Find Genealogy Records in Bremerton
Bremerton genealogy research centers on Kitsap County, where all vital records, court filings, land transfers, and probate cases for this area have been recorded since the county's formation in 1857. Bremerton is the county seat of Kitsap County and was incorporated in 1901. Whether you are searching for a birth record from the early 1900s, a marriage certificate, or a land deed tied to a family home on Puget Sound, the resources below will guide you to the right source.
Bremerton Overview
Kitsap County Genealogy Records
All Bremerton genealogy records flow through Kitsap County. The county was originally formed as Slaughter County from King County on January 16, 1857, and was renamed Kitsap on July 13, 1857. The county seat is Port Orchard, though Bremerton is the largest city. The Kitsap County Courthouse is located at 614 Division Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366, phone (360) 337-7109.
The Kitsap County Auditor holds birth records from 1891 to 1907, death records from 1892 to 1907, and marriage records from 1892. The Kitsap County Clerk has divorce and court records from 1888, probate and adoption records from 1861, and land records from 1857. That range of records covers more than a century and a half of Bremerton-area family history.
The Kitsap County FamilySearch Wiki is a solid starting point. It lists the Kitsap County Auditor Birth Records 1891-1907, Marriage Records 1860-2014, Marriage License Register 1868-1890, Marriage License Application Affidavits 1905-1986, Recorded Land Records 1987-2014, Recorded Agreements and Contracts, and Plats and Surveys. It also references naturalization records from 1906-1910 and 1929-1955 held by the County Clerk.
Note: The original images for the Kitsap County birth records were created from microfilm, and the originals no longer exist. The Digital Archives versions are the best available copies of these early records.
Bremerton Genealogy at the Washington State Digital Archives
The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov has digitized Kitsap County records going back to the 1860s. These are free to search and include scanned images of original documents.
The Kitsap County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907 collection contains 1,042 records. These are birth returns reported to the county auditor. For best results, search by the names of the parents rather than the child. The mother's last name will be her maiden name. The records were indexed by local volunteers including Perry Prescott, Bert Pedersen, Mary Anne Marriett, and others. The Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch at (425) 564-3940 can answer questions about this collection.
The Kitsap County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1860-2014 collection is large, with 153,158 records. It covers marriage returns from 1900 to 1910 and certificates from 1860 to 2014. Document types include standard marriages, marriage applications, prenuptial agreements, community property agreements, and amended marriages. Search by groom or bride name with Soundex options. Records from after December 6, 2012 use the terms "Person A" and "Person B" rather than groom and bride.
Library and Society Resources in Kitsap County
The Kitsap Regional Library is a strong local resource for Bremerton genealogy. The library helps patrons find obituaries, locate genealogy items in the Kitsap County collection, and access microfilm archives. The microfilm collection is held at the Sylvan Way and Bainbridge Island branches.
Available resources at the library include Ancestry.com (available only at Kitsap Regional Library locations), FamilySearch with expanded access at the Sylvan Way branch, and Fold3 for U.S. military records. The library partners with the Puget Sound Genealogical Society, which maintains an extensive genealogical collection at the Genealogy Center at Sylvan Way.
The library notes that the Kitsap County Auditor's Office holds death records prior to July 1, 1907, marriage records prior to January 1, 1968, and deeds. The Kitsap County Clerk holds divorce records. This is a useful breakdown for researchers who want to know which county office to contact for a specific type of record.
The Washington State Library Death Vital Records Guide at washstatelib.libguides.com lists the Kitsap County Auditor's register of births covering November 12, 1891 through June 23, 1907, and the register of deaths covering February 20, 1892 through May 16, 1907. The State Library holds these registers in its NW Microfilm collection.
Kitsap County Vital Records Collections Online
The Kitsap County marriage records database at the Digital Archives is one of the most comprehensive county-level genealogy collections in Washington State, spanning more than 150 years of marriage records for the Bremerton area.
The searchable interface allows researchers to look up records by both parties' names and filter by year range, making it practical to narrow down a search even without an exact date.
The Kitsap County birth records collection at the Digital Archives contains early birth returns from the county auditor's office. These records are especially useful for tracing families in Bremerton before statewide vital registration began in 1907.
Birth records in this era were not always complete, but the collection does include some records outside the 1891-1907 range. Check the full collection even if the date you are searching falls slightly outside that window.
The Kitsap Regional Library genealogy resources page links to additional tools for researching families in the Bremerton area, including access to Ancestry.com and local obituary files that are not available elsewhere online.
The library's partnership with the Puget Sound Genealogical Society means that collections at the Sylvan Way branch include society-maintained files that can fill gaps in the official county record system.
Vital Records from 1907 Forward
After statewide registration began on July 1, 1907, birth and death records moved from the county auditor to the state. Researchers looking for Bremerton family records from 1907 to the present should start with the Washington State Department of Health.
The Department of Health Center for Health Statistics is at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501. Marriage records from January 1, 1968 forward are also held at the state level. For marriage records predating 1968, the Kitsap County Auditor is the right contact. The Washington Genealogy vital records guide at washingtongenealogy.com/vital lays out these distinctions clearly.
The City of Bremerton website at bremertonwa.gov connects researchers to the City Clerk, who maintains city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records from incorporation in 1901 to the present. Public records requests can be submitted under RCW 42.56. Municipal records are not vital records but can sometimes help place a family at a specific address or document property ownership.
Kitsap County Genealogy Records
Bremerton is the largest city in Kitsap County, and all genealogy records for the area are filed through the county system. Visit the Kitsap County page for a full breakdown of available collections, archives, and contacts.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Bremerton. Each files genealogy records through its own county system.