Spokane Genealogy Records
Spokane genealogy research draws on one of the richest record bases in eastern Washington. Spokane has been the county seat of Spokane County since the city's incorporation in 1881, which means city and county records have grown together over more than 140 years. If you are tracing family history in Spokane, you have access to birth and death returns from 1890, marriage records going back to 1880, digitized land records, court and probate files, and the holdings of the Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch in Cheney. The Washington State Digital Archives makes many of these collections searchable online at no cost.
Spokane Overview
Spokane City Records for Genealogy
The City of Spokane website connects researchers to the City Clerk, who maintains city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records from the city's incorporation through the present. Spokane has been an incorporated municipality since 1881, so the city's own records span well over a century. The clerk processes public records requests for municipal documents and can point you to the right department for specific record types.
For genealogy purposes, the city clerk's records are most useful for tracking civic transactions, building permits, licensing, and government actions affecting families in Spokane. Municipal records often fill gaps when vital records are incomplete or missing. City directories, which are not government records but are often held by libraries, can also place ancestors in Spokane at specific addresses and dates.
The Spokane Public Library and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture both hold historical collections that can complement official records. Researchers working on Spokane family history often combine official records with library and museum resources to build a fuller picture of an ancestor's life in the city.
Spokane County Auditor Records
The Spokane County Auditor is the primary recorder for vital records and land documents in Spokane County. For Spokane genealogy, the auditor's historical holdings are among the most important sources available. The auditor's office has indexed all land records for Spokane County and the index is searchable online. The Spokane County Recording office holds deeds, mortgages, liens, military discharges, maps, and surveys. It also issues marriage licenses and holds older marriage records.
Birth returns from Spokane County, 1890 to 1907, are part of a digitized collection at the Washington State Digital Archives. These records contain an index and images of birth returns filed with the Spokane County Auditor during that period. The collection contains 14,243 records and is fully searchable by parents' last name. Note that the mother's last name in these records will be her maiden name.
Marriage records for Spokane County run from 1880 to the present. Electronic copies of marriage applications and certificates from 1974 onward are transferred to the Digital Archives monthly by the Spokane County Auditor. The complete collection contains 298,988 records. It is searchable by party name with Soundex options for variant spellings.
Note: Documents recorded prior to June 3, 1996, have a ten-digit recording number along with a volume and page number. Documents recorded after that date use a seven-digit number without volume and page.
Washington State Digital Archives for Spokane Research
The Washington State Digital Archives holds digitized collections from Spokane County that are freely searchable online. These are the most accessible starting point for online Spokane genealogy research. You can search by name and date range without creating an account.
The Spokane County birth records collection at the Digital Archives covers 1890 to 1907. The Spokane County birth returns collection was filmed and indexed by the Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch staff and transcribed by volunteers from the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society. Searching by parent's last name yields the best results in this collection.
The Digital Archives collections for Spokane County include birth returns, marriage records going back to 1880, and land records. The database is fully searchable and free to access.
The Spokane County marriage records at the Digital Archives are one of the most complete early vital records collections in eastern Washington, covering 1880 to the present with over 298,000 indexed records.
The City of Spokane's official site provides access to city clerk records, public records request tools, and links to city departments that can assist with historical document research.
Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch
The Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch in Cheney holds original records for Spokane County and ten other eastern Washington counties. For Spokane genealogy, this branch is essential for records that have not yet been digitized. Collections include school census records, tax assessment rolls, court dockets and case files, photographs, maps, plats, and engineering drawings spanning from the territorial period to the present.
The branch is open for in-person research Wednesdays through Fridays by appointment. It is located at 960 Washington Street on the campus of Eastern Washington University in Cheney. The phone number is (509) 235-7500 and email is eabrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. There is no charge to view public archival documents, though fees apply for copies and special research services.
Original Spokane County records at the branch include court case files, probate records, tax rolls, and other materials that predate or supplement the digitized collections. Staff can help you identify which record sets are relevant to your research and provide finding aids to navigate the holdings.
FamilySearch and Genealogical Society Resources
The FamilySearch Spokane County genealogy wiki is a detailed guide to the county's records. It notes that the county auditor holds birth and death records from 1890 to 1907, marriage records from 1890, and land records. The county clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records. The wiki confirms that the Spokane County Courthouse was completed in 1895 and that there is no known history of courthouse disasters, meaning most original records are intact.
The Eastern Washington Genealogical Society in Spokane is a key local resource. The society has contributed to indexing and transcription work for many Spokane County collections. They can be reached at PO Box 1826, Spokane, WA 99210-1826. Society members have expertise in Spokane County records and can assist with specific research questions.
The Library of Congress Washington vital records guide explains which agency holds records based on the date of the event. For Spokane, this means county-level records before July 1907, and state-level records through the Washington State Department of Health after that date.
Statewide Research Tools for Spokane
The Washington State Library genealogy guide points to databases, digital collections, and local resources across the state. The library's research guides cover census records, newspapers, military records, and church records alongside official vital and court records.
The Washington State Department of Health holds certified copies of vital records from July 1, 1907, onward. For Spokane ancestors, this means birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage and divorce indexes from 1907 to the present are available through that office.
The Washington State Genealogical Society at wasgs.org maintains a directory of local genealogical societies and provides research tools for the state. The Washington Rural Heritage project at washingtonruralheritage.org includes photographs and historical documents from Spokane and the surrounding region.
Spokane County Genealogy Records
Spokane is the county seat of Spokane County. All historical genealogy records for this area, including vital records, court filings, and land documents, run through the Spokane County system. Visit the Spokane County genealogy page for a full overview of collections and access points.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Spokane and have their own genealogy records pages.