoted from the official Washington Courts copy of GR 14 (checked October 28, 2026).
Letter-size paper only
"The use of letter-size paper (8-1/2 by 11 inches) is mandatory."
Not legal-size (8½ x 14). This one surprises people. "It's a legal document, so it goes on legal paper, right?" Not in Washington.
One side of the page
"The writing or printing shall appear on only one side of the page."
No double-sided printing. That goes for a 6-page motion and a 50-page divorce packet alike.
A 3-inch top margin on page one
"The top margin of the first page shall be a minimum of three inches, the bottom margin shall be a minimum of one inch and the side margins shall be a minimum of one inch. All subsequent pages shall have a minimum of one inch margins."
That big blank space at the top of page one is where the clerk's stamp goes. The official forms are already set up this way. Problems show up when someone types a declaration from scratch and leaves Word on its default 1-inch margins.
No color
"Papers filed shall not include any colored pages, highlighting or other colored markings."
White paper, no highlighter, no colored ink for emphasis. If you highlighted your draft while you worked on it, print a clean copy before you file.
Attachments and exhibits
GR 14 says the rule "applies to attachments unless the nature of the attachment makes compliance impractical." It also says the rule "is not mandatory for trial or hearing exhibits," but it encourages exhibits that follow it when that doesn't hurt legibility.
So don't assume anything stapled to the back gets a pass. If you're unsure whether a page counts as an exhibit, ask the clerk's office.
Local rules can add more
GR 14 applies "in all courts of the State of Washington unless otherwise specifically indicated by court rule." Counties have local rules too. If something about your filing feels unusual, check with the clerk before you print 40 pages.
The Printing Mistakes We'd Steer You Away From
These are the ones that cause reprints.
1. Letting the printer go double-sided
A lot of home and office printers default to two-sided now. It saves paper, and it's exactly what GR 14 says not to do. Before you hit print, open the printer settings and pick "one-sided" or "print on one side."
2. Grabbing legal-size paper
If you keep legal pads or legal paper around for work, it's an easy mix-up. Court filings go on regular 8½ x 11.
3. Printing on the back of scrap paper
We get it. Paper costs money. But if the back of the sheet has an old draft on it, the page isn't one-sided anymore. Use clean white paper.
4. Leaving highlighter or sticky notes on
Yellow highlighter, a pink sticky note, a few words in red pen. All of those are colored markings. Pull the notes and print a fresh copy.
5. Typing your own pages with default margins
Default margins in most word processors are 1 inch all around. That's fine for page two and on. Page one needs 3 inches at the top. If you add a page to a form packet, check this.
6. Shrinking pages to "fit"
Some PDF viewers shrink pages to fit the paper. That can quietly squeeze a 3-inch margin down to something smaller. Print at "actual size" or 100% instead.
Where Court Forms Come From
Most people in Snohomish County get forms from one of these:
The Snohomish County Clerk's self-help packets
The Snohomish County Clerk sells self-help packets (checked October 28, 2026) for family law, parentage, domestic partnership, guardianship, and some civil, criminal, and juvenile matters. The clerk's page says prices run from no charge to $40.
You can buy a packet at the Clerk's Office or online. If you buy online, the clerk emails it to you as a PDF, and the page is blunt about the next step:
"It is the purchaser's responsibility to print out the packets that have been purchased online."
The same page notes that clerk's office staff can't give legal advice or tell you how to fill out forms beyond the packet instructions.
Washington Courts forms
The state's court forms page has many standard forms as free downloads. Same deal: you download, fill in, and print.
Washington LawHelp
WashingtonLawHelp.org has free self-help guides and forms for a lot of everyday legal problems. You still print them yourself.
So getting the forms is usually the easy part. The printing is where people get stuck: no printer at home, a printer that's out of ink at page 22, or a printer that insists on going double-sided.
Where to Print Court Papers Near Monroe
The Mail Station (Monroe)
We print court packets at our counter on Old Owen Road. Here's what we can do and what we can't.
What we do:
- Print on letter-size white paper
- Print one-sided, in black and white
- Print your PDF at actual size, so the margins in your file stay the way the form was made
- Keep your pages in order and hand them back ready to take to the courthouse
What you still own:
- Which forms you need and what goes in them
- Signatures, dates, and anything the clerk or facilitator told you to add
We don't fill in forms or check your filing for the court. If the PDF has the right margins, the printed copy will too. If you typed a page yourself, check that top margin before you send it.
How to get your file to us:
- Upload it from your phone at our print page (files up to 5 MB)
- Email it or use the print quote form
- Or bring it on a USB drive
A big packet? Send it ahead so it's ready when you get here. Court papers are personal, so if you're nervous about emailing, a USB drive at the counter works fine.
Public libraries
Many public libraries have pay-per-page printing. If you go that route, check the print settings before you send the job. Library printers may be set to double-sided, and you're the one making sure the pages come out right.
Other print counters
Print shops around Snohomish County will print your file too. Wherever you go, say these three things when you order: letter-size, one-sided, black and white. Don't assume the counter knows about GR 14.
What about the courthouse?
You file at the Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk's Office in Everett (3000 Rockefeller Avenue). Don't plan on printing there. Show up with your pages already printed. The Superior Court Clerk's page has current office details and fees.
If you aren't sure which packet or form you need, the county has Courthouse Facilitators for family law questions. The clerk's packet page points people to them.
Other Questions People Ask
Can I mix legal-size and letter-size pages?
GR 14 says letter-size is mandatory, so keep everything you file on 8½ x 11.
Can I handwrite my forms?
GR 14 says papers must be "legibly written or printed," so neat handwriting is allowed by the rule. Write clearly, stay inside the margins, and use one side of the page. Since the rule bans colored markings, plain black ink is the safe choice.
Do I need to staple or bind it?
GR 14 doesn't cover stapling or binding. Ask the clerk's office how they want it. We'd skip anything bulky like spiral or comb binding, since filings usually get scanned.
What if my papers don't follow GR 14?
The rule doesn't say exactly what happens. In real life, a problem can mean a trip back to reprint, which is no fun when the courthouse is in Everett and you live out by Gold Bar. Getting the print job right the first time is cheaper than a second drive.
The Short Version
- Get your forms from the clerk's packet, the Washington Courts forms page, or WashingtonLawHelp.
- Fill them in following the packet instructions. Questions about content go to the clerk, a facilitator, or a lawyer.
- Print them letter-size, one-sided, black and white, at actual size. Check the 3-inch top margin on page one.
- File them at the clerk's office.
If step 3 is the one giving you trouble, that's the part we can help with.
Print Your Court Packet in Monroe
19916 Old Owen Road, Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 805-9250
Upload, email, or bring your PDF. We'll print it letter-size, one-sided, in black and white. Questions about which forms you need? We'll point you to the clerk.
Related Reading
Where Can I Print USCIS Forms? Why Immigration Documents Must Be Single-Sided: USCIS has its own one-sided printing rules. Here's how to print immigration forms right near Monroe.
Where to Get Copies Made Near Monroe, WA: when you need extra copies of your filed papers for your records.
Divorce, Separation, or a New Address? How to Protect Your Mail Privacy in Washington: keeping your mail private during a big life change.
More Services
- Printing and copies: black-and-white and color printing in Monroe.
- Document scanning: turn paper records into PDFs.
- Notary: some documents need a notarized signature. Ask the court or the agency first whether yours does.
The Mail Station has served Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, Snohomish, and Duvall since 1982.
Need Professional Mail & Shipping Services?
The Mail Station has been serving Monroe, Sultan, and Gold Bar since 1982. Walk-in printing and copies at our Monroe counter.
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