Records Requests
Property records
Find and download property information using eReal or Parcel Viewer.
Documents from the Recorder’s Office and Archives
You can search our online records using Landmark Records Search and download records at no cost. If you know the record you want to find and have some basic information, this is likely a good option for you.
Note: Landmark includes only data, such as basic information and document numbers, for records dated from 1976 to present. The document number is helpful if you then request the image from Archives. You can get actual document images for documents from Landmark if they are dated August 1991 to now.
Search tips
- Select the icon for the type of search you want.
- Searching by name, enter last name, first name.
- Searching by parcel, enter the first 10 digits in the Parcel ID field.
- Use Legal, then Advanced Legal to search for surveys, plats, and condos.
- In search results, to view document data and image, select a line item.
If you don't have a parcel ID, go to King County Assessor's Parcel Viewer to search for it by address.
Court records
Requirements to provide court records are listed in State Supreme Court GR-31 (case) or GR-31.1 (administrative), not under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). What records can you access? Read the Washington Courts Access to Court Records Brochure for guidelines on records that are or aren't included.
Superior Court records
The Superior Court Clerk is the custodian of the King County Superior Court case records. Superior Court cases include civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, and probate cases.
Public court documents filed after Nov. 1, 2004, are accessible through the electronic records system (ECR Online). You can learn more about which documents you can purchase there, make an account, or sign in, at ECR Online.
If you want to request other court records, such as documents from before 2004, certified documents, or audio recordings of hearings, you can submit an electronic records request.
Make an electronic records request
If you want to get case documents on ECR Online, you'll need to get the case number first. You can do that at the Clerk's Records Access Portal.
Check which documents you can get online
District Court records
You can access District Court records that are not for civil cases, filed after Jan. 1, 2005, at DCoR Online. Make an account and download available records for a low cost or visit one of our locations.
For other case records, or if you can't find a record, email us or call 206-205-9200, option 8.
For administrative court records, check the information on the Administrative Public Records page and submit a Records Request form.
Birth and death certificates
We have records for all persons born in King County, all years, and all Washington state births registered from 1907 to present.
You can order these records online, by mail, or in person at the Vital Statistics Office and pay with a credit card. The base fee per record is $20, plus $12.50 per order. Rush or priority orders will cost more.Go to VitalChek
Faxed orders are processed within 2-3 business days and sent by regular mail (unless you select rush delivery).
Print the form, fill in the fields, and fax it to 206-897-4580.
Will Call allows you to order birth or death certificates before 10:00 a.m. on the phone and pick them up later the same day. Orders made after 10:00 a.m. will be ready by noon the following day.
If you aren't in a hurry, you can call and get your record sent by regular mail.
Call 206-897-4551 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
You can bring a completed form to our office and wait for 15-20 minutes to get a record.
- Payment: Cash, checks, money orders (electronic checks or credit cards in our lobby. We charge a bank card processing fee of 2.35% ($2.00 minimum) for all transactions, plus $1.00 for an electronic check.
- Hours: The Vital Statistics Office is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Location: Harborview Medical Center Ninth & Jefferson Building, 2nd Floor
908 Jefferson St.
Seattle, WA 98104
Parking in the building is free for the first 30 minutes
Birth certificate order form in other languages
- Orden de Acta de Nacimiento del Estado de Washington (Spanish)
- Запрос на получение Свидетельства о Рождении (Russian)
Building & land permits
The Permitting Records Center lets you research building and land-use permits in unincorporated King County, as well as some records for properties that were annexed or incorporated into a city.
You can view project information, schedule inspections, and pay permit fees without creating an account. If you make an account, you can view custom lists of permits.
You can also call and leave a voicemail or send a request by email to Center staff, who will either get the file you are looking for (you can come to the Center and pick it up) or let you know when it will be available to view in person. We’ll get back to you within 3-5 business days.
Tip:If you enter a request for assistance in GovQA, you’ll get a tracking number and it will be entered into our system.
Call the Records Center at: 206-296-6696
Legislative Branch
You can access many records about how King County conducts its business for no charge, including Council legislation, Council and committee agendas, minutes, and videos.
Go to Legislative Branch Public Records Requests
We're happy to help you search and gather public records. It's easy—just make an account on GovQA and send us a request.
Public records in this system include information from many agencies and departments at King County, including the Sheriff’s Office, the Ombuds Office, the Assessor’s Office, environmental information, Animal Services, inmate records, the Prosecutor’s Office, and many more.
For records from the Recorder’s Office (such as surveys, plats, and condos); Superior and District Courts; birth, marriage, and death certificates; and permits, go to Self-Serve Records.
To request records from Elections: mail, fax, or email the form on the Elections Request data webpage.
A public record is any record of information about conducting government business, which is prepared, owned, used, or retained by an agency. This includes, but is not limited to, electronic media, paper, email, microfilm audiotapes, videotapes, magnetic tapes, and disks (CDs/DVDs).
A valid public records request is a request for a specific and identifiable public document. A request for general information is not a valid public records request. You do not have to identify the record you want with exact precision, but it’s helpful if you provide as much detail as you can.
The day the request is received does not count, nor do weekends or holidays observed by the agency.
Within 5 days, the County will do 1 of the following:
- provide the records (or an installment of the records)
- let you know it got the request and give an estimated date for delivery
- ask for clarification
- deny the request and tell you why the record is being withheld, giving the citation of the applicable state or federal statute.
No. When we receive a public records request, the request itself becomes a public record. If someone else makes a public records request for your request, we will provide it.
No. Washington case law decided that an agency is not required to create a record that doesn’t already exist.
Recorded documents, marriage records, historical house records
Property taxes, property info, reports, assessor real property records
Council legislation; Council and committee agendas, minutes, videos
Find past election results, voters' pamphlets, and other information
Ombuds-related records, investigations, and ethics complaints
Public notices, inspections, permit status, records research
Awarded contracts, solicitation and bid information
Filing and disposition standards
Recorded plats and developments, digital map images, Torrens Tract Index for land ownership
COVID-19 records, Public Disclosure Index
Police records for unincorporated King County and contracting cities, such as: 911 calls, radio transmissions, computer-aided dispatch reports, police reports, photographs, video, training or personnel records
Court records, eFiling, case number look up
Superior Court Administrative Records
Records that relate to management, supervision, or administration of a court or judicial agency
Birth and death certificates
Not sure where to go?
If you’re not sure which agency might have the records you want, or whether it’s a public record, fill out our contact form, and customer service staff will help get your request to the right department.