Search Snohomish County Marriage and Divorce Records

Snohomish County Marriage License Requirements

A marriage record begins with the license, and the license comes from a recording office, not a court. Snohomish County Recording is part of the Auditor's Recording Division. It issues every marriage license in the county and holds the certificate after the ceremony. This is the spot for license questions, copies, and older marriage searches. The office handles deeds and other recorded documents too, so marriage work is one of several duties.

To marry in Washington, both people must be at least 18. The couple must apply for and get a license at least three days before the ceremony. That three-day wait cannot be waived. It does not matter why. No court order, no special case, can shorten it. The wait starts the day the license is bought. After the wait clears, the license stays valid for 60 days. If the ceremony does not happen in that window, the couple must apply again and pay again. State marriage law sits in RCW 26.04, which sets out who may marry and how the license works.

You can find current details on the county's Marriage Licenses page, which also has a timing calculator for the wait period.

The page lists hours, payment types, and links to both the online form and the printable application used for mail requests.

Note: Recording staff reply to email within two business days, so plan ahead if your wedding date is close.

How to Apply for a Snohomish County Marriage License

Most couples start the marriage license online, then finish in person. The online form saves the slow part of data entry, but both people still have to show up to sign and pay. There is one exception: if one person already signed in front of a notary, the other can come alone. No appointment is needed in most cases.

1. Fill out and submit the online marriage license application.
2. Write down the confirmation number. You need it for pickup and payment.
3. Both parties visit Snohomish County Recording in person to sign the completed application and pay the $170 fee.
4. Pay by cash, check, money order, or card.
5. Recording staff hand you the marriage license, the Certificate of Marriage, and an information packet.

That packet matters. It holds the certificate the officiant must sign and return after the ceremony. Keep all of it together until the wedding day. The license itself is what lets the ceremony go forward, while the certificate becomes the marriage record once it is signed and filed.

Applying for a Marriage License by Mail

Mail works for couples who cannot come to Everett before the wedding. It takes longer and needs a notary, so give it room. The county suggests sending the packet at least three weeks ahead.

1. Download the Marriage License Application PDF, or the Spanish PDF.
2. Type into the fillable fields before printing. If you cannot, write clearly in blue or black ink.
3. Sign the form in front of a notary. The notary signs and seals it.
4. Include the $170 fee by check, money order, or cashier's check payable to Snohomish County Auditor. Write a current phone number on the memo line or near your name.
5. Mail the packet to Snohomish County Recording, 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S 204, Everett, WA 98201.

Mail processing runs about two weeks. Build that into your plans, on top of the three-day wait. If you wait too long to send it, the timing may not work for your date.

Snohomish County Marriage Record Fees

Fees split into two groups: the cost to get the license, and the cost to get copies of a marriage record later. The license fee rose in 2025. Copy fees are small, but search fees for very old records add up by the hour.

A certified copy is the one most people need for legal use, such as a name change or a benefits claim. An unofficial copy works for personal records. To request copies, use the county's Order Certified Copies of Marriage Records page, which explains how to pay and where to send the request.

That page is also the right place to ask about records from before 1976, since those need a staff search billed by the hour.

Officiants and Returning the Marriage Certificate

Washington lets several kinds of people perform a marriage. The list is broad, but the role is fixed: the officiant signs the certificate and returns it. State law in RCW 26.04 names who may solemnize a marriage.

Those allowed to officiate include licensed or ordained ministers and priests, Supreme Court justices and commissioners, Court of Appeals judges and commissioners, Superior Court judges and commissioners, judges and commissioners of limited-jurisdiction courts, and judges of federally recognized tribal courts.

After the ceremony, the officiant has 30 days to return the signed Certificate of Marriage to Recording. That return is what turns the event into an official marriage record. If it is late or never sent, there may be no record on file, which can cause problems years later.

You can review the statute text directly on the Washington legislature site.

The chapter covers eligibility, the license, void marriages, and the duties of the person who performs the ceremony.

Note: Couples should confirm their officiant returns the certificate, since the marriage record depends on that step.

Snohomish County Divorce Records

Divorce is a court matter, not a recording matter. A divorce, called a dissolution in Washington, is a Superior Court case. The Snohomish County Superior Court handles dissolution, legal separation, parenting plans, and child support. The case file lives with the County Clerk, not with Recording. So for a divorce record, you ask the Clerk, not the Auditor.

Washington is a no-fault state. No one has to prove the other did wrong. A spouse files state forms in Superior Court, pays the filing fee or asks for a waiver, serves the other party, and finishes the parenting and financial papers when children, property, or support are involved. The case ends with a final decree and orders.

To find a divorce case, you can search the statewide Odyssey index by party name, then go to the Clerk for the actual documents. Certified copies and complete files come from the Clerk of the Superior Court, not Recording. For background on how case files and indexes work, see the court records overview. The Clerk's office on the main campus takes copy requests in person, by mail, and through its public terminals.

A divorce record can include the petition, the decree, parenting plans, and support orders. Some of those documents hold details that are not open to the public, which is covered next.

Divorce Record Access and Confidentiality

Most divorce filings are public, but family law cases carry rules that hold some details back. Two court rules shape what you can see. General Rule 31 governs public access to court records. General Rule 22 restricts personal identifiers, financial source documents, and certain reports in family law cases. Together they let the case exist as a public record while keeping sensitive parts out of open view.

So a divorce file may be open, yet bank numbers, Social Security numbers, and some attached reports are sealed or filed separately. If you need a full file, the Clerk can tell you what is open and what needs a legal right or a court order. Sealed items usually call for an in-person request with a valid photo ID.

Adoption is different and stricter. Adoption records are confidential under RCW 26.33.330. They are not part of a normal divorce search and are closed to the public, with access only by court order or as the statute allows.

The statute spells out who may view adoption files and the steps to ask a court for access.

Note: Because GR 22 hides identifiers, a divorce record copy may show blanks where private data was removed by rule.

Related Snohomish County Records

Family cases often touch other record types. The same County Clerk that keeps divorce files also handles estates and general civil matters, so one office may answer several needs. The pages below link the offices and topics that come up most.

Clerk of the Superior Court

Files and certified copies for divorce, parenting, and support cases.

Court Records

How to search the statewide case index and read a case file.

Probate Records

Estates, wills, and guardianship cases kept by the Clerk.

Public Records

Broader public record requests and what the law lets you see.

Start with the office that owns the record you want. Marriage licenses and certificates sit with Recording. Divorce, probate, and most case files sit with the Clerk. Picking the right door first is the fastest way to get a copy.