Find Genealogy Records in Grant County

Grant County genealogy research starts in Ephrata, the county seat in central Washington, where official records go back to 1909 when the county was created from Douglas County. The Washington State Digital Archives holds over 23,000 Grant County marriage records free to search online, covering 1909 through 2003. The Grant County Auditor manages marriage and land records from the county's founding, and the Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg holds transferred archival records for researchers who need older or less digitized materials. This guide covers where to find birth, death, marriage, probate, and court records for Grant County ancestors.

Grant County Auditor and Vital Records

Grant County was created from Douglas County on February 24, 1909, and named after President Ulysses S. Grant. The county seat is Ephrata. The Grant County Auditor holds marriage and land records from 1909. The County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records. The Grant County Recorder Office is at PO Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823, phone (509) 754-2011 x336. Office hours are 8AM to 5PM. No courthouse disasters are recorded for this county, so the record set is intact from the county's founding.

Because Grant County was not created until 1909, its records do not go back to the territorial period the way older counties do. Records for the area before 1909 would be found in Douglas County. If your ancestor lived in what is now Grant County before 1909, start with Douglas County records. After February 24, 1909, Grant County took over as the local record-keeping authority for this part of central Washington.

For post-1907 vital records, statewide registration is handled by the Washington State Department of Health. The state Center for Health Statistics in Olympia maintains records since 1907.

Grant County Marriage Records in the Digital Archives

The Grant County Auditor Marriage Records, 1909-2003 at the Washington State Digital Archives is the main online collection for Grant County genealogy. It contains 23,854 records and includes marriage returns from 1909 to 1935 and marriage certificates from 1909 through 2003. The database is searchable by groom or Person A (last name, first name, middle name) and bride or Person B, with a marriage year range filter and Soundex search. The records were transcribed and proofread by Samantha Robbins, Diane Huckabay, Wendy Williams, Wanda Fujimoto, and Brigid Clift at the Washington State Archives.

This collection is one of the more complete county marriage databases for central Washington and is a reliable starting point for Grant County family history research. If you are searching for a marriage that occurred between 1909 and 2003, begin here before contacting the county auditor or the state archives. For marriages after 2003, contact the Grant County Auditor directly.

Lead-in: The Washington State Digital Archives Grant County collection provides free online access to historical records from Ephrata and communities throughout the county.

Searching the Digital Archives is the fastest way to check for a Grant County marriage record before contacting the auditor's office or planning a research trip.

Birth and Death Records for Grant County

Because Grant County was not created until 1909, birth and death records work differently here than in older counties. The state took over vital registration on July 1, 1907, so Grant County never had a county auditor birth or death register for the pre-statehood period. State-level birth and death records for this area begin with the county's founding in 1909. The FamilySearch wiki for Grant County references Washington County Birth Registers (1873-1965) at FamilySearch, which covers earlier Douglas County registrations for the area.

The county Health District in Ephrata provides copies of birth and death records only for events since 1921. For events between 1907 and 1921, contact the state Center for Health Statistics in Olympia, which maintains records since 1907. Copies can be requested by mail, phone, or in person, or online through VitalChek. Divorce records are available from the county clerk and also at the state Center for Health Statistics.

Lead-in: The Grant County Auditor's website provides current information on recording services and vital record access in Ephrata.

The auditor's office is the local point of contact for current marriage records and can direct researchers to the right resource for older or state-held vital records.

Central Regional Branch and Archival Records

The Central Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives serves Grant County and is located at 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926, phone (509) 963-2136. The branch holds genealogical records including birth and death records from the turn of the nineteenth century, marriage records approximately 1867 to 1997, naturalization records, probate records, and additional records such as pre-statehood county censuses and schoolchildren censuses approximately 1890 to 1932. For Grant County specifically, some records may not yet be transferred from the courthouse; the branch staff can help determine the right location for the records you need.

The branch is open for in-person research Wednesdays through Fridays by appointment only. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays but accepts phone and email requests those days. If you are traveling from outside Ellensburg to do research, contact the branch in advance to confirm the availability of the specific records you need. Email the branch at cebrancharchives@sos.wa.gov with your research questions before your visit.

Note: The FamilySearch wiki for Grant County also lists Department of Health Marriage Certificates (1968-1997) and a Marriage Index (1969-2022) as separate searchable databases, which can supplement the Digital Archives collection for marriages in that date range.

Probate, Court, and Land Records

The Grant County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records from 1909. Probate files name heirs, list assets, and document family relationships. If a Grant County ancestor died with property, a probate case file is worth searching. Court records include all case types in Superior Court, from civil suits to family law matters. The Grant County District Court is at 1525 East Wheeler Road, Moses Lake, WA 98837, phone (509) 765-9209. District court handles smaller civil and criminal matters below the Superior Court level.

Land records for Grant County begin in 1909 with the county's founding. The Grant County Auditor's Recording Division maintains these records. The Digital Archives holds Grant County Auditor Recorded Land Records from various dates, making it possible to search some property records online. Land records help trace when families settled in the Moses Lake or Ephrata areas, how they acquired property, and when they transferred it to the next generation.

The FamilySearch wiki for Grant County is a good reference for understanding which record sets exist and where they are held. It lists Department of Health Death Certificates (1907-1997) and a Death Index (1907-2020), which are useful for tracking Grant County deaths across the full twentieth century.

Cities in Grant County

Grant County includes Moses Lake and other communities in central Washington. Genealogy records for all communities in the county are held at the courthouse in Ephrata and the Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Grant County in central Washington. If an ancestor lived near a county boundary, records may appear in neighboring jurisdictions.