How to get a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Washington
CDC asks for the first and last name of one person on the record, an approximate event date and the county that supplied the license paperwork. Its payment instructions name Department of Health as payee. The directory also links online ordering. CDC source for Washington.
CDC lists the Washington marriage-record contact as Center for Health Statistics Department of Health PO Box 9709 Olympia, WA 98507. The service charge in that entry is $25.00. Fees start at $25 per certificate..
| Field | CDC Where to Write | Current official evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Center for Health Statistics Department of Health PO Box 9709 Olympia, WA 98507 | Washington Department of Health Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Service charge | $25.00. Fees start at $25 per certificate. | $25 base fee. Ordering and shipping can add charges Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Years held or service coverage | The state vital records office has records from January 1968 to present. You must complete the following steps to request and receive a marriage certificate: | 1968 to present Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Ordering route | CDC entry | For marriages before 1968, contact the issuing county auditor Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
Getting a marriage license in Washington
The verified Washington license issuing office entry is County auditor. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
The verified Washington license fee entry is County additions affect the total. Check the county auditor for its current fee. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
The verified Washington license waiting period entry is Three days after application. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
The verified Washington license issued-license validity entry is Ceremony within 60 days of issuance. Official source (checked 2026-11-11).
Searching Washington marriage records
Ask the Washington official records office about marriage-record search options, which remain unverified here as of 2026-11-11.
Common-law marriage and community property
| Source scope | State entry |
|---|---|
| SSA common-law digest | Not recognized. Washington recognizes common-law marriages validly entered into in other states. SSA GN 00305.075. Digest effective 2023-05-30, checked 2026-11-11 |
| IRS community-property list | Listed IRS 555, checked 2026-11-11 |
For Washington, the Social Security state-law digest says Not recognized. Washington recognizes common-law marriages validly entered into in other states. This is SSA benefit-program guidance, effective 2023-05-30. The IRS community-property entry applies to married taxpayers domiciled in Washington. Its federal-tax scope is set out in Publication 555.
The numbers
| Measure | State | US or reporting-area benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 5.7 | 6.3 |
| Divorce rate | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, men | 31.0 | 30.8 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, women | 28.8 | 28.8 |
In 2024, Washington had 5.7 marriages per 1,000 residents, below the US 6.3. CDC counts marriages performed in Washington, including visiting couples.
Washington's divorce rate was 2.5 per 1,000 residents in 2024, above the reporting-area 2.3.
The 2024 ACS first-marriage medians for Washington are 31.0 years for men and 28.8 for women, with respective margins of error of 0.5 and 0.4 years. The male and female Washington medians are 2.2 years apart.
From oldest to youngest across states and DC, Washington ranks 15th for the male first-marriage median and 19th for the female median. Its male estimate is above the US 30.8, and the Washington female estimate is equal to the US 28.8.
Washington and Las Vegas
Couples with a Washington mailing address took out 1,634 Las Vegas marriage licenses in 2025, ranking sixth among states and DC. Washington Las Vegas data links to the available history. The method gives address and issue-date definitions.
Over 2021 to 2025, Washington mailing addresses appeared on 9,784 Las Vegas licenses, 2.60% of the countywide statistical-file total. The highest annual Washington count in the acquired history was 2,661 in 2007. The Washington 2025 figure of 1,634 compares with 1,839 in 2024 and 1,832 in 2019.
The latest Washington Las Vegas total fell 11.15% from 2024. It is 10.81% below the 2019 level and 38.59% below the series maximum for Washington.
Washington mailing addresses appeared on 2,661 licenses in 2007, 2,313 licenses in 2008, 2,310 licenses in 2009, 2,101 licenses in 2010, 2,033 licenses in 2011, 2,071 licenses in 2012, 1,832 licenses in 2013, 1,768 licenses in 2014. County sources and coverage.
Washington mailing addresses appeared on 1,742 licenses in 2015, 1,935 licenses in 2016, 1,891 licenses in 2017, 1,852 licenses in 2018, 1,832 licenses in 2019, 1,405 licenses in 2020, 2,349 licenses in 2021, 2,085 licenses in 2022 (through 22 December). County sources and coverage.
Washington mailing addresses appeared on 1,877 licenses in 2023, 1,839 licenses in 2024, 1,634 licenses in 2025. County sources and coverage.
For a Washington couple with a Clark County license, the Nevada certificate guide links the Clerk's online, mailed and in-person ordering routes. Its officiant filing deadline is 10 calendar days after the ceremony, and a filed certified certificate costs $20.