Search Lacey Washington Genealogy
Lacey genealogy research requires working with both city records and Thurston County resources. The City of Lacey has maintained municipal records since its 1966 incorporation, and the City Clerk holds council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public documents from that period forward. For vital records, land filings, and court documents — especially anything predating 1966 — Thurston County offices and the Washington State Digital Archives are the key sources. This guide covers where to find genealogy records for Lacey families across all time periods.
Lacey Overview
Lacey City Clerk Records
The City of Lacey incorporated in 1966 from unincorporated Thurston County. The City Clerk maintains city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records from 1966 through the present. For genealogy research, city records can document family ties to city institutions, property within city limits, and local government decisions going back nearly 60 years.
Pre-incorporation records covering the Lacey area before 1966 are held by Thurston County. County offices hold land records, vital records, and court files for the area going back to Thurston County's founding in 1852. Researchers tracing ancestors who lived in the area before Lacey became a city should start with county-level resources rather than the city clerk.
| Office | City of Lacey City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Website | cityoflacey.org |
| Records Held | Council minutes, ordinances, resolutions (1966–present) |
| Pre-1966 Records | Thurston County offices |
Lacey Records and Sources
The City of Lacey website provides access to City Clerk services and municipal documents from the city's 1966 incorporation through the present.
The city's online portal is the primary gateway for records requests tied to Lacey government actions and municipal history since incorporation.
The FamilySearch Wiki for Thurston County covers available records in depth. Thurston County was created January 12, 1852, from Clark County; the county seat is Olympia. The wiki notes that marriage records date from 1877 and court records from 1852.
The FamilySearch Wiki is a thorough guide for understanding which Thurston County record types survive, where they are held, and which collections are available online at no cost.
Thurston County Vital Records
Lacey is in Thurston County, and county offices hold the primary genealogy resources. The Thurston County Auditor is located at 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501, phone (360) 786-5224. The office holds birth and death records from 1891 to 1907, marriage records from 1891, and real property records from 1852 onward. The County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records. The Thurston County Courthouse is at 2000 Lakeridge Dr SW, Olympia, WA 98502, phone (360) 786-5560.
Vital records for Thurston County at the Washington State Digital Archives include birth and death registers from 1891 to 1907. The FamilySearch Wiki notes that marriage records available online include 1852-1857 Thurston County First Record Book at Washington State Archives, 1891-1898 and 1970-2022 Thurston County Auditor Marriage Records at Washington State Archives, and 1927-1950 Thurston County Auditor Marriage Certificates at Washington State Archives. Death records include 1891-1907 Thurston County Auditor Death Records at Washington State Archives. Divorce case files from 1889 to 1952 are at the FamilySearch Library.
Birth records before July 1, 1907 in Thurston County are held by the County Auditor. After July 1, 1907, birth and death records moved to state oversight. For vital records from July 1907 onward, the Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501 handles requests. Marriage certificates from January 1, 1968 to four months ago are available from the Center for Health Statistics; older marriage records go through the county auditor.
Note: In 1891, coroners, physicians, and midwives were required to report births and deaths to the county auditor, but many went unrecorded. Records from this early registration period may be incomplete or missing for some families.
Washington State Archives Southwest Branch
The Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch serves Thurston County along with Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties. The branch holds records transferred from county offices for long-term preservation. This includes court records, naturalization files, probate records, land records, and commissioner proceedings.
The Southwest Regional Branch is located at 1129 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA 98504. Mailing address: Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch, PO Box 40238, Olympia, Washington 98504-0238. Email: swbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. Phone: (360) 753-1684. Research hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday excluding state holidays. There are three free parking spaces in front of the building; additional parking is available at $1.50 per hour on Level P1 of the nearby parking lot. There is no charge to view public archival documents; fees apply for copies and special research services.
For Lacey genealogy, the Southwest Branch holds Thurston County records that may not be available online, including original court case files, older probate records, and naturalization records. The branch is particularly close to Lacey since it is located in Olympia, making it convenient for in-person research visits.
Thurston County Historical Records
The RootsWeb Thurston County resources note that all original records have been relocated to the Southwest Washington Branch Archives in downtown Olympia; genealogical societies have microfilms of this information. Birth and death records from 1891 to June 30, 1907 are at the Thurston County Auditor's office. Marriage records from 1844 to the present are at the Thurston County Auditor's office. Real property records from 1852 to the present are at the Thurston County Auditor's office.
Naturalization records for Thurston County are extensive. The FamilySearch Wiki lists online indexes including 1834-1974 Thurston County Naturalization Records at FamilySearch, 1849-1853 and 1906-1974 Thurston County Clerk Naturalization Records at Washington State Archives, and 1850-1974 Indexes to Naturalization Records of the Thurston County Territorial and Superior Courts at FamilySearch. These records often contain country of origin, former names, date of arrival, and other details useful for connecting U.S. family lines to ancestors abroad.
School records at the Washington State Archives include 1899-1932 Thurston County Historical School Districts, Registers and Censuses, which can document family presence in specific communities over time. The Olympia Funeral Records from 1901 to 1912 are also at the Archives with index and images, useful for tracing deaths in Thurston County during that period.
Land, Probate, and Court Records
Land records for the Lacey area are held by the Thurston County Auditor. Online indexes at the Washington State Digital Archives include the 1852-1857 Thurston County First Record Book, 1855-2022 Plats and Surveys, 1900-2022 Recorded Land Records, and 1979-2022 Recorded Agreements and Contracts. For land transactions predating these online indexes, contact the Thurston County Auditor or the Southwest Regional Branch.
Probate records from 1853 to 1970 and indexes from 1887 to 1949 were filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are accessible through FamilySearch. Probate files include wills, estate inventories, guardianship records, and family correspondence. The Thurston County Clerk holds probate files from 1970 onward. Field books including chain of title from 1961 to the present are at the Thurston County Assessor's office.
Excise affidavits from 1951 to the present and real and personal property tax records from 1977 to the present are at the Thurston County Treasurer's office. Military discharges are held at the Thurston County Auditor's office. These records can supplement vital records when tracking family members' movements and property ownership.
Thurston County Genealogy Records
Lacey is in Thurston County. Vital records, land documents, and court files for the area run through Thurston County offices and the Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch in Olympia. The Thurston County page covers the full range of available genealogy resources.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Lacey. Each has its own genealogy resources through Thurston County and neighboring counties.