Grays Harbor County Marriage Records

Grays Harbor County marriage records are held by the County Auditor in Montesano. If you need to get a marriage license, check on an old license, or pull a certified copy of a marriage certificate, the Auditor's office is your first stop. The county has records going back to 1871, and the Washington State Digital Archives holds over 66,000 searchable records from Grays Harbor free of charge. This page covers how to apply for a license, what it costs, how to get certified copies, and where to find older historical records for the county.

Grays Harbor County Auditor

The Grays Harbor County Auditor handles all marriage license applications and keeps the official record of every marriage filed in the county. The office is located at the County Courthouse in Montesano. Staff can issue new licenses, process certified copy requests, and help you search recent records by date or party name.

The Auditor's office is open Monday through Friday. No appointment is needed for most services, but both parties must be present for a standard in-person application. The office does not require birth certificates, blood tests, or any medical documentation. A valid photo ID from each applicant is all that is required.

Marriage License Requirements

Grays Harbor County follows Washington State law for marriage license applications. Both parties must apply together in person at the Auditor's office during normal business hours. Each applicant must present a valid photo ID. No blood tests, no birth certificates, and no other supporting documents are required.

Under RCW 26.04.180, the license has a mandatory three-day waiting period from the date it is issued. That wait cannot be reduced or waived for any reason. Once the waiting period passes, the license is valid for 60 days. It can only be used for a wedding taking place within Washington State. After the ceremony, the officiant has 30 days to return the completed paperwork to the Auditor's office.

If one applicant cannot appear in person, there is a remote option. The party who can appear takes the uncompleted forms to the absent applicant, who fills them out and signs them in front of a notary public. The completed, notarized forms are then brought back to the office, and the in-person party finishes the application. This remote option lets couples apply even if one person lives out of the area or has other circumstances preventing a joint visit.

Both applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Previous marriages must have been legally dissolved before a new license can be issued. Grays Harbor County does not require copies of prior divorce decrees, but prior dissolutions must be valid under the laws of the state where they occurred.

Note: The Auditor's office is closed on weekends and all nationally observed holidays. Plan your visit accordingly if you are working around the three-day waiting period.

Getting Certified Copies in Grays Harbor County

Certified copies of Grays Harbor County marriage certificates cost $3 each. You can request them in person at the Auditor's office in Montesano, or by mail. Bring a valid photo ID if you come in person. For mail requests, include your name, the names of both parties on the license, the approximate year of the marriage, and a check or money order for the correct amount.

Certified copies are commonly used for legal name changes at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Licensing. Banks, courts, and government agencies often want a certified copy rather than a plain photocopy. The Auditor can issue as many certified copies as you need at the time of your request.

For marriages that took place on or after January 1, 1968, you can also order a certified copy through the Washington State Department of Health. The DOH fee is $25 per copy. Online orders through the DOH vital records portal typically process in 3 to 7 business days. Mail requests to DOH take around 6 to 8 weeks. You will need the full names of both spouses and the county where the license was filed.

Historical Marriage Records

The Washington State Digital Archives holds 66,005 Grays Harbor County marriage records. The collection covers marriage returns from 1912 to 1939, marriage certificates from 1871 to 1877 and from 1912 to the present, and marriage affidavits from 2000 onward. It also includes Community Property Agreements from 1981 to 1989. All records in this collection are free to search and view online.

The Auditor's office maintains current procedures and access to recent records. Contact the office at (360) 249-3441 for assistance.

You can search by the groom or person A last name, first name, or middle name, and by bride or person B in the same way. Soundex search is available, which helps locate records even when the spelling of a name varies. The Digital Archives collection notes that records prior to December 6, 2012 use Groom and Bride as field labels; records after that date use Person A and Person B to reflect the Marriage Equality Act.

The Grays Harbor County Auditor's marriage license page covers application requirements, the remote option for absent applicants, and certified copy fees.

For genealogy work, the county Auditor has held marriage records since 1891. Earlier records and some original documents are accessible through the Washington State Archives Southwest Region Branch. You can reach them at (360) 753-1684 or email swbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. FamilySearch also indexes some Grays Harbor County marriage collections that may supplement what is available in the Digital Archives.

The Digital Archives collection page for Grays Harbor County lists all document types available, searchable fields, and coverage dates for the 66,005 marriage records in the database.

How to Search Grays Harbor Marriage Records Online

The fastest way to search Grays Harbor County marriage records online is through the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov. The search is free. You can look up records by name, date range, or use Soundex to find name variations. Results show the document type, party names, and the year of the marriage.

For very recent records, the county Auditor's office maintains its own database. Staff can search by date or party name during business hours. Older historical records that predate the Digital Archives collection may be held at the Washington State Archives Southwest Region Branch. If you are looking for something from before 1912 and it does not show up in the Digital Archives, that branch is a good next step.

The state Department of Health maintains marriage records from January 1, 1968 to the present. Their online ordering portal accepts requests for certified and non-certified copies. For marriages before 1968, you will need to go through the county Auditor or the Washington State Archives.

Note: Records in the Digital Archives reflect periodic transfers from the county. Very recent marriages may not yet appear online and should be requested directly from the Auditor's office.

Cities in Grays Harbor County

Grays Harbor County includes Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Montesano, Ocean Shores, Westport, and many smaller communities. All marriage licenses in the county are issued through the Auditor's office in Montesano, regardless of which city you live in. None of the cities in Grays Harbor County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

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