Obtain Free King County Divorce Records (Past & Present)

Acquire free King County divorce records quickly and seamlessly with the guidance this resource offers.

Accessing divorce records is made possible by state and federal laws—particularly, the Washington Public Records Act and the overarching federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

These statutes require official state and county channels to make these records public. Interested parties can often view these records at no cost.

This article provides concise and helpful resources to empower citizens to find the necessary divorce records for marriages dissolved within King County, Washington.

How Do I Look Up King County Divorce Information for Free?

The county’s main custodian of dissolution records is the King County Superior Court —this agency has a divorce database of records from 1853 to the present day.¹ Due to the state’s Washington Public Records Act, this county agency is mandated to provide access to divorce records to the public.²

Washington does not recognize common law marriages; however, it does acknowledge another state’s determination of these unions. As a result, common law divorce records can exist at county and state agencies for couples who performed this type of matrimony out of state and sought to separate in Washington.

The King County Superior Court allows the public to view divorce records online; they may also request copies of dissolution documents via mail or in person.

Citizens can conveniently view divorce records online using the King County Case Search Tool (KC Script Portal). This portal lets users view, purchase, and request King County dissolution records.

Interested parties who need to view divorce records must select Case Type 3 – Family Domestic Case Search.³ Users can then find dissolution records based on case number, party name, or filing date. The data will include case name, status, next hearing, and case number.

Patrons may also request divorce records online from the King County Superior Court. Access to this feature requires users to register for a free account.

Once logged in, they may enter the case number of the divorce record (be sure not to include the “KNT” abbreviation). Users can then select the case number and request the order.

The charges for requesting divorce records are $0.25 per page for non-certified copies, $5.00 per page for the 1st page, and $1.00 for every page thereafter for certified copies; payments are made by credit card.

Citizens can request copies of dissolution decrees online, as seen earlier, and through mail or in person.⁴ Interested parties must download and print a records request form to initiate mail requests.⁵

Applicants pay for these orders by money order or check (must be from a Washington State bank). Include a self-addressed envelope; otherwise, an additional $10.00 postage and handling fee will be levied. The King County Superior Court will mail or email the documents depending on the requestor’s preferences.

Mail the request to any of these Superior Court locations; hours of operation can be found in the prior link.

King County Courthouse – Seattle Location
516 Third Avenue, Room E-609
Seattle, Washington 98104

Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center – Kent Location
401 Fourth Avenue North, Room 2C
Kent, Washington 98032

Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center – Seattle
1211 East Alder, Room 3015
Seattle, Washington 98122

Citizens may also view and order dissolution decrees for free at any of these locations. Copy charges are the same except for clerk-assisted copies, which are $0.50 per page for non-certified copies. A $30.00 per hour research fee is imposed on records that require extensive searching.

The King County Superior Court provides certified and non-certified requests depending on the applicant’s requirements—citizens can obtain both types using the above-mentioned methods.

For any questions, contact the Clerk’s Office by calling 206.296.9300 or emailing [email protected]. Patrons may also chat live with the clerk’s office staff. These frequently asked questions may provide additional information.⁶

In some states, divorce records can be acquired from local jurisdictions, such as municipalities and courts. Searching for divorce records at county agencies permits patrons a wider search area since it encompasses all population centers within King County.

This scenario does not apply to King County and Seattle. King County has several cities, the most populated being Seattle, Bellevue, and Kent. None of the cities provide divorce records at the local level; citizens must seek dissolution records from the King County Superior Court, as outlined earlier.

The City of Bellevue has a Public Records Center where citizens can submit public record requests. However, the city specifically directs requesters to contact the county to obtain divorce records.

Like Bellevue, Kent has a public records request center where citizens can order public records. However, the city indicates that it does not have custody of divorce records; interested parties must seek these from the Washington State Department of Health or the Superior Court.

Therefore, all requests to view or obtain divorce records in King County must be directed to county agencies.

How To Access Washington Divorce Records via the State Department of Health

Interested individuals may sometimes find that the divorce records they are looking for are located somewhere other than King County but elsewhere in the state. In such cases, patrons can seek public divorce records from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). The Washington DOH has divorce records for events from 1968 to the present.

The DOH issues certified copies & single status letters that ascertain that the person named on the letter is not married to anyone in the state.⁷ Dissolution certificates (certified) and non-certified informational copies cost $25.00 per copy.

Citizens can order divorce certificates using online, telephone and mail requests. Anyone can order divorce documents in Washington; there is no need to be the party of the record or a close relative.

Mail requests require the applicant to download and print a divorce record order form and mail it to the Vital Records Office in Olympia.⁸ Applicants can make payment via check or money order payable to the “DOH.” They can expect to receive their documents in 1-3 weeks.

Department of Health
Post Office Box 9709
Olympia, Washington 98507-9709

Lastly, citizens can seek divorce records online and by phone through VitalChek, a third-party vendor authorized by the Washington DOH. They may call the vendor at +1.866.687.1464 at any time.

VitalChek accepts credit and debit card payments; additional convenience charges apply. This vendor ships documents in 3-7 business days.

Call the DOH at 360.236.4300 with any questions.

Patrons may often need to find older divorce records, particularly for genealogy purposes.⁹ As mentioned above, the county clerk hosts records older than 1968 (1853 to present), and those after this year are held at the Washington DOH. Interested parties can also contact the Washington Digital Archives through its Frontier Justice collection. Lastly, there’s a statewide divorce index that spans records between 1969-2014.¹⁰

The King County Superior Court has case ledgers from records spanning 1935 to 1979, which were in microfilm and are now available online.

Are King County Divorce Records Open to the Public?

Unlike many other states, Washington is an open records state in regard to divorce documents. Due to the Washington Public Records Act, anyone can view and order divorce records.²

In many states, the public has some access to dissolution records—this means that while citizens can view divorce records without restrictions, only authorized parties – such as owners of the record – can order certificates of the same.

There are two types of divorce records in King County: dissolution certificates (certified copies) and information copies (also known as non-certified).

Certified copies are formal documents that can serve as identification at state and federal agencies. They will typically be embellished with a raised seal. Conversely, non-certified records contain basic information from the record but cannot serve as identification.

Additionally, the Washington DOH offers single status letters indicating whether or not someone has a marriage record on file with the agency.¹¹

Divorce decrees are available at the superior courts and are distinct from certificates. Judges issue decrees when approving and authorizing divorces after the couple files divorce papers petitioning for a dissolution at the court. Divorce records prove that the dissolution took place and are less detailed than the original decrees found in the courts.

Furthermore, searchers can acquire divorce records from third-party vendors who will scour through government databases. This may be of assistance by introducing elements of anonymity in the search and is helpful if the county of record is unknown.

This resource aids citizens in the search for King County divorce records by providing helpful links and contact information to official channels.