Find Genealogy Records in Pend Oreille County
Pend Oreille County is in the far northeast corner of Washington State, bordering both Idaho and Canada. Genealogy records for this county go back to 1911 when the county was formed from Stevens County. The Washington State Archives Digital Archives holds birth records from 1903 and marriage records from 1911 through 2005. This page covers the key sources for Pend Oreille County family history research, from the county auditor in Newport to the regional archives and local genealogical societies that serve the area.
Pend Oreille County Overview
Pend Oreille County Auditor Office
The Pend Oreille County Auditor serves as the custodian of all recorded documents for the county. This includes real estate records, liens, military discharge papers, maps, surveys, and marriage licenses. For genealogy researchers, the auditor's recording department is a key stop for land records, marriage certificates, and related legal documents.
The official website is pendoreille.gov. The recording department page at pendoreille.gov/auditor/page/recording explains the document numbering system and copy fees. Documents recorded before June 3, 1996, have up to six digits plus a book and page number. Documents recorded after that date use an eleven-digit number starting with the year. Documents from 1997 to the present can be searched online without a login.
Copy fees are straightforward. Photocopies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies run $3.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. Once a document is recorded with the auditor, it becomes a permanent part of Pend Oreille County's official records and cannot be unrecorded.
| Office | Pend Oreille County Auditor - Recording Department |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Newport, WA |
| Website | pendoreille.gov |
| Recording Page | pendoreille.gov/auditor/page/recording |
| Copy Fees | $1.00/page (uncertified); $3.00 first page + $1.00 each additional (certified) |
Pend Oreille County Records in the Digital Archives
The Washington State Archives Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov holds two main collections for Pend Oreille County. Both are free to search and include index data and scanned images of original documents. These are excellent starting points for Pend Oreille County genealogy research before contacting the auditor or archives directly.
The Pend Oreille County Auditor Birth Records, 1903-1923 hold 1,812 records. By law, birth records are restricted for 100 years; additional records will become available as they reach the end of the restriction period. For the best search results, use the parents' last name. The mother's last name in these records will typically be her maiden name. The records were filmed and indexed by Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch staff. Pend Oreille County was formed in 1911 from Stevens County, but birth records go back to 1903 because some records from the pre-county period were transferred over.
The Pend Oreille County Auditor Marriage Records, 1911-2005 hold 13,721 records. This is a large collection that spans nearly a century of marriages. It includes index and images for certificates recorded from 1911 through 2005, plus a marriage statistics book index covering 1911-1947. The records were digitized and indexed by Eastern Region Branch staff and volunteers from the Eastern Washington Genealogy Society.
The Pend Oreille County official website provides access to county departments including the auditor's recording portal for land records and marriage documents dating from the county's formation in 1911.
Note: The marriage record database can be searched by groom or bride name with year filters and Soundex options. Soundex helps find name spelling variations common in older records.Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch
The Eastern Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives holds the original microfilm and digital transfers for Pend Oreille County's birth records (1903-1923) and marriage records (1911-2005). Researchers who need to see original documents or look for records not yet digitized can contact this branch directly.
The branch serves Pend Oreille, Stevens, Spokane, Lincoln, Whitman, Asotin, Garfield, Columbia, and Walla Walla counties. Reach them at (509) 235-7508 or eabrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. The branch can assist with questions about uncataloged holdings, research visits, and records that have not made it into the online database yet.
The Pend Oreille County Recording Department page explains copy fees, document numbering, and online search access for land and marriage records from 1997 to the present.
Northeast Washington Genealogical Society
The Northeast Washington Genealogical Society is the primary genealogical resource for Pend Oreille County researchers. The society is based in Stevens County and serves the broader northeast Washington region including Pend Oreille, Ferry, and Stevens counties. Researchers can contact the society through the Colville Public Library at 195 S Oak, Colville, WA 99114.
The society can assist with regional records, cemetery indexes, obituaries, and local histories related to the Newport, Cusick, and Metaline Falls areas of Pend Oreille County. These local collections often contain information that does not appear in state-level databases or digitized vital records. If you are stuck on a Pend Oreille County ancestor, reaching out to this group is worth the effort.
The Pend Oreille County birth records collection in the Digital Archives covers 1903 through 1923 and holds 1,812 indexed and imaged records for family history research.
What to Expect from Pend Oreille County Research
Because Pend Oreille County was only created in 1911, county-level records start later than most Washington counties. For families who lived in the region before 1911, check Stevens County records, since that is where Pend Oreille was carved from. The Eastern Regional Branch holds original records for both counties and can help researchers trace families across the county line.
Land records, property tax rolls, and assessment records for the Pend Oreille region before 1911 will be under Stevens County. After 1911, those records transfer to Pend Oreille County. Marriage records in the Digital Archives start right at 1911, the year of formation, so there is good coverage from the county's beginning. Birth records go back a few years earlier, into the pre-county period, because some early filings were carried over.
The Pend Oreille County marriage records collection covers 1911 through 2005 and holds 13,721 records, making it one of the largest digitized collections available for this northeast Washington county.
Note: For pre-1911 records on Pend Oreille County families, search the Stevens County collections in the Digital Archives and contact the Eastern Regional Branch for original records.Communities in Pend Oreille County
Pend Oreille County communities include Newport, Cusick, Metaline, Metaline Falls, and Ione. All records for this county are handled through the county auditor in Newport. None of these communities currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city genealogy page on this site.
Nearby Counties
Pend Oreille County was formed from Stevens County in 1911. Genealogy records for families who lived in the region before that date are held under Stevens County. Both counties are served by the Eastern Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives.