Lewis County Marriage Records

Lewis County marriage records go back to the mid-1800s and are kept by the County Auditor in Chehalis. If you need to look up a marriage license or get a certified copy of a marriage certificate, the Lewis County Auditor is your first stop. The county has more than 231,000 records on file, including applications and certificates from 1854 to the present. Many of these older records are also searchable for free through the Washington State Digital Archives. Whether you are doing genealogy research or need a legal copy of a marriage record, this page covers where to look and how to get what you need.

Lewis County Auditor Office

The Lewis County Auditor in Chehalis issues all marriage licenses and keeps the official records for the county. The office has been maintaining these records since the county was organized in the mid-1800s. Staff can help you search for a record, apply for a new license, or get a certified copy of an existing certificate.

The auditor's office is open five days a week. If you plan to apply for a marriage license, both parties must appear in person with a valid government-issued photo ID. The office is located in downtown Chehalis on West Main Street. You can also reach them by mail at PO Box 29, Chehalis, WA 98532-0029.

Note: The Lewis County Clerk handles divorce, probate, and court records separately. Call (360) 740-1156 if you are unsure which office holds the record you need.

Getting a Marriage License in Lewis County

To get a marriage license in Lewis County, both people must go to the Auditor's office together. You each need a valid government-issued photo ID. There is no residency requirement. You do not need to be a Washington resident to apply here. You also don't need to get the blood test. The process is fairly simple once you have your ID and the fee ready.

Washington State law under RCW 26.04.180 requires a three-day waiting period after the license is issued before the marriage ceremony can take place. This wait cannot be waived for any reason. The license is valid for 60 days from the date it is issued. If the ceremony does not happen within that window, the license expires and you have to apply again.

After the ceremony, the officiant signs the license and returns it to the Auditor's office. That signed document becomes the official marriage record. The county then sends a copy to the Washington State Department of Health for their vital records file. Marriage applications filed in Lewis County are public record under RCW 26.04.170.

Certified Copies of Lewis County Marriage Certificates

You can get a certified copy of a marriage certificate through the Lewis County Auditor or through the Washington State Department of Health. The county and state both keep records, but they serve different purposes. The county keeps the original and can provide copies for records in their custody. The state DOH handles marriages from 1968 to the present at a cost of $25 per copy.

To get a copy from the state, visit the Washington State Department of Health vital records page. Mail orders typically take six to eight weeks. If you order online through VitalChek, processing is usually three to seven business days. Keep in mind it can take up to five months after the wedding date for the record to reach the DOH, so very recent marriages may not yet be in the state system.

For county-level copies or older records, contact the Auditor directly at (360) 740-1156. Staff can tell you what is on file and what documentation you need to provide to request a copy.

Historical Lewis County Marriage Records

Lewis County has one of the longer marriage record histories in Washington State. The Auditor's office holds records going back to 1850. The county was established in 1845 and organized shortly after, so the records span nearly all of Washington's history as a territory and state. For genealogy researchers, this is a rich source.

The Washington State Digital Archives has 231,510 Lewis County marriage records covering applications and certificates from 1854 to present. You can search at no cost by groom or bride name, or use the Soundex phonetic search if the spelling is uncertain. The archive includes marriage applications from 1939 to 1991, marriage certificates from 1847 to 1900, marriage registers from 1891 to 1938, and marriage returns from 1914 to 1968. Images are available for many of the older records.

The Digital Archives search tool lets you filter by name and year range. Results show the names of both parties, the marriage year, and the record type. Many entries include scanned images of the original documents.

FamilySearch also has Lewis County marriage records. You can search their collection at familysearch.org for free. This can be useful if you can't find a record in the Digital Archives or want to cross-reference sources. The Washington State Archives in Olympia also holds original and microfilmed Lewis County records for researchers who want to look at physical documents.

How to Search Lewis County Marriage Records

There are a few ways to look up marriage records in Lewis County. The right method depends on how old the record is and what you need it for.

For records from 1854 to the present, the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is free and easy to use. You can search by name, use Soundex for variant spellings, and filter by year. This is the best starting point for genealogy or historical research. It does not require an account or payment.

For certified copies or recent records, contact the Lewis County Auditor at (360) 740-1156. You can also call the Real Estate line at (360) 740-1163 if your question is about recorded documents. The office can take mail requests. If you need a certified copy from the state for records 1968 and later, use the DOH ordering page. Keep in mind that mail requests to DOH take six to eight weeks, so plan ahead if you need the document for legal purposes.

Basic search information you will want to have ready:

• Full name of one or both parties
• Approximate year of the marriage
• County where the marriage took place
• Your own contact information for correspondence

Note: If you are looking for divorce records in Lewis County, contact the County Clerk's office. They have been keeping those records since the 1870s and handle them separately from the Auditor.

Cities in Lewis County

Lewis County includes several cities and towns. All marriage licenses for residents of this county are issued by the Auditor in Chehalis, regardless of which city the couple lives in.

Communities in Lewis County include Chehalis, Centralia, Morton, Winlock, Toledo, Napavine, Pe Ell, and Vader. None of these cities currently meet the population threshold for their own pages on this site. All marriage records for Lewis County residents are handled through the county auditor's office in Chehalis.

Nearby Counties

Lewis County borders several other Washington counties. If you are not sure which county to contact, check the address where the marriage took place or where you reside.