Sammamish Genealogy Records
Searching for genealogy records in Sammamish starts with King County, the primary keeper of birth, marriage, death, and court documents for this area. Sammamish incorporated in 1999, so records before that date are found through King County archives and Washington State repositories. Whether you are tracing a family line, locating a marriage certificate, or finding an ancestor in a pre-1907 vital register, this guide points you to the right offices and online databases that cover Sammamish and the surrounding King County area.
Sammamish Overview
Sammamish Genealogy and King County Vital Records
King County holds the core genealogy records for Sammamish residents. The County Auditor has birth and death records from 1891 to 1907 and marriage records going back to 1853. The County Clerk holds divorce records from 1886, probate records from 1891, and court records from 1890. These offices are your first stop for records tied to people who lived in this part of King County before and after Sammamish existed as its own city.
King County was created from Thurston County on December 22, 1852. The county seat is Seattle. Before statewide birth and death registration began in 1907, county auditors kept the records. Many of those older records have been digitized and are searchable online through the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov.
| Office | King County Auditor |
|---|---|
| Address | 516 Third Ave., Room W-1033 Seattle, WA 98104 |
| Phone | (206) 296-1655 |
| Court Clerk | King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave, Room E609, Seattle, WA 98104 |
| Clerk Phone | (206) 296-9300 |
Note: Pre-incorporation Sammamish records from the unincorporated King County period are held by King County archives, not by the City of Sammamish itself.
King County Birth Records for Sammamish Research
The Washington State Digital Archives holds the King County Auditor birth records from 1891 to 1907. This collection contains 19,663 records and includes both index and images of the birth register. You can search by mother's maiden name, father's name, or child's name. The Soundex feature helps when spellings vary. These records cover births reported in the county before the state took over registration on July 1, 1907.
The South King County Genealogical Society Extractions Committee transcribed and proofread this collection. That level of care makes searches more reliable. Access the collection at digitalarchives.wa.gov/Collections/TitleInfo/569. For births after July 1907, the Washington State Department of Health holds certified copies. The state also holds Seattle Municipal Health Department death records from 1881 to 1907 and City of Seattle death returns from 1881 to 1907.
For questions about accessing these records, contact the Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch at (425) 564-3940 or email psbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.
Marriage Records in Sammamish Genealogy Research
King County marriage records at the Washington State Digital Archives span from 1855 to 2017, making this one of the most complete county marriage collections in the state. The database covers over 150 years of marriages and is searchable by groom or person A name, bride or person B name, and marriage year. You can find this collection at digitalarchives.wa.gov/Collections/TitleInfo/570.
The King County Recorder's Office holds marriage records on microfilm and microfiche at its main office at 500 Fourth Ave, Room 311, Seattle, WA 98104. The recorder's website provides access to some of these records. For recent marriages, contact the King County Auditor at the address listed above. Marriage licenses issued in the last four months are held by the county auditor; older certificates can be ordered through the Washington State Department of Health.
The FamilySearch Wiki for King County lists the King County Marriage Records 1855-2017 and additional specialized collections including the King County Recorder Military Records and Historical School Districts, Registers and Censuses 1890-1936.
Sammamish City Clerk and Municipal Records
The City of Sammamish maintains municipal records from its 1999 incorporation to the present. The City Clerk handles council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records requests. These are administrative records rather than genealogy records in the traditional sense, but they can document property decisions, zoning changes, and other matters that affect family history research in the city.
You can find the City Clerk's office and submit public records requests through the official Sammamish city website at sammamish.us. Records before the 1999 incorporation date are held by King County, not the city. If you are tracing family history in the Sammamish Plateau area before 1999, go directly to King County resources.
The city itself is a relatively new jurisdiction. The plateau it sits on was unincorporated King County for most of the twentieth century. Earlier settlers in the area would appear in King County records, Washington State records, and federal census data.
The following image is from the City of Sammamish official website, showing city services and public records access for the Sammamish community.
The city website provides the main gateway for current municipal records and public information requests related to Sammamish.
Washington State Archives and Sammamish Family History
The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is one of the best free tools for Sammamish genealogy research. It holds indexed and imaged collections from King County and across the state. Birth records, marriage records, death records, naturalization records, and land records are all searchable by name.
The Puget Sound Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives serves King County and nearby counties. This branch holds original records and can assist with more detailed requests. Researchers can contact the branch at (425) 564-3940 or psbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. The archives building is open for in-person research by appointment.
The following screenshot is from the Washington State Digital Archives King County Marriage Records collection, one of the key databases for King County genealogy searches including records relevant to Sammamish and the surrounding plateau area.
This collection spans 1855 to 2017 and contains over 150 years of King County marriage certificates and returns.
The following image is from the King County Auditor Birth Records 1891-1907 collection at the Washington State Digital Archives, a key source for early vital records relevant to Sammamish area family history.
This collection contains 19,663 birth records and was transcribed by members of the South King County Genealogical Society.
FamilySearch and Other Sammamish Genealogy Tools
FamilySearch offers free access to digitized King County records including probate files, court records, and census data. The King County FamilySearch Wiki lists all available online collections and research facilities. Washington, King County Probate Records 1854-1927 are available there. Naturalization Records 1906-1920 for King County are also indexed.
The Washington State Library maintains a genealogy guide at washstatelib.libguides.com/genealogy. Local research facilities listed for King County include the King County Archives, the Seattle Public Library, and the King County Library System. The King County Library System serves Sammamish residents and provides access to Ancestry.com and other subscription genealogy databases at its branches.
The Washington State Genealogical Society at wasgs.org maintains county guides and can connect researchers with local volunteers familiar with King County records. Federal census records are another major resource. Census enumerations from 1850 through 1940 are available through Ancestry.com and FamilySearch, and they document households in the King County areas that now make up Sammamish.
For vital records issued after July 1, 1907, the Washington State Department of Health is the primary source. Their Center for Health Statistics is at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501, info line (360) 236-4300.
King County Genealogy Records
Sammamish is in King County, and nearly all pre-incorporation genealogy records for this area are held at the county level. King County has one of the most extensive genealogy record collections in Washington State, with courthouse records dating back to the 1850s. Visit the King County genealogy page for more detail on all record types, offices, and online search tools available for family history research in this county.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Sammamish and share similar genealogy resources through King County and neighboring counties.