Franklin County Marriage Records Lookup

Franklin County marriage records are managed by the County Auditor's office on the main floor of the courthouse in Pasco, Washington. The Auditor handles marriage licenses, records marriage certificates, and provides certified copies to those who request them. Records in the Washington State Digital Archives go back to 1889, with over 132,000 records now available online. Whether you need to apply for a new license, get a certified copy of an existing record, or research a marriage from the past, this page covers what you need to know about the Franklin County marriage records process.

Franklin County Auditor Recording Office

The Franklin County Auditor's office in Pasco is the primary source for marriage records in the county. The Recording Department issues marriage licenses, records completed marriage certificates returned by officiants after the ceremony, and provides certified copies upon request. The office is on the main floor at 1016 N 4th Ave. Staff are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, closed on holidays. For marriage license applications specifically, hours are the same. Call first if you are not sure whether the office will be open on a given day.

Franklin County was organized in 1883 from part of Whitman County. It is named after Benjamin Franklin. The county seat, Pasco, is one of the Tri-Cities area communities in south-central Washington. The Auditor's Recording Department also handles real estate recordings, liens, military discharges, and other official county documents. Marriage records are one of the largest and most frequently requested document types the office manages.

The GovQA Public Records Portal provides 24/7 online access for records requests. The Public Records Officer is Gray Blair, reachable at (509) 546-5854. For marriage-specific records, the Recording Department at ext. 4 is the direct line.

Franklin County Marriage License Requirements

Both applicants must come to the Auditor's office in person and present photo identification to get a marriage license in Franklin County. If you do not have computer access to complete the online application beforehand, there is a computer available in the office. You must complete the application online first to get an application number before your in-person visit. Both applicants must be at least 18 years old. The marriage ceremony must take place within Washington State.

If one or both parties cannot complete the process in person, a Marriage Affidavit option is available. Contact the office at (509) 545-3502 ext. 4 to find out whether you qualify and what documentation is needed. This option covers cases where a party has a medical condition or other circumstance that prevents in-person appearance.

The fee for a Franklin County marriage license is $159 as of July 27, 2025, following the increase under HB 1498. Acceptable payments are cash, money order, cashier's check, and credit or debit card. Personal checks are NOT accepted. Card payments carry a 2.7% surcharge. The waiting period is three days, set by RCW 26.04.180, and cannot be waived. The license is valid for 60 days after it becomes active.

Ceremonies may be performed by judges, retired judges, or ordained ministers as set out in RCW 26.04.050. The Franklin County District Court has a judge available to perform ceremonies. Call (509) 545-3597 to set up an appointment.

Note: Franklin County accepts applications from non-residents. You can get your license here as long as the ceremony happens in Washington State.

Certified Copies of Franklin County Marriage Records

The Franklin County Auditor's Recording Department processes certified copy requests for marriage certificates. You can search and order certified marriage certificates online through the Franklin County Recording and Records Search page. This tool lets you look up recorded documents by name, type, or date range. For in-person requests, visit the main floor office at 1016 N 4th Ave during business hours. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.

For marriages from 1968 to present, the Washington State Department of Health also issues certified copies. The DOH charges $25 per copy. You can order online through the DOH vital records ordering page, which offers both online and mail options. Online orders ship within 3 to 7 business days. Mail orders take 6 to 8 weeks. If the marriage occurred within the last five months, the record may not be at the DOH yet. In that case, request the county-certified white copy directly from the Franklin County Auditor.

Franklin County marriage records go back to 1889 in the Digital Archives system. The county has a large and active records program. If you need a certified copy with a raised seal for legal purposes, the county auditor or the DOH are both valid sources depending on the year of the marriage.

Historical Franklin County Marriage Records

Franklin County has one of the more comprehensive historical marriage record collections in the Washington State Digital Archives. The collection includes 132,113 records covering 1889 to present. Marriage certificates from 1910 to 1930 were digitized by the Washington State Archives Central Region Branch. Electronic copies of marriage applications and certificates from 1999 to present were transferred directly from the Franklin County Auditor. Index records for 1889 to 1998 are also available in the system.

The Washington State Digital Archives - Franklin County is free to search. You can search by last name, first name, and middle name for both Groom/Person A and Bride/Person B. Year range filters let you narrow results. A Soundex search option helps with phonetic spelling variations in older records. Document types in the collection include both marriage applications and marriage certificates. All records are open for research.

For questions about the Franklin County collection, the Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch handles research inquiries. Contact them at (509) 963-2136 or cebrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. They can help with records not yet available online or answer questions about specific document series.

Note: Index records for the 1889 to 1998 period are available in the Digital Archives even if full images are not yet online for all years.

Searching Franklin County Marriage Records

There are several ways to search for Franklin County marriage records. The Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov covers 1889 to present and is the best free resource for historical research. For certified copies of recent records, use the online order system on the Franklin County Recording page or visit the office in person. The Public Records Portal through GovQA is another option for submitting a formal records request online at any time.

The online records search from the Recording Department lets you search and order certified marriage certificates. The system is available through the Franklin County Recording page. You can search by name, date, and document type. Results can be used to identify the correct record before ordering a certified copy.

Here is a look at the Franklin County Recording page, which hosts the online records search and certified copy order system.

See the Franklin County Recording and Records Search page to search recorded documents and order certified marriage certificates online.

The online records search lets you look up Franklin County marriage certificates and other recorded documents without visiting the office in person.

The marriage licenses page has full details on the application process, fees, and payment requirements.

Visit the Franklin County Marriage Licenses page for current fee amounts, application instructions, and waiting period rules.

This page outlines the $159 license fee, the 2.7% card surcharge, the three-day waiting period, and other application requirements for Franklin County.

Franklin County Public Records and Digital Archives

The Franklin County Public Records portal provides 24/7 online access for records requests across all county departments.

Access the Franklin County Public Records portal to submit requests online or find the Public Records Officer.

The GovQA portal allows you to submit public records requests at any time, track request status, and download documents when they are ready.

The Digital Archives holds over 132,000 Franklin County marriage records going back to 1889, making it one of the largest county collections in the state system.

Search the Washington State Digital Archives - Franklin County for free access to marriage records from 1889 to present.

The Franklin County collection in the Digital Archives includes applications and certificates, with Soundex search and year range filters to help narrow your results.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County includes the city of Pasco, which has its own page on this site. All marriage license applications for residents of Franklin County are handled at the Auditor's office at 1016 N 4th Ave in Pasco.

Other communities in Franklin County include Connell, Mesa, Kahlotus, and Basin City. All marriage records and licensing for these communities go through the Franklin County Auditor in Pasco.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with Franklin County. Each handles its own marriage records and license applications.