Washington

Open Public Record Act:

The Washington Public Records Act requires state and local government agencies to provide the public access to all of their records and materials unless otherwise stated by the law. Some exemptions to this law include personal information of students in public schools, personnel records, certain taxpayer information, and investigative records compiled by law enforcement agencies.

Birth Records:

The Department of Health provides certified copies of birth records for births that took place in the state of Washington. At the moment, you are not required to provide identification to request copies of a birth record. You can request for a copy online through VitalChek or by phone. Take note that there will be an additional charge for VitalChek’s services. You can also submit a request in person or by mail. There is an $8 non-refundable fee that is charged for the record search. The total cost of a copy of a birth certificate is $20 if requested through mail or in person. You can choose to receive your copy through regular mail or one of the other shipping options provided.

Marriage Records:

All marriages that took place in the state from 1968 to the present are filed with the Health Department. Marriages that took place prior to 1968 are filed with the County Auditor of the county where the marriage occurred.

At the moment, you are not required to provide identification to request copies of a marriage record. You can request for a copy online through VitalChek or by phone. Take note that there will be an additional charge for VitalChek’s services. You can also submit a request in person or by mail. There is an $8 non-refundable fee that is charged for the record search. The total cost of a copy of a marriage certificate is $20 if requested through mail or in person. You can choose to receive your copy through regular mail or one of the other shipping options provided. Processing times will differ depending on the method you utilized when making your request.

Divorce Records:
Divorce records prior to 1968 are maintained by the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. After 1968, all divorce records are filed with the Health Department. Currently, applicants are not required to provide identification when requesting copies of marriage records.

To obtain a copy of a marriage certificate, you can submit a request by mail or in person to the Health Department. The cost of a copy is $20. You can also order online or by phone through VitalChek. Additional charges will apply for using their services.

Death Records:

Records of deaths that took place in Washington are filed with the Health Department. Currently, applicants are not required to provide identification when requesting copies of marriage records.

To obtain a copy of a death certificate, you can submit a request by mail or in person to the Health Department. The cost of a copy is $20. You can also order online or by phone through VitalChek. Additional charges will apply for using their services.

Missing People:

The Washington State Patrol Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit (MUPU) maintains posters of missing persons reported within the state. Each poster shows the missing person’s photo, name, date missing, physical description, birthday, current age, details regarding disappearance, and contact information of the law enforcement agency handling the case.

Elected Officials:

The elected officials of Washington State can be found listed in the Secretary of State’s website. You can click on the links provided to learn more about each elected official such as US Senator Patty Murray or US Representative for Congressional District 1, Suzan DelBene. If you’re not sure which elected official is serving your area, you can log into the voting information portal of the website to locate the officials based on your address.

Court Records

no links in this area

Recorder