Spanaway Marriage Records
Marriage records for Spanaway are maintained by the Pierce County Auditor's Office. Spanaway is an unincorporated community in Pierce County served by the Pierce County Sheriff, and it has no city government of its own. All marriage licensing and record-keeping is handled through Pierce County. This page walks through how to apply for a license, request copies of existing records, and access historical marriage archives for the Spanaway area.
Spanaway Overview
Pierce County Auditor: Marriage Licensing
The Pierce County Auditor issues marriage licenses for Spanaway and all other unincorporated areas in the county. The office is located at 2401 S. 35th St., Room 200 in Tacoma. You can reach the office by phone at (253) 798-7435 or by email at Auditor@PierceCountyWa.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Both applicants must appear together in person to apply. Each person must bring a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license, passport, or state ID card. No blood tests are required. If one party cannot appear, that person can have their portion of the application notarized and submitted. This situation typically involves extra coordination with the office, so call ahead if it applies to you.
| Office | Pierce County Auditor |
|---|---|
| Address | 2401 S. 35th St., Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98409 |
| Phone | (253) 798-7435 |
| Auditor@PierceCountyWa.gov | |
| Hours | Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm |
| Website | piercecountywa.gov - Marriage Licensing |
| Certified Copy | $3 |
| Wait Period | 3 days (RCW 26.04.180) |
| License Valid | 60 days from issue |
Public Records Directory: Where Spanaway Records Live
Because Spanaway has no city government, all public records for the community are county records. The Pierce County Auditor is the primary contact for marriage records. For property records, the County Assessor handles those. Divorce and court records go through the Pierce County Superior Court Clerk's Office.
Knowing which office to contact first saves time. The Auditor handles marriage. The Superior Court Clerk handles divorce. The Assessor handles property. These offices are all in Tacoma, which is the county seat of Pierce County.
Getting Certified Copies of Marriage Records
After a marriage ceremony takes place, the signed certificate is returned to the Auditor's Office by the officiant. Once recorded, you can request certified copies. The fee is $3 per certified copy. Certified copies carry the official seal and are accepted by most agencies for legal name changes, insurance updates, and similar purposes.
You can request copies in person at the Auditor's Office or by mail. Mail requests take about 7 working days to process from the time the office receives your request. Include the full names of both parties, the date of marriage, and a check made payable to the Pierce County Auditor. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Pierce County also makes some marriage certificates available through its online records portal. Not all records are available this way, but it is worth checking before making a trip or sending a mail request. The county's Records Available Online page shows which types of documents can be accessed electronically.
Pierce County Courts and Marriage Record Guide
The Pierce County courts resource at piercecountycourts.org explains the full process for both marriage and divorce records in a single reference. Marriage records come from the Auditor. Divorce records come from the Superior Court Clerk at 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Room 110, Tacoma, WA 98402. The clerk can be reached at 253-798-7455.
This distinction matters. If you are looking for a record from a divorce, the Auditor does not have it. The Superior Court Clerk keeps all dissolution case files, decrees, and related documents. The Auditor only has marriage licensing and certificate records.
Marriage records include the full names of both parties, the date and location of the ceremony, the officiant's name, and the certificate number. All of this information is part of the public record under RCW 26.04.170, though Social Security numbers and certain other sensitive fields are removed before copies are released to the public.
Historical Records: Pierce County Digital Archives
The Pierce County collection in the Washington State Digital Archives is substantial. It holds approximately 491,000 records including marriage certificates from 1889 through 1947 and from 1984 to the present, plus applications from 1999 through 2014. The archive is free to search and requires no account or login.
Genealogists researching Spanaway family histories will find this collection useful. Pierce County was organized in 1852 and named after President Franklin Pierce. Marriage records in the archive go back to the territorial period. FamilySearch also holds some Pierce County records from as far back as 1853.
Washington State DOH Vital Records
The Washington State Department of Health maintains statewide marriage records from 1968 to the present. Orders go through VitalChek and cost $25 per record. Online orders take 3 to 7 business days. Mail orders take 6 to 8 weeks.
The Washington State Department of Health processes marriage certificate requests for Spanaway residents through VitalChek, covering marriages statewide from 1968 to the present. The DOH vital records ordering page provides step-by-step instructions for ordering certified copies of Washington State marriage records, including those for Pierce County.
For records before 1968, the Pierce County Auditor or the state digital archives are your best options. The DOH does not hold records from before that year, so older records need to be requested through the county directly or found in the digitized archive collections.
Officiant Rules and Ceremony Requirements
Washington authorizes specific types of officiants under RCW 26.04.050. These include judges, retired judges, court commissioners, and ordained ministers or religious officials. The officiant must be legally authorized and must return the signed certificate to the Pierce County Auditor within 30 days of the ceremony. Missing this deadline can complicate the couple's ability to get copies later.
Two witnesses are required at the ceremony and must sign the marriage certificate. These are not the same people who appear at the license application. The witnesses are present at and sign the certificate following the ceremony. Keep a note of who your witnesses were in case questions arise later.
All marriage applications are public records in Washington. Under RCW 26.04.170, the public can request to view these applications. In some cases, application information may appear in local newspapers. This is a standard feature of Washington marriage law that applies statewide, not just in Pierce County.
Pierce County Marriage Records
Spanaway is in Pierce County. Marriage licenses for Spanaway 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.