Important: There is a 7–8-month backlog for 2023 to current marriage and divorce records. If you need a record from 2023 to present urgently, please go to the county where you obtained your marriage license or the county court that processed your divorce to request your record/decree.
Our office has marriage and divorce records from 1968 to present that occurred in the state of Washington. You can obtain Washington state marriage and divorce records as certified copies (or “certificates”). The Department of Health can also provide you with a letter of single status (Single Status Letter) if you are traveling to another country to get married.
Nonrefundable fees start at $25 per certified or noncertified informational copy. Other fees may apply depending on ordering or shipping method.
Anyone can request a marriage or divorce certificate. You do not need to provide proof of identity or qualified relationship status to the subject(s) of the record.
You must complete the following steps to request and receive a marriage certificate:
It depends on the way you order and the shipping method you select. The time listed is from when we receive full payment and all required documentation. Missing information or documentation will delay orders.
It may take up to five (5) months from the date of marriage for a marriage record to be sent to the Department of Health. For marriages within the past five (5) months, you can obtain a county certified white copy of your marriage license from the county auditor's office where you obtained the marriage license. You can use the county auditor's copy of your marriage license to add your spouse to your insurance, and in most cases changing the last name on a driver license. Check with the agency or organization requesting the marriage record to determine the document they will accept. Most federal agencies do not allow for use of the county auditor's copy of your marriage license.
List of auditors by county:
The required pieces of information for marriage certificates are:
For marriages that occurred before 1968, contact the county auditor's office in the county the marriage license was obtained.
Before you can get married in some countries, that country may require a document stating you are not currently married. This is known as a single status letter. Visit the Single Status Letter page for more information.
Divorce certificates are also known as a certificate of dissolution. You may want a divorce certificate in addition to the divorce decree. The Department of Health can issue a certificate after registering a divorce record sent by the county clerk’s office.
It may take up to five (5) months from the date of divorce for a county clerk's office to send a divorce record to the Department of Health. If you were divorced within the past five (5) months, you may need to contact the county superior court clerk where the divorce was finalized and ask if the divorce record was sent. The county clerk's office cannot issue a divorce certificate.
Divorce certificates serve as official one-page documents printed on certified security paper stating two parties were divorced on a specific date. The Department of Health issues certificates from existing records. We have divorce certificates for divorces from January 1, 1968, to present.
Divorce decrees are several paged documents explaining the terms of the divorce. You can obtain your divorce decree from the county superior court clerk where the divorce was finalized. The Department of Health does not have divorce decrees.
The required pieces of information for divorce certificates include:
For divorces that occurred before January 1, 1968, contact the county superior court clerk where the divorce was finalized.
Before you can get married in some countries, the country may require a document stating you are not currently married. This is known as a single status letter. Visit the Single Status Letter page for more information.
Single Status Letter
A single status letter states that you are not currently married to anyone in Washington state. Before you can get married in some countries, the country will require a document stating you are not currently married. You should contact the country where you will get married to find out if they require confirmation of single status.
Anyone who resided in Washington state for a period of time can order a single status letter. 18 years or older.
The single status letter will say we do not have any record that you are currently married. We can only provide the confirmation from the time you are 18 or from the time of a previous divorce.
For example:
To request a single status letter:
A vital records customer service representatives may contact you to verify information.
The cost will depend on how many years we need to search for records to confirm that you have never been married or that you are divorced. A single status letter costs $25 for each ten-year range of records searched. A customer service representative will provide you with the total cost when you order the letter.
Single status letters require different information depending on your circumstances. A trained customer service representative will ask you the right questions to get you the information you need.
Please be prepared to answer the following questions:
To use a certified document issued in Washington state, like a marriage or divorce certificate, in another country for official purposes you may need an apostille from the Secretary of State. Visit the apostille web page for more information.