Mount Vernon Marriage Records
Mount Vernon marriage records are held by the Skagit County Auditor, located right in the city at 700 S. Second Street. If you need a marriage license, a certified copy of a past marriage certificate, or access to historical records going back to 1884, the Auditor's office is where you start. Skagit County has over 120,000 marriage records available through the Washington State Digital Archives alone, making Mount Vernon one of the better-documented cities in the region for marriage research. This guide explains the process, fees, contact details, and how to search historical records.
Mount Vernon Overview
Skagit County Auditor - Marriage Licensing Office
The Skagit County Auditor handles all marriage licensing for Mount Vernon and the surrounding county. The office is in Room 201 at 700 S. Second Street, which is right in downtown Mount Vernon. You can reach the general auditor line at (360) 416-1700, the recording division at (360) 416-1703, and the marriage license line directly at (360) 416-1702. Fax is (360) 416-1701. Email is auditor@co.skagit.wa.us.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on state holidays. If you plan to come in near closing time to get a license, call ahead to confirm staff availability. Both applicants need to appear in person unless one party is absent and has notarized their portion of the application form.
| Office | Skagit County Auditor |
|---|---|
| Address | 700 S. Second Street, Room 201 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 |
| Mailing Address | PO Box 1306, 700 S. Second St., Rm 201 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 |
| Phone (Main) | (360) 416-1700 |
| Phone (Marriage License) | (360) 416-1702 |
| Phone (Recording) | (360) 416-1703 |
| Fax | (360) 416-1701 |
| auditor@co.skagit.wa.us | |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| License Fee | $72 |
| Certified Copy Fee | $3 |
The Skagit County Auditor's website at skagitcounty.net has more information about marriage licensing, recording services, and how to request copies. The recording search portal at skagitcounty.net/Departments/Auditor/Recording lets you search recorded documents online, including marriage records filed with the county.
Getting a Marriage License in Mount Vernon
Washington law requires a three-day waiting period after your license is issued before you can hold the ceremony. This comes from RCW 26.04.180 and applies to everyone in the state. There is no way to waive it. If you apply on a Monday, the earliest you can legally marry is Thursday. Plan your timeline before you apply.
The license costs $72 and is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance. If your ceremony does not happen within that window, the license expires and you have to start over and pay again. Both people named in the application must appear in person at the Auditor's office. Each person needs a valid, government-issued photo ID. Acceptable forms include a driver's license, passport, or state ID card.
If one party cannot appear in person, there is a process for an absent party to complete and notarize their portion of the application. Call (360) 416-1702 to ask about that option before you show up with only one person. The office can walk you through what paperwork you need.
After the ceremony takes place, the person who performed it must return the signed Certificate of Marriage to the Skagit County Auditor within 30 days. This is what creates the legal record. Under RCW 26.04.050, marriage ceremonies can be performed by judges, licensed or ordained ministers, and other authorized officiants. Washington's Marriage Equality Act, which took effect December 6, 2012, uses Person A and Person B terminology on all license forms.
Certified Copies of Mount Vernon Marriage Records
Certified copies of Skagit County marriage certificates cost $3 each. The Auditor processes copy requests in person, by mail, and by e-recording submission. Mail requests go to: Skagit County Auditor, Attn: Copy Request, PO Box 1306, 700 S. Second St., Rm 201, Mount Vernon, WA 98273. Include both parties' names, the year of the marriage, and your payment. Check or money order made out to Skagit County Auditor.
For marriages from 1968 to the present, you can also order certified copies through the Washington State Department of Health. DOH charges $25 per copy and processes orders through VitalChek. Online and phone orders typically take 3 to 7 business days. Mailed requests to DOH can take 6 to 8 weeks. The DOH vital records page is at doh.wa.gov.
For marriages before 1968, DOH does not have records. Go to the Skagit County Auditor directly for those. For very old records, the Washington State Digital Archives collection also has images and indexes that are free to view online.
Recording fees for documents submitted to the county are separate: $104.50 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. This applies to recorded documents, not to certified copy requests.
Historical Mount Vernon Marriage Records
Skagit County has a strong collection of historical marriage records. The Washington State Digital Archives holds 120,629 records from Skagit County, covering marriage certificates from 1884 to 2000 and marriage returns from 1891 to 1948. That collection is free to search and free to view at digitalarchives.wa.gov. Images of the original documents are included for most records in the collection.
For genealogy research, the Skagit County records are quite useful. Returns filed by officiants after ceremonies and certificates issued by the Auditor's office both appear in the collection. Some records from the late 1800s may have gaps depending on how consistently filing happened at the time. If you cannot find a record in the Digital Archives, try the Auditor's office directly. Staff can search the physical indexes for records that may not have been digitized.
The Skagit County Clerk's office, located in Room 202 at the same building (700 S. Second Street), handles court records, passports, and protection orders. The Clerk's office number is (360) 416-1800. Marriage licenses and certificates are with the Auditor, not the Clerk, but both offices share the building so visits can be combined if needed.
Ancestry.com and FamilySearch also have some Washington marriage collections that include Skagit County records. These are good secondary search options if the Digital Archives do not return results for an older record.
Searching Court and Marriage Records Online
The Skagit County Clerk's office in Mount Vernon maintains court records that relate to marriage-related legal proceedings. For more information about court-side records such as dissolution decrees or protection orders, visit the Skagit County Clerk's page.
The link below goes to the Skagit County Clerk's official page, which covers court record access for Mount Vernon residents.
The Clerk's office at (360) 416-1800 handles court-related records, while marriage licenses and certified copies go through the Auditor at (360) 416-1702. Knowing which office handles which type of record saves time when you call or visit.
The Washington State Digital Archives collection for Skagit County is one of the more complete in the state. The link below takes you directly to the Skagit County marriage collection, which covers 120,629 records spanning over a century.
The Digital Archives search is free and includes images. You can search by name, date range, and record type. If you find a record, you can view and download the image at no cost. This is a good starting point for anyone doing family history research on Skagit County marriages before 2000.
Washington State Department of Health Records
The Washington State Department of Health keeps certified marriage records for the whole state from 1968 to the present. If you are not sure which county the marriage was recorded in, DOH is a useful starting point because their records are statewide. A certified copy costs $25 and can be ordered online through VitalChek or by mail. Anyone can request a copy. You do not need to be a party to the marriage.
Phone orders through VitalChek take 3 to 7 business days. Mail orders sent directly to DOH take 6 to 8 weeks. For faster results, online or phone ordering through VitalChek is the better option. DOH vital records are at doh.wa.gov.
For marriages before 1968, DOH does not have records. For those, the Skagit County Auditor or the Washington State Digital Archives are the places to look. The Auditor's office can search physical records and issue certified copies. The Digital Archives can provide free digital images of older documents.
Skagit County Marriage Records
Mount Vernon is in Skagit County. Marriage licenses for Mount Vernon residents come from the Skagit County Auditor. The county page has full office details, fee schedules, and historical record resources.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities also use county auditors for marriage records.