Find Marriage Records in Mason County
Mason County marriage records are held by the County Auditor in Shelton and date back to 1857. If you need to look up a marriage, apply for a new license, or get a certified copy of a marriage certificate, the auditor's office handles all of it. The county has nearly 50,000 records in the Washington State Digital Archives, covering applications from 1975 and certificates from 1857 to the present. You can search many of these for free online. This page explains how to reach the Mason County Auditor, what the requirements are, and how to find the record you need.
Mason County Overview
Mason County Auditor
The Mason County Auditor in Shelton is the official keeper of marriage records for the county. The office issues all new licenses, records completed marriages, and maintains copies going back to 1857. Steve Duenkel serves as the current auditor. The auditor's office also offers online document search and an online application option for marriage licenses.
Mason County's auditor office operates a Fraud Notify service that sends free email alerts whenever a document is recorded in your name. This is a useful tool for homeowners and others who want to monitor for fraudulent recordings. The service is free and you can sign up through the county's recording page.
| Office | Mason County Auditor |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 400 Shelton, WA 98584 |
| Phone | (360) 427-9670 ext. 468 |
| auditor@masoncountywa.gov | |
| Website | masoncountywa.gov/departments/auditor |
For questions about online document search or the marriage license application process, visit the Mason County Auditor Recording page. You can also apply for a marriage license online before your in-person visit.
Getting a Marriage License in Mason County
Both parties must appear in person at the Mason County Auditor's office to complete a marriage license application. Each person must have a valid government-issued photo ID. No residency requirement applies. You don't have to live in Mason County or even in Washington State to get a license here.
After the license is issued, Washington State law requires a three-day waiting period before the marriage ceremony can occur. RCW 26.04.180 sets this requirement, and it cannot be waived under any circumstances. The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance. If the ceremony doesn't happen within 60 days, the license expires and a new one must be obtained.
After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license to the county. The auditor records it and sends a copy to the state Department of Vital Statistics. Marriage applications are public record in Washington under RCW 26.04.170, unless the applicant is enrolled in the state's Address Confidentiality Program.
The Mason County Auditor's main page has direct links to apply for a marriage license online and to search recorded documents. You can also reach the office by phone or email for questions about your application.
Certified Copies of Mason County Marriage Certificates
To get a certified copy of a Mason County marriage certificate, contact the Auditor's office at (360) 427-9670 ext. 468 or email auditor@masoncountywa.gov. The office can look up records and provide copies. County fees vary, so call ahead to confirm the current rate before mailing a request.
For marriages since 1968, you can also order a certified copy through the Washington State Department of Health for $25 per copy. Mail orders to DOH take six to eight weeks. Online orders through VitalChek process in three to seven business days. Note that it can take up to five months from the date of marriage for the record to arrive at DOH, so recent records may not yet be available at the state level.
Note: For divorce records in Mason County, contact the Mason County Superior Court Clerk. That office maintains dissolution records separately from the Auditor.
Historical Mason County Marriage Records
Mason County has one of the more complete digital archive collections in western Washington. The Washington State Digital Archives holds 49,445 Mason County records. These include marriage applications from 1975 to present, marriage certificates from 1857 to present, community property agreements from 1990 to 2005, and dissolutions from 1990 to 2005. The records were created and submitted by the Mason County Government Auditor's office.
The Digital Archives interface lets you search Mason County marriage records by name, use Soundex for variant spellings, and filter by year range. Access is free and no account is required.
FamilySearch has noted that the County Auditor holds marriage records from 1892. The physical courthouse is located at 419 N 4th St, Shelton, WA 98584. The Washington State Library also maintains a guide for Mason County at washstatelib.libguides.com, which documents the Mason County Auditor Marriage Records collection from 1857 to 2024.
How to Search Mason County Marriage Records
You have several options for searching Mason County marriage records. The approach you use depends on what you need and how old the record is.
For free online access, start with the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov. The Mason County collection has nearly 50,000 records going back to 1857. You can search by name and year range without creating an account. This is the best tool for genealogy work or finding older records.
For recent records, certified copies, or records not in the Digital Archives, contact the Mason County Auditor at (360) 427-9670 ext. 468. You can also email auditor@masoncountywa.gov with your request. The auditor's recording page at masoncountywa.gov has an online document search tool as well. Have these details ready when you search:
- Full names of both parties
- Approximate year the marriage took place
- County where the license was issued
- Your contact information for any correspondence
Cities in Mason County
Mason County includes several small communities along Hood Canal and Puget Sound. All marriage licenses for county residents are handled through the Auditor in Shelton.
Cities and communities in Mason County include Shelton, Belfair, Union, Hoodsport, Allyn, and Grapeview. None of these communities currently meet the population threshold for individual pages on this site. All marriage record requests should go to the Mason County Auditor's office in Shelton.
Nearby Counties
Mason County borders several counties in western Washington. If a marriage may have taken place in a nearby county, the links below will take you to the right place.