Access Burien Marriage Records

Burien marriage records are held and managed by King County, not by Burien city offices. The King County Recorder in Seattle issues marriage licenses for all Burien residents and keeps official marriage certificates for the entire county. If you are looking to apply for a license, get a certified copy of a certificate, or trace a historical marriage record, this guide covers what you need to know. Burien City Hall handles city government records but does not hold marriage records or issue licenses.

King County Recorder - Marriage Licenses for Burien

Burien residents apply for marriage licenses at the King County Recorder's office in Seattle. Both applicants must be present. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID for each person. No blood test is required in Washington State.

The fee is $69. After you pay and the license is issued, a mandatory three-day waiting period begins before you can hold your ceremony. This is set by RCW 26.04.180 and cannot be waived for any reason. The license is valid for 60 days. If that window passes without a ceremony, you must reapply.

The Recorder's website has current office hours and an option to pre-apply online. Using the online form before your in-person visit can reduce your wait time at the window.

Burien City Clerk and Local Court

Burien City Hall is at 400 SW 152nd St, Suite 300, Burien, WA 98166. The city clerk can be reached at (206) 241-4647 or cityclerk@burienwa.gov. The office is open by appointment. It handles city ordinances, council minutes, and city contracts. It does not hold marriage licenses or certificates. If you call asking about marriage records, staff will direct you to King County.

The Burien City Clerk page at burienwa.gov outlines what the city clerk does and does not handle. The page confirms that marriage license and certificate requests should go to King County, not the city office.

The King County District Court South Division at 601 SW 149th St, Burien, WA 98166, phone (206) 205-9200, serves the Burien area. District court judges are authorized officiants under RCW 26.04.050 and can perform marriage ceremonies. Contact the court directly to ask about scheduling and any applicable fees for judge-performed ceremonies.

Certified Copies of Burien Marriage Certificates

King County charges $3 per certified copy of a marriage certificate. You can request copies in person, by mail, or online through the Recorder's portal. For recent marriages (those within about five months of the ceremony), go directly to King County since the state DOH record may not be updated yet.

If you need a single status letter (confirming whether a person was ever married in King County), the Recorder's office provides that service. Fees are tiered: $8 for a 1-5 year search, $16 for a 5-10 year search, $24 for 10-15 years, and $32 for a 15-20 year search. These searches are useful for legal purposes or when applying to marry in another country.

For marriages from 1968 to present statewide, order through the Washington State Department of Health at doh.wa.gov. The fee is $25 per certified copy via VitalChek. VitalChek orders process in 3-7 business days. Mailed orders sent directly to DOH take 6-8 weeks. DOH can also issue noncertified informational copies at the same fee.

For pre-1968 marriages, contact the King County Auditor directly. DOH does not hold records from before 1968.

Historical Marriage Records for Burien Area

Burien was not incorporated until 1993, but King County marriage records go back much further. The Washington State Digital Archives holds 1,610,882 King County marriage records spanning 1855 to 2017. That free collection at digitalarchives.wa.gov includes records from what is now Burien, which was part of unincorporated King County before incorporation.

The archive is searchable by name, date, and Soundex for variant spellings. The Digital Archives collection covers King County Auditor records from 1855-1969 and King County Recorder records from 1970-2017, with images of original documents available to view and download.

No account or fee is required to search the Digital Archives. You can view images of the actual certificates and returns online. This is the best free starting point for any genealogy research involving Burien or King County marriages before 2017.

For marriages after 2017, the King County Recorder handles copy requests directly. Contact the Recorder's office at (206) 296-1655 or visit the office in person at 201 S Jackson St, Seattle.

Washington State Marriage Law Basics

Washington State requires two witnesses at the ceremony. Both witnesses must observe the full ceremony and sign the Certificate of Marriage. Any witness over 18 years old will do; there is no other legal requirement for witnesses.

The officiant has 30 days after the ceremony to return the completed certificate to the county. That return step is what locks in the official record. Without it, there is no legal proof of marriage in the county files.

Washington's Marriage Equality Act took effect December 6, 2012. Marriage certificates from before that date list groom and bride. After that date, they use Person A and Person B. This shows up in archives and can affect how you search digital records if you are looking for marriages around that transition year.

All marriage license applications are public records under RCW 26.04.170. Anyone can look up an application. Completed certificates are also public records once filed with the county.

King County Marriage Records

Burien is in King County. All marriage licenses for Burien residents come from the King County Recorder. Visit the county page for full office details, fee schedules, and historical record resources.

View King County Marriage Records

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Burien. Each uses its own county auditor for marriage records.