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Records not at Archives
King County Archives holds many county records, but not all of them. Check out the list below for records that are held by other county or state government offices and how to access them.
Vital records
| Document | Who has it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage certificates | King County Recorder's Office | Certificates filed August 1991 to present |
| Birth certificates | King County Vital Statistics | |
| Death certificates | King County Vital Statistics | |
| Name change documents | King County Recorder's Office | Documents filed August 1991 to present |
| Name change documents | King County Superior Court | Documents filed before August 1991 |
| Divorce decrees and case files | King County Superior Court | Divorce decrees and case files from 1853 to present |
| Divorce decrees and case files | Puget Sound Regional Archives | Located in Bellevue. Microfilmed copies of case files from 1968 to 1971, as well as copies from earlier years that are interfiled with civil case files. |
| Divorce certificates | Washington State Department of Health | Certificates filed from 1968 to present |
Census records - 1857 to present
In addition to locating historical census records on sites such as Ancestry.com (requires paid subscription) and FamilySearch.org (free), some records are also available from the following agencies:
- Washington State Digital Archives holds territorial and county census records for King County, as well as federal census records, for various years between 1857 and 1910.
- The National Archives and Records Administration at Seattle microfilmed copies of federal census records that were created every ten years from 1860 to 1930.
- Puget Sound Regional Archives holds microfilmed copies of territorial and Washington state census records for various years between 1857 and 1892.
- King County Archives holds some original bound territorial and county census volumes for various years between 1880 and 1892. The Genealogy Research Guide lists the volumes we hold.
Court and legal records
King County Superior and District Courts hold court case files. You need to know which court handled the case to order from the correct office.
To access or retrieve a court case file, you will need a case file number.
To see what historical court and legal records King County Archives holds, review the Court and Legal Records research guide.
| Record | Who has it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court case files | King County Superior Court Clerk's Office | Superior Court case files from 1853 to the present. Many of these files are available to search and order copies online, but if you can't locate them, you can visit the Courthouse and view the microfilmed documents. |
| Superior Court - civil case files | Puget Sound Regional Archives | Civil case files from 1853 to 1972. A small sampling of paper records from 1889 to 1983 is also available int he series. |
| Superior Court - divorce case files | Puget Sound Regional Archives | Divorce case files from 1968 to 1971. Case files from before 1968 are interfiled with civil case files. |
| Superior Court - criminal case files | Puget Sound Regional Archives |
Criminal case files from 1889 to 1972. Indexes are available for files dated 1890-1902 and 1962-1977. |
| Superior Court - other case files | Puget Sound Regional Archives |
Some naturalization case files and some restricted or partially restricted case files (mental illness, adoption, probate w/ guardianship or adoption, etc.). Dates of coverage vary. |
| Judgments | King County Superior Court | Final determination regarding rights of parties in an action or proceeding in a civil or criminal court case. |
| Judgments in court case files | Washington Courts | Online access to judgments in court case files from 1979 to present. |
| District Court case files | District Court Clerk's Office | District Court case files dated 2005 and later. |
| District Court case files | Locations vary | Prior to 2005, case records were maintained by the division and court facility where the case was filed: South Division (Kent, Burien); East Division (Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond); and West Division (Seattle and Shoreline). |
Superior Court case file indexes
To access or retrieve a Superior Court case file, you will need a case file number. Depending on the date of the case, there are several ways to obtain a file number.
Superior Court Clerk's Office online portal
Search for a case file number for cases from 1979 to the present by type of case and the full name of at least on of the parties named in the case.
King County Superior Court Clerk's Office also holds microfilmed copies of court record indexes from 1854 to 1979. You may contact them to make an appointment to access the microfilm and search the records in person.
Washington Courts online portal
Indexes for the following Superior Court case files: 1938-1979 (criminal); 1935-1979 (civil, by name of plaintiff); 1966-1979 (civil, by name of defendant); 1968-1979 (domestic); 1940-1975 (name change); and 1954-1977 (probate).
Puget Sound Regional Archives
The Pugest Sound Regional Archives holds the original index volumes of:
- General defendant indexes, 1890-1976
- General plaintiff indexes, 1888-1975
- Civil case indexes, 1890-1892
- Criminal index, 1890-1902, 1962-1977
- Probate case files index, 1854-1977
- Juvenile index, 1959-1978
- Naturalization index, 1906-1928
- Index of "In the Matter of," 1940-1975
Buildings, property, and environmental history records
Building history research
For historic information and photographs of a house or other building in King County, the best place to start is with the King County Assessor's Real Property Record Cards, which are available through the Puget Sound Regional Archives. The Property Record Cards contain information on individual parcels of property, including legal descriptions, building types, building uses, number of rooms, construction details, and at least one photograph of each building on the parcel. If significant exterior changes were made to the buildings additional photographs were taken. The cards also contain the assessed valuation for each parcel of property for the period ca. 1937 to 1972.
| Record | Who has it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle property and land use records | Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections | Records relating to properties within the city of Seattle. |
| Maps | King County Geographic Information System (GIS) Center | Interactive map viewers, downloadable maps, map collections, and more |
| Annexations | King County Boundary Review Board | General information about annexations |
| Annexations | Department of Permitting and Environmental Review | Maps and information about annexations |
| Zoning records and maps | Department of Permitting and Environmental Review | Zoning records created after 1995. King County Archives holds historical zoning records created between 1937 and 1994. To learn more, go to our Historical Building, Property, and Land Use Records research guide. |
| Land use hearings | King County Hearing Examiner's Land Use Decision Case Digest | Information about King County land use hearings. |
| Landmarks | King County Historic Preservation Program | Designations are overseen by the Historic Preservation Program. |
Business and financial records
| Record | Who has it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Current corporate filings | Office of the Secretary of State Corporations Division | Corporate filings for corporations currently operating in Washington State. |
| Current corporation registration data | Corporations: Registration Data Search online portal | |
| Historical Statewide corporation filings | Washington State Digital Archives | Statewide corporation filings from 1855 to 2004 are available online. Physical copies of statewide corporation filings from 1869 to 1990 are also available. |
| King County corporation filings | Puget Sound Regional Archives | Physical copies of King County corporation filings from 1869 to 1971. |
| Bankruptcy records | The U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Western Washington District | Bankruptcy records filed in the State of Washington from 1951 to the present. |
| Bankruptcy records | National Archives and Records Administration Pacific Alaska Region - Seattle | Bankruptcy records filed in the State of Washington from 1889 to 1950. |
Property tax records, wills, and estate records
| Record | Who has it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Probates | King County Superior Court Clerk's Office | Information about probate filing and case files from 1853 to the present. |
| Probates | Washington Courts online platform | Access to an index of probate case files dated 1979 to the present. |
| Historical probates | Puget Sound Regional Archives | |
| Historical probates | FamilySearch.org | |
| Wills | King County Superior Court Clerk's Will Repository | |
| Wills | King County Superior Court Clerk's Office | |
| Property tax assessment appeals | King County Board of Appeals and Equalization | |
| Parcel information | King County Parcel Viewer | Online access to tax parcel numbers and detailed parcel information |
| Tax foreclosure and foreclosed properties | King County Treasurer's Office |
Criminal and law enforcement records
| Record | Who has it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Police Department records | Seattle.gov | The Seattle Police Department holds the bulk of its records, including "Individual Files," or "People Files" for both civilian and sworn members of the department back to 1861. |
| Seattle Police Department records | Seattle Municipal Archives | Seattle Police Department records such as annual reports, police court documents, and other miscellaneous files, most of which were transferred from the Office of the City Clerk. |
| King County Sheriff's Office records | King County Sheriff's Office | |
| Washington State Patrol records | Washington State Patrol | |
| Sex offender search | King County Sheriff's Office | The Sheriff's Office maintains the Sex Offender Search Database for King County. |
| Jail Inmate Lookup Service | King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention | Online access to current jail booking and release information. |
| Current and historical jail records | King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention | |
| Jail medical records | Seattle-King County Public Health Public Disclosure Office | |
| Motor vehicle collision report | Washington State Patrol | |
| Traffic citations and tickets | King County District Court |