Seattle Genealogy Records
Seattle genealogy researchers have access to one of Washington's richest collections of historical records. The city has been a major population center since the mid-1800s, and its records reflect that depth. Birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and naturalization records for Seattle and King County are held across several offices and archives. The Seattle Municipal Archives preserves city records dating to the founding. The King County Auditor holds vital records from the 1850s through the early 1900s. The Washington State Digital Archives provides free online access to many of these collections. Whether you are tracing a family line back to Seattle's early days or searching for records from recent decades, the resources below will help you get started.
Seattle Overview
Seattle Municipal Archives
The Seattle Municipal Archives is a division of the Seattle City Clerk's office. It holds the official historical records of city government dating to the founding of Seattle in 1851. The collection includes city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, election records, and administrative files. Beyond the official government records, the archives also holds historical photographs, maps, building permits, and other materials that document Seattle's growth over more than 170 years.
Genealogy researchers find the Municipal Archives useful for tracing family members who owned property, ran businesses, or were involved in local civic life. Building permits can show when a home was constructed or altered. Voter registration records and election files can confirm addresses and residency. Maps and plat records help researchers understand the neighborhoods where ancestors lived. The archives' online finding aids let you search by topic or date range before visiting in person.
The Seattle City Clerk's office also processes public records requests for current and historical municipal documents. Contact the office directly through the city's website to ask about records that may not be in the online finding aids.
The Seattle.gov website serves as the starting point for city records access. The archives also maintains a collection of digital finding aids and guides for historical research.
King County Genealogy Records
King County is the primary repository for Seattle genealogy records. The county was created in 1852 from Thurston County, and its records reach back to Seattle's earliest years. The King County Auditor holds vital records from before statewide registration. The County Clerk holds court records including probate and naturalization files that are essential for genealogy research.
The King County Auditor's Office is located at 516 Third Ave., Room W-1033, Seattle, WA 98104, phone (206) 296-1655. The Auditor holds birth and death records from 1891 to 1907 and marriage records from 1853. Before 1891, vital events were not formally registered by the county, so researchers must rely on church records, newspapers, and other sources for that earlier period.
The King County Recorder's Office, at 500 Fourth Ave., Room 311, Seattle, handles land records. Plats and surveys from 1870 to the present, deed records, and military discharge papers are all recorded here. The Recorder's website at kingcounty.gov/business/Recorders allows you to search marriage and deed records on microfilm and microfiche. This is a useful starting point for land and property research.
The King County Superior Court Clerk holds probate records from 1891, divorce records from 1886, and court records from 1890. The Clerk's office is at King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave., Room E609, Seattle, WA 98104-2386, phone (206) 296-9300. Probate files often contain inventories of an ancestor's estate, names of heirs, and other details that can fill gaps in a family history.
Note: King County was renamed in 2005 in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was originally named for Vice President Rufus King when established in 1852.
Washington State Digital Archives
The Washington State Digital Archives provides free online access to key King County genealogy collections. Two collections are especially important for Seattle research: the King County birth records and the King County marriage records.
The King County Auditor Birth Records, 1891-1907 collection includes index entries and images of the birth register kept by the King County Auditor. The collection holds 19,663 records, with the bulk falling between 1891 and 1907. Some records include affidavits of correction. When searching, try the parents' names rather than the child's name for better results. The mother's last name appears as her maiden name in these records. The database is searchable by mother, father, or child name, soundex, gender, and year range. These records were transcribed by volunteers from the South King County Genealogical Society.
The King County Marriage Records, 1855-2017 collection covers over 160 years of marriages in King County. It includes marriage certificates recorded by the King County Auditor. You can search by groom, bride, or either party name along with a year range filter. Prior to December 2012, the records use the terms groom and bride. After that date they use person A and person B.
For death records, King County has two separate collections. The Seattle Municipal Health Department death records cover 1881-1907, and the Seattle-King County Health Department death records cover 1891-1907. The Washington State Library holds these early registers in its NW Microfilm collection. Details are available through the Washington State Library Death Vital Records Guide.
The Seattle city website provides the official entry point to Seattle Municipal Archives and city clerk records, where researchers can access finding aids, request records, and explore historical city documents dating to the 1850s.
The Seattle Municipal Archives holds over 170 years of city government records. Its collections include photographs, maps, building permits, and administrative files that support genealogy and historical research.
The Washington State Digital Archives King County birth records collection provides free online access to nearly 20,000 birth records filed with the King County Auditor between 1891 and 1907, covering births throughout Seattle and surrounding communities.
These digitized birth records were transcribed by volunteers from the South King County Genealogical Society and include full-image access alongside the searchable index, making it easy to view original register entries.
The King County Recorder's Office website gives researchers access to land records, marriage filings, military discharge papers, and deed records that stretch back to the earliest years of King County in the 1850s.
The Recorder's microfilm and microfiche collections are searchable online and cover plats and surveys from 1870 to the present, making them useful for tracing property ownership across multiple generations of a Seattle family.
Washington State Archives - Puget Sound Branch
The Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch in Bellevue serves King County researchers. It holds many of the historical records that have been transferred from county offices to state custody. Genealogy collections at the branch include naturalization records, court case files, and records beyond what is available online through the Digital Archives.
The Puget Sound Branch covers King, Pierce, and several neighboring counties. It is the regional facility responsible for digitizing and managing the King County records that appear in the Washington State Digital Archives. Staff at the branch can help you identify which collections exist for Seattle and point you to records that are not yet available online.
Contact the Puget Sound Regional Branch by phone at (425) 564-3940 or by email at psbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. The branch's holdings include naturalization records, early probate case files, and court records that span Seattle's growth from a small settlement to a major city.
King County naturalization records from 1906-1920 are available through the Clerk's office. If you have immigrant ancestors who passed through Seattle in the early twentieth century, these records can document their path to citizenship and sometimes include biographical details not found elsewhere.
The Washington State Digital Archives King County marriage records collection spans 1855 to 2017, covering over 160 years of marriages recorded by the King County Auditor and making it one of the most comprehensive collections for Seattle genealogy research.
The collection is searchable by both parties' names and includes a soundex option that helps when spelling variations appear across older records, a common challenge when working with Seattle's diverse immigrant population.
Additional Seattle Genealogy Resources
The FamilySearch King County genealogy wiki lists numerous online and in-person resources for Seattle researchers. It includes links to King County Auditor birth records, marriage records, land records, plat surveys, military records, and historical school district records from 1890-1936. The wiki also lists local research facilities including King County Archives, the Seattle Public Library, and the King County Library System.
The Seattle Public Library maintains its own genealogy resources including access to Ancestry.com at branch locations. The library's genealogy collection includes local newspapers on microfilm, city directories, and finding aids for local collections. City directories are especially useful for filling gaps when vital records are missing.
The RootsWeb Washington State Genealogical Society King County guide provides detailed contact information for the primary county offices holding genealogy records. It lists addresses and phone numbers for the Auditor, Superior Court Clerk, and Recorder along with notes on what each office holds.
King County probate records from 1854 to 1927 are indexed at FamilySearch. School district registers and censuses from 1890 to 1936 are also available through the Digital Archives, which can help researchers confirm where ancestors lived and worked across King County during that period.
Note: Statewide birth and death registration began in Washington in 1907, with general compliance by 1917. For vital events after 1907, contact the Washington State Department of Health.
King County Genealogy Records
Seattle is in King County. All vital records, land records, probate filings, and court records for Seattle are maintained through King County offices. For a full overview of King County genealogy resources, archives, and contact information, visit the King County genealogy records page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Seattle. Each has its own genealogy records page with local resources and archive contacts.