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How to get a copy of a deed in Washington

Who holds it: County auditor (the recording officer) of the county where the property is located; in charter counties, the county official charged with recording (e.g., King County Recorder's Office, Records and Licensing Services).1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. Older records and indexes
  3. Related records in Washington
  4. How Washington handles it
  5. Deeds in Washington counties with a full guide
  6. Official warnings
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Copy fee

$1 per page (noncertified copies, up to 8.5x14 in.)2

How to search

Search the county auditor/recorder's online official records index where offered (e.g., King County free online records search; parcel search 1997-current) or request copies at the counter or by mail.3

Free search

Fees

Certified copy fee
$3 first page, $1 each additional page (certified copies)2
Recording fee
Statutory base $5 first page + $1 each additional page, plus state surcharges/assessments (RCW 36.18.010(9)-(14)); actual total example: King County "All other documents" $303.50 first page + $1 each additional page; Deed of Trust $304.50.4

Older records and indexes

Years online
Varies by county; example King County: most documents recorded on or after August 1, 1991 are online; earlier records on microfilm at King County Archives.3
Liens: fixture filings
Fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber: county office where a mortgage on the real property is recorded (county auditor).5
Liens: federal tax liens
Real property: county recorder (auditor) where property is located; personal property: Department of Licensing.6
Maps: state GIS portal
Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal, geo.wa.gov (WaTech State Geospatial Program Office).7
Older records: land grants
Land patents, deeds and assessment records are county records held at regional branches.8

How Washington handles it

  • County auditor (not a register of deeds or county clerk) records deeds and issues marriage licenses; charter counties may assign recording to another official (King County Recorder's Office)1

Deeds in Washington counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Benton CountyBenton County Auditor - Recording Division10Search9$1.00 per page (non-certified)9
Clark CountyClark County Auditor's Office - Recording Department12Search11Free search$1 per page (non-certified)11
Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County Auditor's Office - Recording14Search13Copies of non-certified documents $1.00 per page; map copies $1.00 (11x17 or less) / $5.00 (18x24 or 24x36)15
Franklin CountyFranklin County Auditor - Recording17Search16$1.00 per page (copy of a recorded document)18
Grant CountyGrant County Auditor, Recording department20Search19Regular copy: $1.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page21
Island CountyIsland County Auditor, Recording Department22Search22Regular copy $1 first page, $1 each additional page22
King CountyKing County Recorder's Office24Search23Free search, fee for copiesUncertified recorded documents, legal size or smaller: $1 per page25
Kitsap CountyKitsap County Auditor, Recording Division26Search26Non-certified copies $1.00 per page; map copies (18x24) $5.00 first page, $3.00 second page27
Lewis CountyCounty Auditor, Document Recording29Search28$1.00 per page30
Pierce CountyPierce County Auditor's Office, Recording32Search31Uncertified photocopies, legal size or less: $1.00 per page33
Skagit CountySkagit County Auditor's Office - Recording Department34Search34Photo copies $1.00 per page35
Snohomish CountySnohomish County Auditor - Recording Division37Search36Free search, fee for copies$1.00 per page (copy of recorded documents); recorded map $5.00 first page38
Spokane CountySpokane County Auditor - Recording39Search39$1.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page; map copies $5.00 first page, $3.00 each additional40
Thurston CountyThurston County Auditor, Recording Services42Search41$1.00 per page41
Whatcom CountyWhatcom County Auditor, Recording Division44Search43Free search, fee for copies$1.00 per page45
Yakima CountyYakima County Auditor, Recording Division48Search4647$1.00 per page (printed in the Auditor's office)46

For any other county, see the county list on the Washington guide.

Official warnings

  • "State Record Retrieval Board" deed-copy mailer ($87) (Washington State Office of the Attorney General)49
  • National Deed Service mailer ($59.50 deed copy) (Washington State Office of the Attorney General)50
  • Paid DD214 recording services (King County Recorder's Office)4

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Washington office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: deeds and land records in every state. Everything else in Washington: Washington public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. RCW Chapter 65.04 Duties of county auditor (recording)Washington State Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  2. RCW Chapter 36.18 Fees of county officersWashington State Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  3. Online records search - Recorder's OfficeKing County, Washingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  4. Record a document (Recorder's Office)King County, Washingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  5. RCW 62A.9A-501 Filing officeWashington State Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  6. RCW Chapter 60.68 Federal liensWashington State Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  7. State Geospatial Program OfficeWashington Technology Solutions (WaTech)checked November 4, 2026
  8. Common Research SubjectsWashington State Archives (Secretary of State)checked November 4, 2026
  9. Search Recorded DocumentsBenton County Auditorchecked November 5, 2026
  10. Benton County, WA home pageBenton Countychecked November 5, 2026
  11. Document RequestClark County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Recording OverviewClark County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  13. Search Auditor's RecordsCowlitz County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Cowlitz County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  15. Recording Fee SheetCowlitz County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Recording & Records SearchFranklin County, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  17. Recording IndexesFranklin County, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  18. Recording Fees (PDF)Franklin County Auditor, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  19. Public Records | Grant County, WAGrant County, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  20. Recording | Grant County, WAGrant County, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  21. Frequently Asked Questions - CivicPlus.CMS.FAQGrant County, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  22. Island County: Recording DepartmentIsland County, Washingtonchecked November 8, 2026
  23. Online records search - Recorder's OfficeKing County, Washingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  24. King County home pageKing County, Washingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  25. Request copies of recorded documentsKing County, Washingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  26. Kitsap County AuditorKitsap Countychecked November 4, 2026
  27. Kitsap County Document Recording Fees (effective July 27, 2025)Kitsap County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  28. Document RecordingLewis County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  29. AuditorLewis County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  30. Record SearchesLewis County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  31. Recorded DocumentsPierce County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  32. Pierce County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  33. Recording, Excise, and Map FeesPierce County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  34. Recording DepartmentSkagit County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  35. Recording Frequently Asked QuestionsSkagit County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  36. Search Recorded DocumentsSnohomish County, WAchecked November 4, 2026
  37. Recording (Auditor)Snohomish County, WAchecked November 4, 2026
  38. Snohomish County Auditor Schedule of Fees, Effective July 27, 2025Snohomish County, WAchecked November 4, 2026
  39. Recording (Auditor)Spokane Countychecked November 4, 2026
  40. Filing & Fee Schedule (Auditor)Spokane Countychecked November 4, 2026
  41. Look Up Property RecordsThurston Countychecked November 4, 2026
  42. Recording ServicesThurston Countychecked November 4, 2026
  43. Recording (Auditor)Whatcom Countychecked November 4, 2026
  44. AuditorWhatcom Countychecked November 4, 2026
  45. Obtaining Copies of Recorded DocumentsWhatcom Countychecked November 4, 2026
  46. Researching DocumentsYakima Countychecked November 4, 2026
  47. Researching Documents | Yakima County, WAYakima County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  48. RecordingYakima Countychecked November 4, 2026
  49. State Record Retrieval Board warning: junk mailWashington State Office of the Attorney Generalchecked November 4, 2026
  50. Cheaper way to buy copies of property deedsWashington State Office of the Attorney Generalchecked November 4, 2026