Rule 80.Court reporters

Group 10: Superior Courts and Clerks · Last amended September 1, 2015 · Last verified July 13, 2026

In one sentenceRule 80 gives Washington superior courts discretion to record civil and criminal proceedings electronically instead of, or alongside, stenographic notes, and requires the judicial officer to make sure every participant identifies themselves for the record.

Full Text of Rule 80

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) [Reserved.]

(b) Electronic Recording. Except as provided in SPRC 3 regarding capital cases, any civil or criminal proceedings may be recorded electronically in lieu of or supplementary to causing shorthand or stenographic notes thereof to be taken. The use of such devices shall rest within the sole discretion of the court. If the proceedings are recorded electronically, the judicial officer shall assure that all case participants identify themselves for the record.

Amendment History

Adopted May 5, 1967, amended June 28, 1967, effective July 1, 1967; amended, adopted June 14, 1984, effective Sept. 1, 1984; amended, adopted April 14, 1987, effective May 8, 1987; amended, adopted Dec. 2, 1993, effective Dec. 24, 1993; amended, effective September 1, 2015.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 80 addresses how a superior court proceeding gets preserved for the record. Subsection (a) is reserved and carries no current text, so the operative content sits in (b) and (c).

Subsection (b) lets a court record civil or criminal proceedings electronically in place of, or in addition to, shorthand or stenographic notes, except as SPRC 3 separately governs capital cases. The choice belongs to the court alone -- a party cannot demand one method over the other. When a court does record electronically, the rule requires the judicial officer to make sure every case participant identifies themselves on the record, since an audio or video recording, unlike a court reporter's transcript, needs voices tied to names before anyone can make sense of it later.

Subsection (c) restates that same identification duty on its own, without tying it to electronic recording specifically. Read together with (b), the rule treats identifying participants for the record as a standing obligation of the judicial officer regardless of how the proceeding is preserved.

The rule's amendment history -- 1967, 1984, 1987, 1993, and 2015 -- tracks the gradual shift in Washington courtrooms from stenographic recording toward electronic recording as the default or common method.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Washington superior court record a civil proceeding electronically instead of using a court reporter?

Yes. Rule 80(b) lets the court record civil or criminal proceedings electronically in lieu of, or in addition to, shorthand or stenographic notes, except as SPRC 3 provides for capital cases.

Who decides whether a proceeding is recorded electronically?

The court. Rule 80(b) states the use of electronic recording devices rests within the court's sole discretion.

What must the judicial officer do if a proceeding is recorded electronically?

Make sure every case participant identifies themselves for the record, as required by Rule 80(b) and restated in Rule 80(c).

Does the identification requirement apply only to electronically recorded proceedings?

Rule 80(c) states the identification duty as its own subsection, without limiting it to electronic recording, so it functions as a general duty of the judicial officer whenever case participants appear.

What does subsection (a) of Rule 80 cover?

Nothing at present -- it is reserved and holds no current text.

Does Rule 80 apply in criminal cases as well as civil cases?

Yes. Rule 80(b) covers both civil and criminal proceedings, subject to the capital-case exception in SPRC 3.

Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Washington Superior Court Civil Rules, adopted by the Supreme Court of Washington. Last verified July 13, 2026. · Official source

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