Marriage Records in Skamania County
Skamania County marriage records are maintained by the County Auditor in Stevenson, a small office that handles licensing, recording, and certified copy requests for the entire county. Located in the Columbia River Gorge, Skamania County is one of the less populous counties in Washington, but its marriage records go back to the county's formation in 1854. If you need to find or obtain a Skamania County marriage record, this page covers your options from the local auditor's office to the Washington State Digital Archives.
Skamania County Overview
Skamania County Auditor's Office
The Skamania County Auditor issues marriage licenses, records completed certificates, and provides copies of marriage records. The office is located in the Skamania County Courthouse in Stevenson. County Auditor Robert Waymire has served in this role since January 2015. The Auditor's responsibilities cover Recording, Financial Services, Auto Licensing, Payroll, and Elections in addition to marriage licensing.
Because Skamania is a small, rural county, there is only one location for all auditor services. If you plan to apply for a marriage license or pick up a certified copy in person, it is worth calling ahead to confirm current hours and any appointment requirements. The office serves the entire county from the single Stevenson location.
| Office | Skamania County Auditor - Recording and Marriage Licensing |
|---|---|
| Address | 240 NW Vancouver Ave, Room 27 Stevenson, WA |
| Phone | (509) 427-3730 |
| Website | skamaniacounty.org - Auditor |
The Recording Division handles real estate documents, liens, military discharge papers, maps, surveys, and marriage licenses. An online records search is available through the county's recording system. A Property Recording Alert Service is also offered, which sends email notifications when documents tied to a property are recorded.
Note: Certified copies of marriage certificates cost $3 each. Have the names of both parties and the marriage date ready when requesting a copy.
Skamania County Marriage License Requirements
To get a marriage license in Skamania County, both applicants must appear in person at the Auditor's office. Each person needs a valid government-issued photo ID. Washington State requires a three-day waiting period before the license is valid, as set out in RCW 26.04.180. The license is then valid for 60 days. The ceremony must take place within that 60-day window and only within Washington State.
There are no blood test requirements and no witness requirements at the time of application. You will need two witnesses at the ceremony itself, however. The officiant, whether a judge, retired judge, or ordained minister or religious official, must complete their section of the certificate and ensure both parties and two witnesses sign it. The signed certificate must be returned to the Auditor within 30 days of the ceremony. Failure to return it on time is a misdemeanor under state law.
Washington's Marriage Equality Act became law on December 6, 2012. Any two people who are at least 18 years old and legally eligible can marry in Washington. Marriage records issued before that date used "Groom" and "Bride" designations. Records from December 6, 2012 onward use "Person A" and "Person B."
Getting Copies of Skamania County Marriage Records
Certified copies of Skamania County marriage certificates are available from the Auditor's Recording Division. The fee is $3 per certified copy. You can request copies in person or by mail. For mail requests, write to the Skamania County Auditor at the Stevenson courthouse address, include the names of both parties and the date of the marriage, and enclose payment plus a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Online document searches are available through the county's recording system. Keep in mind that images pulled online are not certified copies. They are useful for confirming record details, but you must order a certified copy from the office for any legal purpose such as a name change, immigration application, or insurance update.
For marriages that occurred from 1968 onward statewide, the Washington State Department of Health also holds records. Certified copies from the DOH cost $25 each. You can order through the Washington State DOH vital records page.
Historical Skamania County Marriage Records
Skamania County was organized in 1854 from Clark County, making it one of the older counties in Washington. The County Clerk holds marriage records, divorce records, probate records, and court records going back to 1856, according to FamilySearch genealogy records. That is a substantial archive for a county of Skamania's size.
The Washington State Digital Archives holds a large collection of Skamania County marriage records. The collection covers marriage certificates from 1905 to 2013, with the bulk of records falling between 1911 and 2007. The total count is 68,797 records. This collection is free to search at digitalarchives.wa.gov Skamania County collection. You can search by name or year range, and images are available for many records in the collection.
For records not yet digitized, particularly those from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, contact the Skamania County Auditor or the County Clerk directly. The Clerk holds the oldest records and handles divorce and probate in addition to marriage. Researchers doing deep genealogy work may also want to check the Washington State Archives Southwest Region Branch, which holds physical records from Southwest Washington counties including Skamania.
Note: Marriage records from 1907 to 1947 are also accessible at the Washington State Archives. Plan to contact the relevant branch before visiting to confirm what is available and in what format.
Search Options for Skamania County Marriage Records
Your main search tools for Skamania County marriage records are the county's own recording search system, the Washington State Digital Archives, and the state DOH for post-1968 records.
The county's online recording search lets you look up documents by name or document type. Go to the Skamania County Auditor Recording page for a link to the search tool and details on what is available online. Remember that search results and images shown online are not certified copies.
For free historical searches covering 1905 to 2013, the Washington State Digital Archives Skamania County collection is the best free resource. The system allows searching by Groom/Person A name and Bride/Person B name with a marriage year range filter. Soundex searching helps with older records where names were spelled inconsistently.
If you cannot find a record through either of those tools, contact the Auditor's office directly at (509) 427-3730. Staff can search office indexes for records that may not be digitized or indexed online.
Skamania County and State Marriage Record Resources
The Washington State Digital Archives Skamania County marriage records collection holds 68,797 records covering 1905 to 2013, available free for public research.
Search the collection by name and year range to locate Skamania County marriage certificates and returns dating back over a century.
The Washington State Department of Health vital records page provides information on ordering certified copies of Washington marriage records from 1968 to the present for all counties including Skamania.
The DOH page lists accepted payment methods, processing times, and the $25 fee for certified copies ordered through the state office.
The Washington State Digital Archives main site serves as the central free database for historical marriage and vital records across all 39 Washington counties.
Start here to search across multiple county collections or to access state-level indexes when county-specific records are limited.
Cities in Skamania County
Skamania County has no cities that meet the population threshold for individual city pages. The county seat is Stevenson, and other communities include North Bonneville and Underwood. All marriage license and record requests are handled through the County Auditor in Stevenson.