Historical marriage records

This section of the guide contains information on historical marriage records of King County and how to research those records. It also provides information on the following topics:

• History of marriages records that were created by King County government and retained.
• What types of marriage documents besides certificates exist.
• How to locate historical marriage records documents held by King County Archives.
• How to find and access marriage records not held by King County Archives.

Marriage record laws and regulations

Laws and regulations governing the creation and requirement of marriage records were enacted by the Territorial, and later State, government. In the early years of the Territory, these laws and regulations were few and far between. It was not until 1866, that a record of licenses or witnesses was required or that the content of marriage certificates was regulated. Washington State marriage laws have been amended many times since then.

Some laws have changed over time or have been repealed due to cultural changes. For example, interracial marriage was illegal in Washington Territory from 1854 until 1868. The legal age for marriage has also changed over time. Originally, persons born female had to be 16 years old and persons born male had to be 21 years old (or 12 and 16 with parental consent). Currently, both parties must be 18 years old (or 17 with parental consent).

Marriage inequality

For a number of years, the following people were barred from marriage: "common drunkards," "habitual criminals," "epileptics," "imbeciles," "feeble-minded persons," "idiots," or "insane" people. These rules did not apply to persons born female who were 45 or older.

In 2007, a major cultural shift took place in Washington State with the establishment of state-registered domestic partnerships. In 2012, additional equality measures were taken with legalization of same-sex marriage. For more information about the history of laws and regulations pertaining to domestic partnerships in Washington State, please visit the Washington Secretary of State's website.

Marriage record types

The following section explains the different types of King County marriage records created from 1853 to the present. Click on the title of a specific record type to learn more about the history of its creation, retention, and how to access it (if the record still exists).

Because the laws and regulations governing marriage record creation changed over time, some records don't exist before or after a specific date. This section describes when certain marriage records were created. 

Record of marriage certificates 1853 to 1923

Originally, King County recorded marriages by transcribing the certificates into ledger volumes. For some of the earliest marriages, the Record of Marriage Certificate volumes are the only records that still exist. Since these ledgers contain transcriptions of the certificates, the information contained is usually the same as was in the original record. Because of differences in legibility, it can be helpful to consult both the original certificate and the certificate transcription.

Marriage certificates (county level) 1855 to 2002

The marriage certificate is the official documentation that a marriage has occurred and serves as a legal, civil contract. The marriage certificate form has traditionally been completed by the officiator after the ceremony and recorded with the appropriate county agency: Probate Court (1852-1891); County Clerk (1891-1947); County Auditor (1947-1969); and Recorder's Office (1969-present).

In 2002, the county-level certificate form was discontinued and the county began recording the state-level certificates instead.

Marriage certificates (state level) 1968 to present

The marriage certificate is the official documentation that a marriage has occurred and serves as a legal, civil contract. The marriage certificate form has traditionally been completed by the officiator after the ceremony and recorded with the appropriate county agency: Probate Court (1852-1891); County Clerk (1891-1947); County Auditor (1947-1969); and Recorder's Office (1969-present).

King County began recording state-level certificates in 2002. The Washington State marriage certificates contain different information than the King County marriage certificates. State Law (RCW 70.58.055) requires that marriage certificates filed with the state contain the same information that appears on the U.S. Standard Certificate of Marriage.

Marriage license affidavits / applications 1866-1895; 1989 to present

Depending on the time period, marriage license affidavits (which later became known as applications) consisted of different information. All of them include the names of each spouse and the date of the affidavit / application. Most of them include the age of each spouse, while others include place of residence, name of a credible witness, and birthplace.

Historically, King County government did not permanently retain marriage affidavits / applications so there is a significant gap in the years of application records that still exist.

Marriage License Registers 1866 to 1917

These volumes contain transcriptions of the affidavits/applications and pertinent information from the licenses (numbers and issue dates). The volumes from 1866-1889 have self-contained indexes, and the volumes from 1889-1917 can be accessed using the Indexes to Marriage Licenses.

Marriage returns, bulk dates 1891 to 1915

In 1891, Washington State law required county governments to begin recording birth and death records. At the same time, most counties also began a corresponding effort to collect additional information on marriages. King County did this by collecting additional statistical and personal information on marriages beyond what was required by law. The instrument utilized was the marriage return. The return form was filled out by the ceremony officiator and filed with the County Auditor after the marriage ceremony. It included detailed personal and statistical information on the couple and on the ceremony itself. The bulk of the records comprise the years 1891 to 1915 and correspond to most marriages for those years. Few returns are present between 1916 and 1947 and account for less than one percent of marriages for each year.

Marriage certificates

A marriage certificate is the official documentation that a marriage has occurred and serves as a legal, civil contract. The marriage certificate form has traditionally been completed by the officiator after the ceremony and recorded with the appropriate King County agency: Probate Court (1852-1891); County Clerk (1891-1947); County Auditor (1947-1969); and Recorder's Office (1969-present).

What information does a marriage certificate contain?

Originally, there was no requirement for information to be included on the certificates. Since 1866, required information has been the names of the couple prior to marriage, residences of the couple, date of the marriage, place of marriage, name of the officiator, names of two witnesses and the license issue date and location.

Certificates from 1952-2002 also include the places of birth of the couple. Certificates from 1952-1999 include the ages of the couple and certificates from 1999-2002 include the dates of birth of the couple.

In 2002, the county-level certificate form was discontinued, and King County began recording marriage certificates using the state-level form. The Washington State marriage certificates contain different information than the King County marriage certificates. State Law (RCW 70.58.055) requires that marriage certificates filed with the state contain the same information that appears on the U.S. Standard Certificate of Marriage. For a complete list of information that appears on Washington State marriage certificates (1968-present), please see Table 6 of WAC 246-491-149.

Where were marriage certificates filed?

Originally, marriage records were only filed with individual counties in Washington State. In 1968, marriage record keeping was centralized in Washington State and marriage certificates began to be filed at the state level. Between 1968 and 2002, King County continued using its own marriage certificate form so both a state-level and county-level marriage certificate was filed. In 2002, King County discontinued its county-level marriage certificate form and began to exclusively use the state-level form. Identical copies of this form are filed with the Washington State Department of Health and with the King County Recorder's Office.

• Marriages 1853-1927: Certificate filed in the county where the marriage took place.
• Marriages 1927-1947: Certificate filed in the county where the marriage took place. A copy will also be at the county where the license was issued, if different.
• Marriages 1947-1967: Certificate filed in the county where the license was issued.
• Marriages 1968-2002: Two marriages certificates were filed. A state-level certificate form was filed with the Washington State Department of Health, and a county-level form was filed in the county where the license was issued.
• Marriages 2002-present: Only a state-level marriage certificate form is used. Identical copies were filed with the Washington State Department of Health and the county where the license was issued.

How were marriage certificates organized after filing?

After the officiator returned the certificates to the county, they were recorded by the appropriate county agency at the time [Probate Court (1852-1891); County Clerk (1891-1947); County Auditor (1947-1969); and Recorder's Office (1969-present)]. Originally, this was done by transcribing them into ledger volumes known as the Record of Marriage Certificates. For some of the earliest marriages, these ledger volumes are the only record of marriage that still exists.

Since the ledgers contain transcriptions of the certificates, the information in them is usually the same as it was on the original form. Because of differences in legibility, it may be useful to consult both the original certificate (if it still exists) and the volume. The Record of Marriage Certificates volumes date from 1853 to 1923.

King County Archives holds volumes from 1853 to 1888. Puget Sound Regional Archives holds volumes from 1888 to 1923. After 1923, certificates were bound in volumes rather than transcribed.

Marriage certificates are organized roughly by the date they were returned to King County. Until 1927, certificates were required to be returned within 3 months of the marriage. Since 1927, certificates have been required to be returned within 30 days of the ceremony. Many certificates were still returned and filed well beyond the time limit required by law. There are isolated cases of officiators waiting as long as 14 years to return certificates after marriages were officiated.

What resources are available to help locate marriage certificates?

Various indexes and registers exist that help users determine dates of marriage and how to locate marriage certificates.

Online Index, 1855-1989

Washington State Digital Archives online platform. This index links each entry downloadable digital images of the certificates. You may also order certified copies on this site.

Online Index, 1979-present

King County Recorder’s Office portal Landmark. This index contains the names of the couple, the date of the marriage and the certificate number (last 6 digits of the instrument number). Entries are sporadic between 1979 and 1982, and the index excludes 1985 and 1986.

Index of All Marriage Records, 1853-1900

Transcribed and available as a pdf. This is the most complete index for marriages through 1900 because it lists all types of King County marriage records that were filed between 1853 and 1900: certificates, transcriptions, returns, license affidavits / applications, and licenses. It also includes a record of marriages that were never recorded, and thus never previously indexed.

The index contains information about 10,507 marriages performed in King County between 1853 to 1900. Entries contain the name of the bride, the name of the groom, and the date of the marriage. For entries from 1891-1900, maiden names of brides (when different than at time of marriage) are also included in the notes field. Additional columns list what types of records exist for each marriage.

You can download a copy of the index that’s organized alphabetically by the name of the groom. You download a separate copy that’s organized alphabetically by the name of the bride.

Physical Indexes, 1853-1990

• Entries from 1853 to 1894 include the name of one party.
• Entries since 1894 include the names of both parties.
• Entries from 1853 to 1922 also include the certificate number and the recorded volume and page number.
• Entries from 1923 to 1947 include date of marriage and individual who officiated the marriage.
• Entries since 1947 also include the date of license issuance and omit the recorded volume and page number or the officiator's name.

These records may be searched semi-alphabetically by volume (which usually includes a span of a few years).

Index of State-level Certificates, 1968-2004

Available on microfiche at the Washington State Library at Tumwater. Contact the Library for assistance accessing these records. Searching this index might be most helpful if you are unsure of the county where the license was issued.

Copies of these indexes are also available at the Seattle Public Library Central Branch.

Lists of Filed Certificates, 1889-1916

These lists contain information about marriage certificates that were filed in Probate Court (1889-1891) or with the County Clerk (1891-1916) during the given time periods (one month from 1889 to 1913 and one day from 1914 to 1916). King County Archives holds the original lists.

• Lists from 1889-1890 contain the names of the couple and the license issuance date.
• Lists from 1891-1896 were not retained.
• Lists from 1908-1913 contain the names of the couple and the license number.
• Lists from 1914-1916 only include one surname associated with the marriage and the license number.

Certificate lists don't include unique information that cannot be found in other marriage records, but they can be useful for researching marriages with missing documentation. These lists were usually typed, so they may provide a more legible reading of each party's name compared to other handwritten documentation. Lists dated from 1897 to 1901 also include correspondence and receipts from other Washington counties in situations where a couple used a King County license to marry in another county or when they used a different county's license to marry in King County.

How do I order a marriage certificate copy?

The Washington State Digital Archives (WSDA) offers online access to digitized marriage certificates filed between 1855 and 1989. You can download an uncertified copy, or you can order a certified copy for a small fee. Certificates available on the WSDA platform are indexed by the name of each spouse.

The King County Recorder's Office online portal Landmark provides access to marriage certificates filed between 1990 to the present. You can order uncertified and certified copies on Landmark for a small fee. Marriage certificates filed between 1979 to the present are also indexed on Landmark, and you can search by the name of either spouse. Please note that you cannot view the marriage certificate image on Landmark for the sake of privacy and to protect the personal information of each spouse. You must order a certified or uncertified copy to view the certificate.

The Washington Center for Health Statistics Office provides certified copies of state-level certificates for all counties in Washington State from 1968 to present.

Marriage license affidavits and applications

History

In 1866, the Legislative Assembly of Washington Territory passed the Act to Regulate Marriages. This is the earliest year that any records related to marriage licensing exist in King County. Although there were legal marriage requirements prior to this year, there were no official forms or recordkeeping to document that the laws were upheld. These records were kept by the County Auditor from 1866 to 1969 and by the Recorder's Office since 1969.

Originally, applying for a license consisted of submitting a witness affidavit. This form was signed by a credible person other than the parties seeking the license, swearing that there were no legal impediments to the marriage. If either of the parties were under legal age, the parent or guardian also signed an affidavit giving consent for the marriage. The couple then took the form(s), known as Marriage License Affidavits, to the Auditor to apply for the license. The Auditor kept and filed the forms, and they recorded the affidavits by transcribing them in the Marriage License Register.

Sometime between 1880 and 1895, the witness affidavit was standardized and replaced with the Marriage License Application. The longstanding presumption was that these records did not have enduring historical value, and license applications filed between 1896 and 1988 were legally destroyed. King County Archives challenged this practice, and marriage license applications filed from 1989 and going forward are designated as archival documents.

Basic information gathered from applications dated from 1896 to 1917 is available in the Marriage License Register. Information from applications dated from 1983 to 1988 is indexed and available on the Washington State Digital Archives platform.

Originally, no official limit regulated the time between license application and license issuance. Since 1939, marriage licenses have been issued no earlier than three days after the license application has been filed. This three-day waiting period was put in place to give couples time to reconsider a hasty marriage.

Marriage license affidavits and applications, 1866-1895; 1989-present

Marriage License Affidavits, 1866-1894

Originally, two types of affidavits that were submitted in application for a license: the witness affidavit and the consent affidavit. The witness affidavit was required for all marriages and included the names of the couple, the date of the affidavit, and the signature of a credible witness acquainted with the couple. The consent affidavit was only required in situations where either party was under age, and it was signed by the parent or guardian giving consent to the marriage. Witness affidavits exist from 1866 to 1879 and correspond to nearly all recorded marriages for those years. Parental consent affidavits exist from 1866 to 1894.

King County Archives holds the original forms and maintains a searchable name index of affidavits that did not result in marriages in King County. Transcriptions of the forms and a corresponding index are also duplicated in the Marriage License Register.

Marriage License Applications, 1895

These records date from June 1895 to December 1895. They include the name, age and residence of each party, as well as the name of a credible witness acquainted with them and the date of the application.

King County Archives holds the forms and a maintains a searchable name index of applications that resulted in marriages in King County.

Marriage License Applications, 1989-present

These applications include the name, age, signature, birthplace, mailing address, and marital status of each party. They also include the signature and seal of a notary public. The signature of the parent or guardian is included in situations where either party is under legal age. These records are indexed on the King County Recorder's Office online portal Landmark.

The King County Archives holds original license applications filed between 1989 and 2013. The King County Recorder's Office holds applications from 2014-present, and you can order copies through their online portal Landmark.

Marriage License Registers, 1866-1917

These volumes contain transcriptions of required license affidavits / applications. The volumes have self-contained name indexes for licenses filed between 166 and 1889. Licenses filed between 1890 up to 1917 are indexed in supplemental indexes.

Puget Sound Regional Archives holds Marriage License Registers. Volumes between 1880 and 1894 are digitized and available the Washington State Digital Archives platform.

Marriage licenses

History of marriage licenses

In 1866, the Legislative Assembly of Washington Territory passed the Act to Regulate Marriages, citing the need for marriage license recordkeeping. Before this year, there is no record of marriage licenses in King County. Licenses were issued by the County Auditor from 1866 until 1969 and by the Recorder’s Office since 1969.

Originally, there was no limitation on how long a couple could wait to marry after obtaining a marriage license so there are isolated cases of couples waiting as long as 17 years to marry after license issuance. Beginning in 1963, couples had to marry within 30 days of the license issuance. Currently, couples have 60 days to marry after the license issuance.

Marriage licenses were customarily retained by the ceremony officiator; therefore, they are not generally held by county agencies. King County Archives hold 30 licenses filed between 1874 and 1898. It isn't clear why the licenses were held by the county, since by law, the officiator should have retained them. Nearly all of these licenses correspond to recorded marriages in King County.

Registers and indexes

Upon acceptance of the license affidavit / application, the marriage license was issued to the couple applying to be married. By law, the County Auditor retained the Marriage License Register, a ledger record of the license issue date and number. After 1917, the license recordkeeping consisted of recording the license numbers and issue dates in volumes indexed semi-alphabetically in the Indexes to Marriage Licenses. Since 1866, the license issue date is repeated on the corresponding marriage certificate. Since 1894, the license number is repeated on the corresponding marriage certificate.

Marriage License Registers from 1866 to 1889 have self-contained indexes, and the volumes from 1889 to 1917 can be accessed using the Indexes to Marriage Licenses, which are held by Puget Sound Regional Archives. Volumes between 1880 and 1894 have been digitized and are available online on the Washington State Digital Archives.

In 1891, Washington state law required county governments to begin recording birth and death records. At the same time, most counties began a corresponding effort to collect additional information on marriages. King County implemented a marriage return form to collect more statistical and personal information beyond what was required by law. The ceremony officiator filled out the return form and filed it with the County Auditor after the marriage ceremony.

The bulk of the records comprise the years 1891 to 1915 and correspond to most marriages for those years. Few returns were recorded between 1916 and 1947. King County Archives holds the original returns. Digitized copies are available on the Washington State Digital Archives platform.

The marriage return captured information on the couple and on the ceremony itself. It includes:

• Date of the marriage;
• Place of the marriage;
• Date of the license;
• Name and official station of the officiator;
• Names and residences of the witnesses;
• Information on both the bride and groom: name, age, race, number of marriages, residence, birthplace (state or foreign country), occupation and names of parents.

Forms from 1909 to 1927 include the license number, the parents’ places of birth, and the signature of the bride, groom, witnesses, and officiator.

Indexes and statistics

As part of the task of keeping marriage returns, King County also kept corresponding registers of marriages. The Register of Marriage Returns function as indexes to the original marriage returns. For records from 1891-1909, the registers serve as exact transcriptions of the returns. For 1909-1927, the original returns are more extensive. Returns are indexed in the Register by male’s name only.

The King County Archives holds the original registers as well as microfilmed copies.

Between 1891 and 1908, the County Auditor kept quarterly summaries of marriage statistics that were gathered from the information on the returns. These Marriage Return Statistics track the number of marriages, races, nationalities, and age ranges. Although they may be useful to someone researching marriage trends, they contain no names or dates.

King County Archives holds the original statistics dated from 1891 to 1901. Puget Sound Regional Archives holds the original statistics dated from 1901 to 1908.