Frequently Requested RecordsAn alphabetical listing of various types of records frequently requested from the King County Archives. Many of these records are held elsewhere, and some of these links will take you directly to the repository that holds them. A  B C D E F G H I J K L M N O PQ R S T U V WXY Z
A Adoption records
Annexations
Auditor, King County B Bankruptcy records
Birth certificates
Birth records: non-certified, historical or genealogical
Business licenses
Business [trade] names, changes or updates (DBA) (external link) C
Census records
Certificate of No Marriage (single status certification)
Community Property Agreements
City directories
Condominium and homeowner association documents
Corporation filings
Court case files (Superior Court)
Criminal history records D DD-214 (military discharge papers)
Death certificates
Death records: non-certified, historical or genealogical
Deeds; quitclaim deeds
District court case files
Divorce records E Easements F Foreclosed properties G GIS information H House photographs, historical I Immigration and naturalization records
Immunization information J Jail Inmate Lookup Service
Jail records
Judgments K L Land ownership records and title research
Land Use Decision Case Digest
Landmark designation for historic properties
Law enforcement records
Legal research and self-help (external link)
Liens M
Marriage: copies of records
Marriage: getting married
Mortgages
Motor Vehicle Collision Reports (Washington State Patrol; external link) (Washington State Patrol; external link)(Washington State Patrol; external link)(Washington State Patrol; external link)(Washington State Patrol; external link)(Washington State Patrol; external link)N Name change records O Obituaries P Plats
Police records
Power of Attorney records
Probates
Property research Q R Records retention schedules S Seattle property and land use records
Sex offender search
Short plats
Surveys T Tax appeals
Tax parcel numbers
Traffic citations
U V Vacation orders, plat
Vacation orders, road W Water rights records
Wills X, Y, Z Zoning records and maps
General information:
Boundary Review Board
Yesler Building, Room 240
400 Yesler Way
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 296-6800 Maps and information:
Department of Development and Environmental Services King County legislation about annexations:
King County Archives
Bankruptcy records after 1950:
U.S. Bankruptcy Court (external link)
Access to electronic files (PACER) (external link) Bankruptcy files (Washington State), 1889-1950:
National Archives and Records Administration (external link), Pacific Alaska Region, Seattle Bankruptcy case files, 1870-1877
The series includes case files for eleven bankruptcy cases from the 1870s. The cases were administered under the Bankruptcy Act of 1867 (repealed 1878). Please contact the King County Archives for further information. Bankruptcy law research guide (external link)
Sources of city directories (sometimes called "Polk directories") in the Seattle-King County area include the following: Special Collections Division (external link)
University of Washington Libraries
P. O. Box 352900
Seattle, WA 98195
(206) 543-1929
speccoll@u.washington.edu
List of directories and dates (external link) Seattle Public Library
Central Library (external link)
1000 Fourth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
206-386-4636 Puget Sound Regional Branch, Washington State Archives (external link)
Pritchard-Fleming Building
3000 Landerholm Circle SE, MS-N100
Bellevue, WA 98007-6484
(425) 564-3940
archives@bellevuecollege.edu
Condominium and homeowner association documentsGoverning documents (usually called covenants or declarations) of condominium and homeowner associations are recorded with the King County Recorder's Office. Use the "Record Search" button to access the Recorder's main menu. On the Main Menu page, search for covenants or declarations in either of these places: - In "Official Public Records," under the document types COVENANTS, AGREEMENTS and AMENDMENTS
- In "Land Records: Maps " under the document types DECLARATION OF CONDO and AMENDED DECLARATION OF CONDO.
Find condominium site and building plans: · In "Land Records: Maps" under the document type CONDOMINIUM. Property records relating to individual condominium units can also be found on the Recorder's Web site. Please contact the Recorder's Office with any questions about locating condominium records. Copies of plats, site plans and survey maps for some condominiums and planned-unit developments in unincorporated or formerly -unincorporated King County can also be accessed through the Map and Record Center of the King County Road Services Division.
Corporations currently operating in Washington State:
Office of the Secretary of State
Corporations Division (external link)
Historical King County corporation filings, 1869-1971:
Puget Sound Regional Branch, Washington State Archives (external link)
To access or retrieve a Superior Court case file, you will need a case file number. Depending on the date of the case, there are several ways that you can obtain a file number: King County Department of Judicial Administration - Microfiche indexes are available online but require the ability to download very large file sizes.
Washington Courts (external link) Case file indexes held at the Puget Sound Regional Branch, Washington State Archives (external link): - General indexes (defendant), 1890-1976
- General indexes (plaintiff), 1888-1975
- Civil case indexes, 1890-1892
- Criminal index, 1890-1902, 1962-1977
- Probate case files index, 1854-1977
- Juvenile index, 1959-1978
- Naturalization index, 1906-1928
- index of "In the Matter of," 1940-1975
Criminal dockets held at the King County Archives: - Prosecuting Attorney criminal case file dockets, 1906-1950, 1958-1959
Case files are also found in different locations. Older case files are held at the Puget Sound Regional Branch, Washington State Archives (external link): - Criminal case files, 1889-1972
- Civil case files, 1853-1983 (incomplete after 1972)
Case files for all years are also available from the King County Department of Judicial Administration (Superior Court Clerk's Office).
Some court records can be accessed online through Electronic Court Records (ECR) Online. There is a per-page fee to use this system. Online information includes a case summary, calendar information, and a list of case activities by case number. This system does not include domestic cases (divorce, legal separation, child support, etc.), guardianship cases, or protection orders.
Other historical court records.
Check with the agency responsible for the citation or for maintaining the records. This can be a municipal agency such as the Seattle Police Department (external link) . Other agencies are the King County Sheriff's Department and the Washington State Patrol (external link). General Washington State information about law enforcement and criminal history records is here (external link).
Current District Court case files: Beginning in January 2005, the District Court changed to an all-electronic court records system. Case file information is accessed through the Washington Courts database (external link). For additional information contact: King County District Court
King County Courthouse
516 3rd Avenue, Room W-1034
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 205-9200 Prior to 2005, case records were maintained by the division and court facility where the case was filed: South Division (Kent, Burien); East Division (Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond); and West Division (Seattle and Shoreline). Please contact the appropriate court regarding pre-2005 records. Information about older, historical District (Justice) Court records can be found at the King County Archives Web site.
For divorce decrees in King County for all years, contact: Superior Court Clerk
King County Courthouse
516 3rd Avenue, Room E-609
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 296-9300
clerksofficecustomerservice@kingcounty.gov
For divorce certificates for all counties in Washington State from 1968-present, contact: Department of Health Center for Health Statistics (external link)
PO Box 9709
Olympia, WA 98507-9709
(360) 236-4300
contactchs@doh.wa.gov
For historical divorce records in King County from 1853-1983, contact: Puget Sound Regional Archives (external link)
Pritchard-Fleming Building
3000 Landerholm Circle SE, MS-N100
Bellevue, WA 98007-6484
(425) 564-3940
archives@bellevuecollege.edu Records include: King County divorce case files, 1968-1976 Other divorce case files present in civil case files, 1853-1983 (incomplete after 1972) General indexes (defendant), 1890-1976 General indexes (plaintiff), 1888-1975 Domestic relations index, 1968-1975
Divorce Indexes and Searching Tools |
| 1854-1889: |
The Washington State Digital Archives has citations for early divorce records from 1854-1889 included in their Frontier Justice collection. Make sure to mark Case Type as "Civil." Index will provide you with the names of the plaintiff and the defendant, the year of divorce, and the case file number. Request copies from the Puget Sound Regional Archives (external link). |
| 1968-1979: |
The King County Superior Court Clerk originally kept large ledger books that served as indexes to case files. These books were microfilmed and are now available online. Search for divorces under Domestic case file types. To search, you must browse through images of the original index books, which are organized semi-alphabetically. The case file number can be used to request records from the King County Superior Court Clerk. Warning: these online indexes are very large PDF documents (about 50 MB each) and can be virtually impossible to view unless you have a very fast internet connection. |
| 1968-2004: |
The Washington State Library (external link) has a divorce index for 1968-2004. You can search these records in person, or you can request a lookup online (external link). You can use this information to request divorce certificates from the Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics. |
| July 1979-present: |
Search online for case file information on the Washington Courts (external link) website. You can use this information to request divorce decrees from the King County Superior Court Clerk.
Note: Search results will only provide you with the name of one party, the court of record, the case file number and the date of the record. For more detailed searches you will have to contact the court directly. |
Information about and resources of immigration and naturalization records (external link) 1906 to present:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (external link)
12500 Tukwila International Blvd
Seattle, WA 98168
(800) 375-5283 Selected regions of Washington, 1900s to 1980:
National Archives & Records Administration - Pacific Alaska Region, Seattle
(external link) Historical naturalization records in King, Pierce and Kitsap Counties (dates vary for each county):
Puget Sound Regional Branch, Washington State Archives (external link)
Administration and Public Disclosure
Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention
516 Third Avenue, Room 245
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206-296-7625 Jail medical recordsCompliance Office
Public Health - Seattle and King County
401 5th Avenue, Suite 900
Seattle, WA 98104
206-205-5975
Compliance.Health@kingcounty.gov
Final determination regarding rights of parties in an action or proceeding in a civil or criminal court case: Judicial Administration
King County Courthouse
516 3rd Avenue, Room E-609
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 296-9300 Online case file information:
Washington Courts (external link) Recorded judgments:
King County Recorder's Office
Name change filings:
King County District Court Recorded name change orders:
King County Recorder's Office Change of name case files may also be present in civil case files. Assumed name certificates, 1907-1941 (index, 1907-1916):
Puget Sound Regional Branch, Washington State Archives (external link) Name change research guide (external link) Name change after marriage: guidelines
The Washington State Library (external link) will undertake obituary searches of Washington State newspapers. In Seattle, staff of the Seattle Public Library (external link) offer limited obituary searches to holders of a current Seattle Public Library card. Call (206) 386-4636.
Probate is the process of validating wills and distributing estates as provided in a will or required by law. The King County Law Library provides a list of helpful information for survivors about probate and related matters. Filing and current case files:
Judicial Administration
King County Courthouse
516 3rd Avenue, Room E-609
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 296-9300
Online case file information:
Washington Courts (external link) Historic probate records:
Probate case files, 1854-1961
Case file indexes 1854-1977
Puget Sound Regional Branch, Washington State Archives (external link)
A records retention schedule is a list of public record series approved by the Washington State Local Records Committee. The schedule indicates the length of time the record series is to be retained and when and if such series may be destroyed or transferred to the King County Archives. The schedule also designates record series as essential and/or archival. King County uses two retention schedules:
Washington State Local Government Records Retention Schedules (external link)
King County Unique Retention Schedules [also called the Public Disclosure Index]
County agency assistance in using records retention schedules:
King County Records Management Services
records.help@kingcounty.gov
(206) 296-1572
Recorder's Office Records Search
This link will allow you to search online for many types of official public records. If you do not find the record that you are looking for online, please contact: Recorder's Office
King County Administration Building, Room 311
500 4th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 296-1570
(206) 205-8396 FAX
Customer service questions or (206) 296-1844. Note: In Washington State, official public records are recorded with the County Auditor. In 1969, when King County adopted its home-rule charter, the office of County Auditor was abolished and the recording function was assigned to the King County Recorder's Office. Older documents may refer to the "King County Auditor" or show an Auditor's or recording number that has been stamped or marked. Questions regarding these documents should be directed to the Recorder's Office. The current King County "auditor's office" is responsible for other functions and does not record official public records.
Recorded property surveys:
Recorder's Office
King County Administration Building
500 4th Avenue, Room 311
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 296-1570 Road surveys:
King County Road Services Division
King Street Center
210 South Jackson Street, 1st Floor
Seattle, WA 98104-3856
(206) 296-6548 General Land Office surveys, 1800s:
King County Archives
Water rights recordsLocate water rights records at the King County Recorder's Office. Counties recorded notices of water rights filed prior to the establishment of the state water right permit system in 1917. These notices were not necessarily honored under the state water right system. Additionally, counties record state-issued certificates of water right issued under the state permit system. In researching water rights, researchers should also reference the state water right records of the Washington State Department of Ecology (external link).
Wills filed with the clerk of the court by the executor or administrator of the will after the death of the individual who made the will:
Department of Judicial Administration Recorded wills:
King County Recorder's Office
Current and recent zoning information:
Department of Development and Environmental Services Historical zoning information and records (1937- 1969):
King County Archives
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