King County, Washington public records

Q: How do I look up who owns a property in King County?

Use the property search of the King County Assessor: https://blue.kingcounty.com/Assessor/eRealProperty/default.aspx

In King County, deeds are recorded by the King County Recorder; property values come from the King County Assessor; court files are split between the King County Superior Court Clerk and the King County District Court.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

Where to get each record
Deeds and land records
Property values, owners and tax bills
Court records: which clerk keeps which case
Marriage records
Divorce records
Birth certificates
Death certificates
Probate records and wills
Voter records
Historical records
Good to know about King County records
Office addresses, phones and hours
Records that are not online: public records requests
Questions people ask
Official copies vs look-alike sites
Sources

Where to get each record

Record	Office	Search online	Fee
Deeds and land records	King County Recorder's Office⁴	Search deeds²Free search, fee for copies	Uncertified recorded documents, legal size or smaller: $1 per page³
Property values and owners	King County Assessor⁵	Property search⁶	—
Property tax bills	King County Treasury Operations⁷	Tax bill search⁸	—
Court cases	King County Superior Court Clerk's Office⁷ King County District Court⁹	King County Superior Court¹⁰ King County District Court¹¹	Superior Court Clerk copies: non-certified $.50 per page; certified $5.00 first page and $1.00 per page thereafter; exemplified $9.00 first page and $1.00 per page thereafter; expedited $40.00 per case; $10 page-count fee for microfilm records¹⁰
Marriage records	King County Recorder's Office⁴	—	—
Divorce records	King County Superior Court Clerk's Office⁷	—	—
Birth certificates	King County Vital Statistics / Vital Records Office⁷	—	$25 per certificate; mail orders add $4; VitalChek online/phone adds $6.00 agency fee + $11.50 handling; in-person kiosk $28.50¹²
Death certificates	King County Vital Statistics / Vital Records Office⁷	—	$25 per certificate (extra fees by ordering method; mail orders add $4)¹³
Probate and wills	King County Superior Court Clerk's Office⁹	—	—

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in King County are recorded by the King County Recorder's Office (Records and Licensing Services, Department of Executive Services).⁴

Online search: recordsearch.kingcounty.gov/LandmarkWeb²Free search, fee for copies
Cost: Free (search and view); copies for a fee²
Who runs it: Landmark Web (Landmark Records Search), linked by the Recorder's Office at recordsearch.kingcounty.gov²
Years online: Most documents recorded on or after August 1, 1991 (the copy-request page says unofficial images back to 1976 are returned); parcel-ID searches cover 1997 to current²

Copy fee: Uncertified recorded documents, legal size or smaller: $1 per page³
Certified copy fee: Certified recorded documents, legal size or smaller: $3 for the first page, $1 for each additional page³
How to order: Online through Records Search (Log On, add to cart; uncertified copies download immediately, certified copies are mailed within five business days); by mail with the Recorded Document Copy Request Form and check/money order payable to King County Recorder; or in person at 201 S. Jackson St., second floor. Documents recorded before August 1991 are ordered from King County Archives.³

How deeds work in Washington

Property values, owners and tax bills

The King County Assessor sets property values⁵; the King County Treasury Operations (Finance and Business Operations Division) bills and collects the tax⁷.

Property search: blue.kingcounty.com/… (eReal Property Search)⁶
Tax bill search: payment.kingcounty.gov/Home/Index (view account or pay online; service fee for card/e-check payment)⁸
Parcel map (GIS): gismaps.kingcounty.gov/parcelviewer2 (Parcel Viewer); iMap interactive mapping tool²
Appealing a value: King County Board of Appeals and Equalization (independent of the Assessor); file online via eAppeals blue.kingcounty.gov/… or by mail¹⁴

Full King County deeds and property guide: searches, appeals and state rules

How property tax works in Washington

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Court	Cases	Records kept by	Case search
King County Superior Court	Felony criminal, civil, family law (divorce), probate, adoptions, juvenile, paternity, civil protection orders	King County Superior Court Clerk's Office (Department of Judicial Administration)	dja-prd-ecexap1.kingcounty.gov/home KC Script Portal; view in person at no cost; online copies per fee schedule¹⁰Free search, fee for copies
King County District Court	Civil (limited), infractions, criminal misdemeanor cases	King County District Court (limited jurisdiction: civil, infraction, criminal misdemeanor)	kcdc-efiling.kingcounty.gov/ecourt E-Filing and Case Access portal; free portal account required¹¹Free search

Fees: Superior Court Clerk copies: non-certified $.50 per page; certified $5.00 first page and $1.00 per page thereafter; exemplified $9.00 first page and $1.00 per page thereafter; expedited $40.00 per case; $10 page-count fee for microfilm records¹⁰

Criminal records and background checks

Overview: Felony case records: Superior Court Clerk (KC Script Portal); misdemeanor cases: District Court portal (municipal courts handle city cases)⁹

Full King County court guide: each court, its clerk, sealed records and statewide search

How Washington courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the King County Recorder's Office (Records and Licensing Services, Department of Executive Services).⁴

Marriage license: $169 application fee; three-day waiting period; license valid 60 days after the waiting period¹⁵
Copies: Certified copies of recorded marriage certificates: $3 each, from the Recorder's Office¹⁵

Washington marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Divorce (family law) case records are held by the King County Superior Court Clerk's Office; divorce certificates are issued by the WA Department of Health⁷

Washington divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the King County Vital Statistics / Vital Records Office (Public Health - Seattle & King County).⁷

Coverage: All persons born in Washington state, births registered 1907 to present¹²
Fee: $25 per certificate; mail orders add $4; VitalChek online/phone adds $6.00 agency fee + $11.50 handling; in-person kiosk $28.50¹²
Who may order: Qualified applicants only, with photo ID and proof of relationship¹²
How to order: Online or phone through VitalChek, by mail with the county order form, or in person at 201 S Jackson St. Suite 220¹²

Ordering a Washington birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the King County Vital Statistics / Vital Records Office (Public Health - Seattle & King County).⁷

Coverage: People who died in Seattle at any time; in King County 1944 to present; in Washington 2015 to present⁹
Fee: $25 per certificate (extra fees by ordering method; mail orders add $4)¹³
Who may order: Qualified applicants only¹³

Ordering a Washington death certificate

Probate records and wills

Probate is a Superior Court case type; records via the Superior Court Clerk (KC Script Portal or in person)¹⁰

Finding a will or probate case in Washington

Voter records

Historical records

King County Archives holds recorded property documents from 1853 to July 31, 1991 (not plats, surveys or condo drawings) plus County legislation, maps, photographs and records¹⁷

Order: form.jotform.com/… (Archives online order form, linked by the county)¹⁷

Good to know about King County records

Recording in King County (a charter county) is done by the Recorder's Office in Records and Licensing Services, not an elected county auditor.⁷
Online recorded documents start August 1, 1991; older documents back to 1853 are at King County Archives on microfilm.⁹
Free Recording Activity Notification System (RANS) emails a subscriber whenever a land record matching their name is recorded (fraud alert).²
King County Vital Statistics issues birth certificates for anyone born in Washington (1907-present), not only King County births.¹²
Washington birth records from 1949-1967 carry no time of birth.¹²
The Recorder's Office runs a restrictive covenants project page (discriminatory covenants in recorded deeds).⁷

Office addresses, phones and hours

King County Recorder's Office (Records and Licensing Services, Department of Executive Services)

Address: 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 204, Seattle, WA 98104 (King County Customer Service Center, King Street Center)⁷
Mail: King County Recorder's Office, 201 S. Jackson St., Ste 204, Seattle, WA 98104²
Phone: 206-477-6620 (phone hours 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. weekdays); TTY Relay 711⁷
Email: [email protected]⁷
Hours: In person 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. weekdays; recording ends at 3:30 p.m.⁷
Website: kingcounty.gov/…⁴

King County Assessor

Address: King Street Center Customer Service Center, 201 South Jackson Street, 2nd floor, Seattle, Washington 98104¹⁸
Mail: KSC-AS-0708, 201 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104¹⁸
Phone: 206-296-7300 (real property information)¹⁸
Email: [email protected]¹⁸
Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.¹⁸
Website: kingcounty.gov/en/dept/assessor⁵

King County Treasury Operations (Finance and Business Operations Division)

Address: 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104 (in person: King County Customer Service Center, second floor)¹⁹
Mail: King County Treasury, 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98104 (property tax payments by mail)⁸
Phone: 206-263-2890 (Property Tax Customer Service)¹⁹
Email: [email protected]¹⁹
Hours: Customer Service Center open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed King County holidays⁸
Website: kingcounty.gov/…⁷

King County Superior Court Clerk's Office (Department of Judicial Administration)

Address: King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room E-609, Seattle, WA 98104; Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 Fourth Avenue N, Room 2C, Kent, WA 98032²⁰
Phone: 206-477-0691 (Correspondence Clerk, records requests); 206-296-9300 (general)¹⁰
Email: [email protected]¹⁰
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday²⁰
Website: kingcounty.gov/…⁷

King County District Court (limited jurisdiction: civil, infraction, criminal misdemeanor)

Phone: 206-205-9200²¹
Email: [email protected]²¹
Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday²¹
Website: kingcounty.gov/en/court/district-court⁹

King County Superior Court Clerk's Office (probate cases are Superior Court cases in Washington)

Website: kingcounty.gov/…⁹

King County Vital Statistics / Vital Records Office (Public Health - Seattle & King County)

Address: 201 S Jackson St. Suite 220, Seattle, WA 98104 (2nd floor, East Lobby)¹²
Phone: 206-837-0719¹²
Hours: Lobby 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (opens 9 am on the 1st Wednesday of each month)¹²
Website: kingcounty.gov/…⁷

King County Archives

Address: 1215 E. Fir St., Seattle, WA 98122¹⁷
Phone: 206-263-2480; TTY Relay 711¹⁷
Email: [email protected]¹⁷
Hours: Phone/email Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; walk-in lobby Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; research room by appointment only¹⁷
Website: kingcounty.gov/…²

King County Elections

Address: 919 Southwest Grady Way, Renton, Washington 98057²²
Phone: 206-296-8683 (VOTE)¹⁵
Email: [email protected]²²
Website: kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elections⁴

King County GIS Center (Parcel Viewer, iMap)

Website: kingcounty.gov/…⁷

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page: kingcountyexec.govqa.us/… (King County Public Records Request Center); separate portals for Assessor, Council, Elections, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, Superior and District Court administrative records⁹

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in King County?

The King County Recorder's Office (Records and Licensing Services, Department of Executive Services) keeps deed records. To order copies: Online through Records Search (Log On, add to cart; uncertified copies download immediately, certified copies are mailed within five business days); by mail with the Recorded Document Copy Request Form and check/money order payable to King County Recorder; or in person at 201 S. Jackson St., second floor. Documents recorded before August 1991 are ordered from King County Archives. Plain copies: Uncertified recorded documents, legal size or smaller: $1 per page. Certified copies: Certified recorded documents, legal size or smaller: $3 for the first page, $1 for each additional page.⁴³

Can I search King County land records online for free?

Yes, searching is free; copies cost extra. Free (search and view); copies for a fee. The official search: recordsearch.kingcounty.gov/LandmarkWeb²

How much is a birth certificate in King County?

$25 per certificate; mail orders add $4; VitalChek online/phone adds $6.00 agency fee + $11.50 handling; in-person kiosk $28.50.¹²

Where do I get a divorce decree in King County?

Divorce (family law) case records are held by the King County Superior Court Clerk's Office; divorce certificates are issued by the WA Department of Health.⁷

How do I look up who owns a property in King County?

Use the property search of the King County Assessor: blue.kingcounty.com/…⁶

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 King County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in Washington with a full guide: Benton County, Clark County, Cowlitz County, Franklin County, Grant County, Island County, Kitsap County, Lewis County, Pierce County, Skagit County, Snohomish County, Spokane County, Thurston County, Whatcom County, Yakima County. Every county in the state: Washington county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 23 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
Online records search - Recorder's OfficeKing County, Washington
Request copies of recorded documentsKing County, Washington
King County home pageKing County, Washington
County assessor and treasurer websitesWashington Department of Revenue
King County Assessor
Recorder's OfficeKing County, Washington
Property taxKing County, Washington
King County records and requestsKing County, Washington
Accessing Superior Court RecordsKing County Department of Judicial Administration (Superior Court Clerk)
E-Filing and Case Access Portal HelpKing County District Court
Order a birth certificatePublic Health - Seattle & King County
Order a death certificatePublic Health - Seattle & King County
Appealing a valuationKing County Assessor
Marriage licensingKing County, Washington
Register to voteKing County Elections
King County ArchivesKing County, Washington
Contact the AssessorKing County Assessor
Treasury OperationsKing County, Washington
Clerk's Office locations and hoursKing County Department of Judicial Administration
District Court home pageKing County District Court
King County Elections home pageKing County Elections
County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau