Washington Marriage Records Search

Hundreds of thousands of marriages are concluded annually in Washington, United States. It is no secret that every marriage is accompanied by a set of marriage-specific documents called marriage records. 

Marriage records in Washington are in high demand for all married couples as they enable many procedures. If the couple wants to immigrate or purchase a property together, they need Washington marriage records. 

Additionally, marriage records in Washington are required when a couple needs to determine who will have custody over a child. 

If you are not sure how to find marriage records online in Washington and what are the ways to run a free marriage records search, keep reading this article.

Washington Marriage Records

Understanding which documents belong to Washington marriage records is essential before running a Washington marriage records search. 

Knowing which documents must be looked for will speed up the search of the Washington marriage records online and in person. 

Washington marriage records are represented by a marriage license (a document authorizing the couple to get married) and a marriage certificate (an official marriage proof issued on the day of the marriage). 

In essence, both of these documents are considered Washington marriage records. However, marriage licenses cannot serve as legal marriage proof for the majority of state institutions. 

On the contrary, a marriage certificate is an official marriage proof accepted by all legal institutions, such as banks, social security, etc. 

The reason is that, as a rule, a marriage certificate contains personal information about the spouses and the witnesses, their occupation, religious denomination, and date and place of marriage.

Who Is Eligible to Run a Washington Marriage Records Search?

According to state law, marriage records in Washington are public, which is why they are easily accessible to everybody who has turned 18. 

Nonetheless, to run a Washington marriage records search, you have to cover the fee and submit a written request to run a Washington marriage records search. Every county establishes the fee amount. 

As a rule, there are multiple ways to pay fees to find Washington marriage records online, such as checks, credit cards, money orders, or cash. 

However, if you want to find Washington marriage records online, you must pay the fee with one of the online options. Regarding the written application request to run a Washington marriage records search, you must have the following information ready:

• Your personal information (in case you are a requestor)
• Your contact information
• First and last names of the spouses and their birthdates
• The reason for running the Washington marriage records search (e.g., application for spousal benefits, property purchase, etc.)
• Proof of your relationship with the spouses whose marriage records in Washington you are aiming to obtain
• Your ID or military-issued ID photo
• Date and place of the marriage

How to Find Marriage Records Online in Washington?

There are multiple possibilities to find marriage records in Washington: online, in-person, via phone, mail, or email. 

However, running a Washington marriage record to search in person might be pretty time-consuming and challenging, which is why finding Washington marriage records online can be a good idea. 

If you are wondering how to find marriage records online in Washington and if there are ways to run a free marriage records search, pay attention to the three websites mentioned below. 

We always recommend running a Washington marriage records search on both state-run and private search platforms to ensure the accuracy of the information found.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | (cdc.gov)

The CDC website should be the first platform you use when intending to run a Washington marriage records search. The website offers all relevant information on the centers and websites where you can run a free marriage records search. 

Additionally, the website represents a platform enabling requestors to run a free marriage records search. However, it only redirects them to the official marriage records search websites. 

Washington State Library Website | (www.sos.wa.gov)

Washington State Library website is the only state platform that enables direct Washington marriage records search. 

Having paid the fee and submitted a written request to run a Washington marriage records search, the website allows one to amend and download Washington marriage records online. 

Please note that this platform does not offer the possibility of running a free marriage records search.

Independent Platform | (backgroundcheck.co)

Even though marriage records in Washington contain a lot of essential information, they do not provide a big picture of the spouses. 

This is why most requestors prefer backing up the Washington marriage records search with some background information on the employment and education of the spouses, their contact information, and occasionally their civil and criminal records (if any).

This article has examined how to find marriage records online in Washington, such as the age and general requirements to run a Washington marriage records search. 

If you still have questions, contact a local county clerk or state health department.