Find Genealogy Records in Island County

Island County is unique in Washington State as a county made up entirely of islands, primarily Whidbey and Camano. Its genealogy records date back to the early 1850s and include birth registers, death records, marriage certificates, land filings, and court records. The county seat is Coupeville on Whidbey Island. For family history research in Island County, the Washington State Digital Archives holds key digitized collections, and the Northwest Regional Branch in Bellingham serves as the physical archive repository.

Island County Records Offices

Island County was created from Thurston County on December 22, 1852, making it one of the oldest counties in Washington. The county seat is Coupeville, located on Whidbey Island. The County Auditor holds birth and death records from 1870 to 1907, marriage records from 1855, and land records from 1853. The County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records. Historical documents at the Recording Department date back to 1853, when the county was first formed.

The Island County Recording Department is at 1 NE 7th Street, Room 105, Coupeville. Recordings are processed Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM on days when county offices are open. The Recording Department website at islandcountywa.gov provides information on current recording procedures. Documents recorded there become part of the permanent public record. The Recording Department also holds official minutes of Board of County Commissioners meetings and other county records.

The Northwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives serves Island County researchers. Contact them at (360) 650-3125 or email nwbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. This branch holds transferred county records and can assist researchers planning on-site visits.

Note: Veterans may record their DD214 Form directly with Island County at no charge and receive certified copies free of cost.

Island County Birth Records

The Washington State Digital Archives holds Island County Auditor birth records from 1891 to 1907. The collection contains 723 records with both index and scanned images. The database is notable for including single records from 1870, 1882, 1909, and 1910 that fall outside the main date range. Also included are delayed birth applications and orders, which were filed later by individuals who lacked documentation of their birth year. These delayed records can be especially useful for genealogists trying to establish exact birth dates for older ancestors.

For best search results, use the parent's name rather than the child's name, since naming conventions varied and index accuracy improves with a known surname. The mother's last name in these records reflects her maiden name. The Soundex option helps when spelling of surnames was inconsistent. These records are open for research at no cost. For questions, contact the Northwest Regional Branch at (360) 650-3125 or email nwbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.

The State Library also holds Island County Auditor birth returns covering the period 1870 and 1891 to 1911 in its NW Microfilm collection. This microfilm set is available through interlibrary loan at participating libraries across the state.

Lead-in: The Island County birth records database at the Washington State Digital Archives is searchable by parent's name, child's name, or Soundex.

These birth records cover the period when Island County's auditor maintained local vital registration before the state took over in 1907.

Island County Marriage Records

The Island County Auditor marriage records in the Digital Archives span 1855 to 1994 and 2001 to present, with a total count of 30,869 records. The collection includes marriage returns from 1930 to 1947 and marriage certificates from 1855 onward. The Island County Auditor transfers records to the Digital Archives periodically, so the online set may not always reflect the most recent filings.

The database is searchable by groom or Person A, and bride or Person B, with a marriage year range filter. Document types include Affidavit of Marriage and Certificate of Marriage. Both types are open for research. The marriage records from 1855 to 1994 were transcribed and digitized by Washington State Archives Northwest Regional Branch staff and volunteers, making this one of the more complete county marriage collections available online. Island County marriage records starting from 1855 represent some of the earliest territorial marriage data in the state.

Lead-in: The Island County marriage records database at the Digital Archives covers over 30,000 entries from 1855 through recent years.

Searching by both parties' names and using the year range filter helps narrow results within this large Island County marriage collection.

Land Records and Census Materials

Land records in Island County date back to 1853, the year the county was established. The Recording Department maintains official real estate documents, deeds, and titles. These records are indexed by grantor and grantee names, making property searches straightforward once you have a surname. Historical documents from the 1853 founding are among the oldest county-level records in Washington State.

Island County is covered in territorial census records for 1870, 1871, 1883, 1885, 1887, and 1889, all held at the Washington State Archives. A state-funded census for 1892 is also available. These territorial censuses were required under Washington Territory law before elections for the territorial legislature. They collected household names, ages, sex, color, occupation, and place of birth, making them useful for placing families in specific locations across the territorial period.

The FamilySearch wiki for Island County also lists Island County Miscellaneous Birth Notices from 1841 to 2000 and Island County Miscellaneous Death Notices from 1833 to 2006, both at the Washington State Archives. These miscellaneous notice collections can capture events that were never formally registered in the official vital records system.

Lead-in: The Island County Recording Department maintains all official real estate records and public documents going back to 1853.

The Recording Department at 1 NE 7th Street in Coupeville processes recordings Monday through Friday during regular county office hours.

Island County Genealogy Online

The FamilySearch wiki for Island County provides a full list of available records and their locations. Beyond birth and marriage records, it references Island County Auditor Professional License Records from 2001 to present at the Washington State Archives. These licensing records document practitioners who registered in the county and can confirm an ancestor's professional activity and residence.

The FamilySearch wiki also notes that the county's death register at the State Library covers September 22, 1891 through January 9, 1907. This early register holds deaths from the period just before statewide vital registration began. For death records after 1907, contact the Washington State Department of Health. The state began tracking vital events in 1907, though general compliance across all counties took until about 1917.

The Washington State Digital Archives main search portal allows you to search Island County collections alongside all other Washington counties. This is useful when family members may have moved between counties. The Washington Secretary of State genealogy page lists all available collections and provides links to the regional branch archives.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Island County. Ancestors who traveled between the islands and the mainland may have records in neighboring jurisdictions.