Tacoma Genealogy Records
Tacoma genealogy records span birth, death, marriage, land, and court documents held at Pierce County offices and the Washington State Digital Archives. As the county seat of Pierce County, Tacoma has been a center for records-keeping since the county's formation in 1852. Researchers can find digitized vital records online and access fuller case files in person at the County Auditor and County Clerk. The Tacoma Municipal Archives also holds city records dating to the city's founding in 1884, covering ordinances, council minutes, photographs, and building permits that round out family history research.
Tacoma Overview
Tacoma Genealogy Vital Records
Vital records for Tacoma and the surrounding Pierce County area are split between two main sources depending on the date. Before July 1, 1907, birth and death records were filed with the Pierce County Auditor. From that date forward, the Washington State Department of Health took over statewide registration. Marriage records follow a slightly different split: the county auditor holds marriage records up through 1967, and the state holds records from 1968 onward.
The Washington State Digital Archives has digitized a large part of the early Pierce County vital records. The Pierce County Auditor Birth Records, 1891-1907 collection includes both an index and images of birth returns. These records were imaged by the Genealogical Society of Utah and indexed by the Eastern Regional Branch. For related records or help with questions, contact the Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch at (425) 564-3940 or psbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.
Death records follow the same path. The Pierce County Auditor Death Records, 1892-1907 are available online with an index and images. If you need records after 1907, the Washington State Department of Health Death Certificates (1907-1997) and Death Index are also available through the Digital Archives.
For marriage records, the Pierce County Auditor Marriage Records, 1876-1947 and 1984-2025 collection is one of the most useful for Tacoma family research. The database is searchable by groom and bride names with year filters and Soundex options. County courthouse records for Pierce County date from 1852, so there is quite a lot to work with.
Note: Marriage records from 1948 through 1983 are not included in the current online collection; researchers who need that period should contact the Pierce County Auditor directly.
Pierce County Auditor and Clerk
The Pierce County Auditor is the main office for land and marriage records. They serve as the county recorder, maintaining deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, plats, and surveys. Certified copies of recorded documents and marriage certificates are available for a fee. The office provides online document search capabilities for recent years. For vital records before July 1, 1907, contact the Washington State Archives or the Pierce County Auditor's historical records division. The auditor's website is at piercecountywa.gov/Auditor.
The Pierce County Clerk is the official custodian of court records including divorce, probate, and civil and criminal cases. Divorce records are held at the clerk's office and go back to 1890. Probate case files from earlier periods are also available. The Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society has indexed many of these records in their publication "The Researcher," covering volumes from 1969-2013. That index includes materials from bibles, cemeteries, census, churches, courts, funeral homes, land, military, naturalizations, probate abstracts, schools, taxes, vital records, and voter registration.
Washington State Digital Archives for Tacoma
The Washington State Digital Archives is a free online resource that holds millions of records from counties across the state. For Tacoma genealogy research, the most relevant Pierce County collections cover birth returns (1891-1907), death records (1892-1907), and marriage records in two ranges (1876-1947 and 1984-present). Land records are also available online for more recent periods, including Plats and Surveys from 1973 and 1984-2023 and Recorded Land Records from 1984-2023.
The City of Tacoma's website at cityoftacoma.org connects researchers to the City Clerk and the Tacoma Municipal Archives. The Municipal Archives holds historical photographs, maps, building permits, and administrative records going back to the city's founding. If you are tracing a family member who worked for the city or owned property in Tacoma, these city-level records can fill gaps left by county records.
The FamilySearch Wiki page for Pierce County, Washington Genealogy provides a thorough guide to all available collections. It lists special collections such as the Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society indexes and notes the McNeil Island Area Register of Births (1914-1923), which covers a Pierce County correctional institution and can be useful for certain research scenarios.
The city of Tacoma was incorporated in 1884 and serves as the county seat of Pierce County. The Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society's service area is broad and includes Tacoma, Ruston, University Place, Lakewood, DuPont, Roy, Parkland, Spanaway, Elk Plain, Sumner, Prairie Ridge, Carbonado, Buckley, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Orting, and other nearby communities.
Tacoma Records and Archives Online
The City of Tacoma maintains an official website with connections to city-level genealogy resources and public records. The screenshot below was captured from the official city site.
The City of Tacoma's official portal is a starting point for accessing City Clerk records, municipal ordinances, and historical photographs held in the Tacoma Municipal Archives.
Washington State Archives: Puget Sound Branch
The Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch in Bellevue holds many Pierce County records that have not yet been digitized. This includes original court case files, naturalization records, school district records, and earlier land records. Researchers can visit by appointment or contact staff at (425) 564-3940 or psbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov to ask about specific collections before making the trip.
For records after July 1, 1907, the Washington State Department of Health holds birth and death certificates. Their office can be reached through doh.wa.gov. Certified copies of state vital records cost $25 per certificate and can be ordered online, by mail, or in person. Only people with qualifying relationships to the person on record can receive a certified copy; non-certified informational copies are available to anyone.
The Washington State Library maintains a genealogy research guide at washstatelib.libguides.com/genealogy. It lists statewide resources including newspaper archives, city directories, and links to county-level collections. The Library of Congress also maintains a Washington State guide at guides.loc.gov/washington-state-guides for broader research context.
Note: The Washington Rural Heritage project at washingtonruralheritage.org has digitized historical photographs and documents from libraries and museums across the state, some of which relate to Pierce County and Tacoma.
Tacoma Genealogical Society and Local Resources
The Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society is the primary local organization for family history research in the Tacoma area. They maintain an online index to Pierce County records published in "The Researcher" from 1969-2013. The index covers records from bibles, cemeteries, census, churches, courts, funeral homes, land, military, naturalizations, probate abstracts, schools, taxes, and vital records. The society offers lookups from its indexes, research services, and copies of obituaries for a fee.
The society's website lists cemeteries, schools, and veterans' graves in Pierce County. For researchers tracing families in communities outside Tacoma but still in Pierce County, their index is one of the best local tools available. Their service area covers dozens of communities in and around Tacoma.
FamilySearch Centers in the greater Puget Sound area can assist with research too. The Washington State Genealogical Society at wasgs.org maintains resources for all Washington counties and can help direct research to the right collections. Their RootsWeb pages for Pierce County list records inventory details for the county auditor's and clerk's offices.
Pierce County Genealogy Records
Tacoma is the county seat of Pierce County. All vital records, land records, court records, and probate files for Tacoma and the surrounding area are maintained through Pierce County offices. The county page has more detail on specific collections, addresses, and how to request records.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Tacoma. Each one has its own genealogy records page with details on local offices and collections.