Search Wenatchee Marriage Records
Marriage records for Wenatchee are maintained by the Chelan County Auditor's Office, which is located in the same city. Wenatchee is the county seat of Chelan County in north-central Washington. All marriage licensing and record-keeping runs through the county auditor. Chelan County has maintained marriage records since 1900 when the county was formed. This page explains the full process for applying, requesting copies, and finding older records through genealogy and archive resources.
Wenatchee Overview
Chelan County Auditor: Marriage Licensing
The Chelan County Auditor's Office handles marriage licensing for Wenatchee and all of Chelan County. The office is at 350 Orondo Avenue, Level 5, Wenatchee, WA 98801. Phone is (509) 667-6800. General counter hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, but the Public Records Counter has narrower hours: Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. Confirm hours before visiting.
Both applicants must appear in person together with valid government-issued photo ID. No blood tests are required. No witnesses are needed at the license application stage. After applying and paying the fee, the three-day waiting period required by RCW 26.04.180 begins. The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue.
| Office | Chelan County Auditor |
|---|---|
| Address | 350 Orondo Avenue, Level 5, Wenatchee, WA 98801 |
| Phone | (509) 667-6800 |
| Hours | Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm (Records Counter: 9am-4:30pm) |
| Website | co.chelan.wa.us/auditor |
| Certified Copies | $10 per marriage license copy |
| Recorded Documents | $3 first page, $1 additional |
| Paper Copies | $0.15/page; $0.25 color |
| Wait Period | 3 days (RCW 26.04.180) |
| License Valid | 60 days from issue |
Chelan County Auditor Records
The Chelan County Auditor's office provides access to recorded documents and other county records. It is a good starting point if you want to check whether a particular marriage record is in the system before making a formal copy request.
The auditor's office handles more than marriage licenses. Services include military discharge records, plat maps, UCC filings, and county business licenses. When you visit or call, make sure you are speaking with the right division. Marriage licensing is a specific function within the auditor's office.
For divorce records, the Chelan County Clerk at Level 6 of the same building (350 Orondo Avenue) handles court records including dissolution cases. Phone for the Clerk is (509) 667-6380. The auditor and the clerk are in the same building but are separate offices with separate functions.
Chelan County Digital Archives
The Chelan County collection in the Washington State Digital Archives holds approximately 151,000 records. This includes marriage returns from 1900 through 1910, applications from 1900 to the present, and certificates from 1911 to the present. The collection also includes community property agreements from 1974 through 1988. Access is free at digitalarchives.wa.gov.
Chelan County was formed on March 13, 1899 from parts of Okanogan and Kittitas counties. The county seat is Wenatchee. Marriage records in the digital archive begin in 1900, just after the county's formation. For family history research in the Wenatchee area, these records cover the full span of the county's existence from its earliest days.
For assistance with the Eastern Washington physical holdings, contact the Central Regional Branch at 509-963-2136. This branch holds physical records from Chelan County and other central Washington counties and can assist with document requests that are not available through the online archive.
FamilySearch and Genealogy Resources
FamilySearch.org holds genealogy resources for Chelan County. The FamilySearch Chelan County, Washington Genealogy page notes that the Auditor has marriage records from 1900. Additional genealogy resources for the Wenatchee area include the Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society (WAGS), which maintains an obituary database of over 110,000 obituaries from the Wenatchee area covering 1895 through 2017.
Newspaper archives are another source for marriage announcements and notices. The Wenatchee Daily World published from 1905 to 1971, and the Wenatchee World has published from 1971 to the present. Both carry marriage announcements that can supplement official record searches, particularly for finding details not always included in the official record.
The Washington State Library also holds Chelan County Auditor marriage records from 1900 through 2024. This collection may include records not available through the digital archive and can be accessed through the library's genealogy resources. The library's Washington State Genealogy Research guide provides details on how to access county-level collections held there.
Washington State DOH Vital Records
The Washington State Department of Health holds statewide marriage records from 1968 to the present. Certified copies cost $25 through VitalChek. Online orders take 3 to 7 business days. Mail orders take 6 to 8 weeks. This is a practical option for Wenatchee residents who need copies without visiting the auditor's office.
The Washington State Department of Health processes marriage certificate orders statewide, including Chelan County marriages from 1968 to the present. The DOH vital records ordering page covers ordering instructions, required identification, and fee schedules for certified copies of Washington State marriage and divorce records.
For records before 1968, the Chelan County Auditor or the Washington State Digital Archives collection are the right resources. The DOH does not maintain records from before 1968, and the county's digital archive goes back to 1900. For the decade gap between 1968 and 1900, either source covers the period.
Ceremony Requirements in Chelan County
After the three-day waiting period, your ceremony can take place anywhere in Washington. You are not required to marry in Chelan County or even in the county where you got the license. Two witnesses must attend and sign the marriage certificate at the ceremony. These witnesses are not required to appear at the license application.
Authorized officiants under RCW 26.04.050 include judges, retired judges, court commissioners, and ordained ministers or religious officials. After the ceremony, the officiant must return the signed certificate to the Chelan County Auditor within 30 days. This is a legal requirement for the officiant and is important for the couple's ability to get certified copies of their record.
Washington's Marriage Equality Act took effect December 6, 2012. Since then, all licenses use Person A and Person B terminology. Older records from before that date use traditional terminology. Both are valid legal marriage documents in Washington. The two-witness requirement and the three-day wait have been part of Washington marriage law for many years and apply in Chelan County as in every other county.
Chelan County Marriage Records
Wenatchee is in Chelan County. Marriage licenses for Wenatchee residents come from the Chelan County Auditor. The county page has full office details and historical record resources.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities use county auditors for marriage records.