South Hill Marriage Records Lookup
Marriage records for South Hill residents are handled by the Pierce County Auditor's Office in Tacoma. South Hill is a census-designated place in Pierce County, meaning it has no city hall or city government of its own. All marriage licensing and record-keeping for the area runs through Pierce County. This guide covers how to apply, how to get copies of existing certificates, and where to find older historical marriage records for South Hill and the surrounding area.
South Hill Overview
Pierce County Auditor: Your Starting Point
The Pierce County Auditor's Office issues marriage licenses for all unincorporated areas in the county, including South Hill. Both applicants must appear together in person with valid government-issued photo identification. The auditor's office is open Monday through Friday, with morning hours from 8:30am to noon and afternoon hours from 1pm to 4:30pm.
An alternative to a fully in-person visit is the online application. Pierce County allows couples to begin their application online and then complete the final steps in person. Both parties must still appear at the office to present their IDs and pay the fee. If one party truly cannot appear, that person's portion of the application can be notarized and submitted by mail, but this involves extra steps.
| Office | Pierce County Auditor |
|---|---|
| Address | 2401 S. 35th St., Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98409 |
| Phone | (253) 798-7435 |
| Hours | Mon-Fri 8:30am-12pm, 1pm-4:30pm |
| Website | piercecountywa.gov - Marriage Licensing |
| Certified Copy Fee | $3 per copy |
| Non-Certified Copy | $1 per copy |
| Mail Processing | 7 working days |
| Wait Period | 3 days (RCW 26.04.180) |
| License Valid | 60 days from issue |
Applying: What to Bring
Each person applying for the license needs a current government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state identification card, or passport all work. No blood tests are required under Washington law. You also do not need to bring witnesses to the application appointment. Witnesses are only needed at the actual ceremony.
Both applicants must be at least 18 years old for the standard process. Younger applicants need parental consent and court approval, which involves additional steps. There is no residency requirement. You do not need to live in Pierce County or even in Washington to get a marriage license here.
After you apply and the three-day waiting period passes, your license is valid for 60 days. Plan your ceremony within that window. If you miss the deadline, the license expires and you must apply again and pay the fee again. There is no extension or grace period.
Finding Marriage Records Online
Pierce County makes certain records available through its online portal. You can search for marriage certificates through the county's Records Available Online page, which covers documents the Auditor has recorded. This is a good first stop if you know the approximate time frame of the marriage and want to confirm whether a record exists before requesting a physical copy.
For court-related records, Pierce County Superior Court handles divorce cases. The Superior Court Clerk is separate from the Auditor. If you need divorce records rather than marriage records, the Clerk's Office at 930 Tacoma Avenue South in Tacoma is the right contact.
All marriage applications are public records under RCW 26.04.170. This means any member of the public can request to see them. The applications may contain more detail than the certificate itself, including birth dates and addresses at the time of application.
Washington State DOH: Records from 1968 Onward
The Washington State Department of Health holds marriage records statewide from 1968 to the present. You can order certified copies through VitalChek. The fee is $25 per record. Online orders generally take 3 to 7 business days. Mail orders take 6 to 8 weeks.
The Washington State Department of Health processes marriage record requests for all of Washington, including South Hill and Pierce County, through its VitalChek ordering system. The DOH vital records page covers ordering instructions, acceptable ID, and processing times for certified copies of Washington marriage records.
The DOH route is useful when you cannot visit the Auditor's Office in person. Keep in mind that DOH records only go back to 1968. For older records, you need the Pierce County Auditor or the state digital archives.
Pierce County Digital Archives: Historical Records
The Pierce County collection in the Washington State Digital Archives holds just over 491,000 records. The collection spans from 1889, covering marriage certificates from 1889 through 1947 and again from 1984 to the present, plus applications from 1999 through 2014. Access is free through the state digital archives website.
Genealogists researching South Hill family histories will find this archive valuable. FamilySearch also holds some Pierce County marriage records going back to 1853, including records from earlier territorial period marriages. The county clerk also has divorce and probate records going back to 1890 if you need those for family research.
The Washington State Digital Archives Pierce County collection covers nearly half a million records and is freely searchable online, as illustrated below. The Washington State Digital Archives Pierce County marriage collection is one of the largest county collections in the state, with records from 1889 through the present.
Searching the archive by name is straightforward. Results show the names of both parties, the date of the record, the record type, and typically the document number you can use to request a physical copy if needed.
Ceremony Requirements and Officiant Rules
After the three-day wait, your ceremony can take place anywhere in Washington. You are not required to marry in the county where you got the license. Two witnesses must attend and sign the certificate. The officiant collects the signed certificate and must return it to the Pierce County Auditor within 30 days of the ceremony.
Washington law under RCW 26.04.050 lists who may perform ceremonies. This includes judges, retired judges, court commissioners, and ordained ministers. The officiant does not need to be registered with any state office, but they must fall into one of the authorized categories. If you are unsure whether your chosen officiant qualifies, it is worth confirming before the ceremony.
Washington has required Person A and Person B terminology on marriage licenses since December 6, 2012, when the Marriage Equality Act took effect. This change applied statewide to all counties including Pierce. Older records issued before that date use traditional terminology. Both formats are legally valid marriage records.
Pierce County Marriage Records
South Hill is in Pierce County. Marriage licenses for South Hill residents come from the Pierce County Auditor. The county page has full office details and historical record resources.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities use county auditors for marriage records.