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How to Search and Obtain Marriage Records in Washington
Marriage Records in Washington
Marriage records contain basic information about the married couple.
This information includes the names of the two individuals, the date of
the marriage, and the place of marriage. Some marriage records also
include the names of the mothers and fathers of the married couple.
Additionally, some records contain the names of the official witnesses
to the marriage. Some governmental marriage records contain the maiden
names of the mothers of the married couple as well as the place of
residence of the married couple.
A marriage record should not be confused with a marriage license, a
marriage announcement, or a marriage index. The marriage license is the
legal document that was issued to the couple that was married. The
marriage announcement is the public listing of the wedding, in most
cases, in a published newspaper.
A marriage index is simply a list of the marriages within a specific
location, usually an entire state. Typically, such an index includes the
names of the bride and groom, the date of the marriage, the name of the
county in which the marriage occurred, and either the file number of the
license or the volume and page name for a register listing as well as
the location of the marriage record.
In Washington, marriage records are obtained from the county courthouse
office. It is necessary to contact the County Auditor at the local
county courthouse where the records are kept. For lookup fees and the
cost of certified copies, call 360-236-4300.
For a successful search for the marriage records that you are trying to
locate, follow these steps:
1. Print or type each name and address clearly to avoid confusion. This
includes the full name of both the husband and the wife. The maiden name
should be included for the wife. Include nicknames and alternate
spellings that may have been used, but list them as such.
2. Keep your request brief and to the point.
3. Limit your request to one marriage record.
4. Include the full address of the individuals at the time of the
marriage, including street, city or town, and state. If you know the
county in which the marriage took place, include that as well.
5. Include the date that the marriage occurred. If you do not know the
date, include a time frame for the search. Generally, it is best to
specify a short span of years for an unknown year search. You can always
expand the number of years that you search, and a shorter span will lead
to a shorter search. You can expect to pay an additional fee for
searches such as this that require more effort.
6. Include contact information where you can be reached in the event
that more information is required. Include a telephone number, fax
number, or an e-mail address.
7. Include your relationship to the individuals listed in your search
request.
8. Include the reason for your request.
9. Print your name clearly and sign your request. Some states may also
require additional identifying information on you as well. Therefore,
you may want to include your driver�s license number.
10. Include a SASE, or self addressed stamped envelope with your request
for a speedier delivery.
11. Include the date that you mail your request with your
correspondence.
To obtain a copy of a marriage record, contact the County Auditor in the
specific county office where the marriage license was issued. Remember
to provide as much accurate information as possible on the subject of
the search, sufficient contact information, and the required fee.
Providing the necessary information will speed the process up
considerably.
A list of the local county courthouse addresses and telephone numbers
for Washington is provided below in alphabetical order.
Adams County
Adams County Health District
103 West Main
Ritzville, WA 99169-1860
Telephone: (509) 659-0090 Ext 206
Asotin County
Asotin County Courthouse
135 2nd Street
Asotin, WA 99402
Telephone: (509) 243-4181
Benton County
Benton County Health District
506 McKenzie
Prosser, WA 99350-0190
Telephone: (509) 943-2614
Chelan-Douglas County
Chelan-Douglas County Health District
200 Valley Mall Parkway
East Wenatchee, WA 98801
Telephone: (509) 886-6400
Clallam County
Clallam County Dept of Health & Human Services
223 East 4th Street
Port Angeles, WA 98362-3098
Telephone: (360) 417-2303
Clark County
Clark County Clerk's Office
1200 Franklin Street
Vancouver, WA 98660-2872
Telephone: (360) 397-2292
Columbia County
Columbia County Clerk
341 E. Main St.
Dayton, WA 99328-1361
Telephone: (509) 382-4321
Cowlitz County
Cowlitz County Clerk
312 SW First Street
Kelso, WA 98626-1724
Telephone: (360) 577-3016
Douglas County
Douglas County Health District
316 Washington Street
Waterville, WA 98858-0516
Telephone: (509) 664-5306
Ferry County
Ferry County Clerk
P.O. Box 498
Republic, WA 99166-0498
Telephone: (509) 775-3161
Franklin County
Franklin County Clerk
1016 North Fourth Avenue
Pasco, WA 99301-3706
Telephone: (509) 545-3525
Garfield County
Garfield County Clerk
P.O. Box 915
Pomeroy, WA 99347-0915
Telephone: (509) 843-3731
Grant County
Grant County Clerk
P.O. Box 37
Ephrata, WA 98823-0037
Telephone: (509) 754-2011
Grays Harbor
Grays Harbor County Clerk
102 W. Broadway, Room 203
Montesano, WA 98563
Telephone: (360) 249-3842
Island County
Island County Clerk
P.O. Box 1317
Coupville, WA 98239-1317
Telephone: (360) 679-7359
Jefferson County
Jefferson County Clerk
P.O. Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Telephone: (360) 385-9115
King County
King County Courthouse
Vital Statistics -- Birth Records & Death Records
King County Administration Bldg., Rm 214
500 4th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
Telephone: (206) 296-4768
Kitsap County
Kitsap County Clerk
614 Division St.
Mail Stop 34
Port Orchard, WA 98366-4614
Telephone: (360) 337-7164
Kittitas County
Kittitas County Clerk
Auditor's Office
205 W. 5th Ave.
Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Telephone: (509) 962-6811
Klickitat County
Klickitat County Clerk
205 S. Columbus Ave.
Mail Stop CH-2
Goldendale, WA 98620-9286
Telephone: (509) 773-4001
Lewis County
Lewis County Clerk
344 West Main
Chehalis, WA 98532-1922
Telephone: (360) 748-9121
Lincoln County
Lincoln County Clerk
450 Logan Street, P.O. Box 68
Davenport, WA 99122
Telephone: (509) 725-1401
Mason County
Mason County Clerk
Fourth and Alder, P.O. Box 400
Shelton, WA 98584
Telephone: (360) 427-9670, ext. 467 or 468
Okanogan County
Okanogan County Clerk
P.O. Box 72
Okanogan, WA 98840-0072
Telephone: (509) 422-3650
Pacific County
Pacific County Clerk
P.O. Box 67
South Bend, WA 98586-0067
Telephone: (360) 875-6541
Pend Oreille County
Pend Oreille County Clerk
P.O. Box 5000
Newport, WA 99156-5000
Telephone: (509) 447-3185
Pierce County
Pierce County Clerk
County-city Building
930 Tacoma Ave South, Rm-110
Tacoma, WA 98402-2177
Telephone: (253) 798-6418
San Juan County
San Juan County Clerk
P.O. Box 638, Courthouse
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Telephone: (360) 378-2163
Skagit County
Skagit County Clerk
P.O. Box 837
Mount Vernon, WA 98273-0837
Telephone: (360) 336-9311
Skamania County
Skamania County Clerk
P.O. Box 790
Stevenson, WA 98648-0790
Telephone: (509) 427-5141
Snohomish County
Snohomish Health District
3020 Rucker Ave.
Everett, WA 98201-3900
Telephone: (425) 339-5290
Spokane County
Spokane County Vital Records
1101 W College Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
Telephone: (509) 324-1522
Stevens County
Stevens County Auditor
Attention: Recording
215 South Oak Street
Colville, WA 99114
Telephone: (509) 684-3751
Thurston County
Thurston County Clerk
2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, Bldg. 1
Olympia, WA 98502-6045
Telephone: (360) 754-3800
Wahkiakum County
Wahkiakum County Clerk
P.O. Box 116
Cathlamet, WA 98612-0016
Telephone: (360) 795-3558
Walla Walla County
Walla Walla County Clerk
315 West Main Street, P.O. Box 1856
Walla Walla, WA 99362-2838
Telephone: (509) 527-3221
Whatcom County
Whatcom County Clerk
311 Grand Ave.
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
Telephone: (360) 676-6777
Whitman County
Whitman County Clerk
P.O. Box 390
Colfax, WA 99111-0390
Telephone: (509) 397-4622
Yakima County
Yakima County Clerk
Second and East B Street
Yakima, WA 98901
Telephone: (509) 575-4120
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