The State of Washington, named after President George Washington, was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. Currently, its population of over 7 million makes it the 13th most populous state in the nation and the third most populous state (after California and Texas) west of the Mississippi River. At 71,000 square miles, it is the 18th largest state by area. It is bordered by Oregon on the south, Idaho on the east, the Canadian province of British Columbia on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.
The Cascade mountain range crosses Washington from north to south, effectively dividing the state into western and eastern regions with contrasting climate, industry, and culture. Its state nickname - The Evergreen State - comes from the lush temperate rainforests that cover much of the western region. The western region includes the Pacific Ocean coast, Olympic Mountains, and Puget Sound. It has a marine climate with mild, wet winters and dry summers. Average annual temperature on the coast is 51 degrees F. The western slopes of the Olympic Mountains are the wettest area of the lower 48 states at 160 inches of rain per year. Most of the state’s population resides in the western region, with the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area alone accounting nearly half the state’s population, at over 3 million. Industries include aerospace, software development, biotechnology, timber, and tourism.
The Cascade Range includes several volcanoes, including Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the state at 14,411 feet. To the north, Mount Baker is one of the snowiest places on earth, holding the world record for seasonal snowfall at 1,140 inches in 1999. Perhaps the most famous mountain in Washington, Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption was the deadliest and most destructive in modern U.S. history.
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In contrast, Eastern Washington’s climate is semi-arid, with some areas receiving only 6 inches of rain per year. It is prone to extremes of temperature in winter and summer, ranging from a record low of -48 degrees F to a record high of 118 degrees F. The only major city in the east is Spokane. This region is primarily agricultural, making Washington a leader in many crops including fruit, potatoes, onions, apples, and wine. [1]
Washington has 39 counties, varying in size from 175 square miles (San Juan County, spanning several islands) to 5,268 square miles (Okanogan County). Population varies from 2,266 (Garfield County) to 1,931,249 (King County, home of Seattle). The state capital is in Olympia, at the southern end of Puget Sound. Washington is one of only seven states with no personal income tax. Among all states, Washington is ranked #2 in health care, #3 in economy, and #6 in education. However, the cost of living is ranked #38 and housing affordability #46. [2]
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If you need Washington public record information, see our directory database below and find the documents you need, including vital records, criminal records and court records.
| Abbreviation | WA, Wash |
| Capital | Olympia |
| Population | 7,405,743 (2017 est.) |
| Area size | 71,362 sq. mi |
| Demonym | Washingtonian |
| Primary languages spoken | English |
| Governor | Jay Inslee |
| Lieutenant Governor | Cyrus Habib |
| U.S. Senators | Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell |
| U.S. House Delegation | 6 Democrats, 4 Republicans |
| Time Zone | UTC −8/−7 |
Browse by Public Record Category
Public records are official records that document major life milestones in a person’s life or government records that are made public to any member of the community. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. There are two types of public records: personal public records and business or government public records. Personal records typically document major events in a person’s life, such as birth certificates, marriage records, divorce records, death certificates, etc. Business or government public records are generally internal information recorded in the business or agency, such as revenue, business ownership, etc. [3] A multitude of records are available, such as court records and arrest records, but it can be difficult to know where to access them. We have provided helpful categories and links to popular public access documents to help you in your records search. These links will direct you to the best website or contact information for the record you are searching for in this state. In Washington, bids and proposals on government construction contracts are public records; trade secrets are confidential when associated with certain types of contracts, such as highway construction and health services. This is different than in Oklahoma where bids and proposals could be withheld if the record would give an unfair advantage to competitors or other bidders. [4]
Washington’s first comprehensive public records law was an initiative, passed by a vote of the people (not the legislature) in 1972. It became law on January 1, 1973. [5] Because that law covered both campaign finance and public records, it was recodified in 2006 and the public records portion became the Public Records Act. [6]
Find Washington Statewide Public Records
Fast access to Washington public record sources at the state level.
Additional Washington public records links can be found on our Washington county and city level pages using the navigation links above.
Property Records
Vital Records
Community Health & Safety
Jobs & Employment
Criminal and Court Records
Licensing and Permits
Codes, Regulations, & Other
Other Washington Public Records
Each state has public records and government documents that are unique to the area. For example, Washington’s rural Skamania County has a law prohibiting Bigfoot poaching. [7] Less remarkable public records and documents found in Washington include shellfish harvesting safety and emergency closure reports, environmental monitoring data, and records of degree recipients from the state university. Here are more examples of public access records from Washington at the state level; many more types of local records may be found if you search by county.
Sources:
- [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_(state)
- [2] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington
- [3] Survey of Public Record Laws Affecting Public Contracts
- [4] Washington Laws 1973, Chapter 1 [Initiative Measure No. 276]
- [5] Washington Public Records Act
- [6] Skamania County Ordinance 1984-2
| State of Washington Home Page | |
| Administrative Code Search the administrative code of Washington by citation or view by title. | |
| Attorney General Consumer Complaints File a consumer complaint with the State of Washington Office of the Attorney General online, by mail or by phone. | |
| Bids and Requests for Proposals View current State of Washington bid opportunities. | |
| Campaign Finance Search the Washington Public Disclosure Commission's database of campaign finance records. Search by candidate, political committe, ballot, party committee, or caucus committee. | |
| Census Information Summary Washington statistics for population, ethnicity, housing, geography and businesses. From the U.S. Census Bureau. | |
| Charities and Commercial Fundraisers Registration Search Washington State Secretary of State charity and commercial fundraising company registration records by name or category. | |
| Clandestine Drug Laboratory Register View addresses of some locations in Washington where law enforcement agencies reported they found chemicals or other items that indicated the presence of either clandestine drug laboratories or dumpsites. | |
| Coastal Atlas Search Washington Department of Ecology database of shoreline aerial photos by county, city, or landmark. | |
| Contractor Violations Search Washington Department of Labor and Industries contractor violation database by individual name, business name, license number, UBI number, or violation type. | |
| Corporation Search Search the Washington corporations registration database by company name or UBI number. | |
| Court Records and other Resources Links to state and local court records, general Washington court information, directory of courts, and online resources for courts in Washington. | |
| DEA Most Wanted View listings and photos of the most wanted persons of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Seattle Field Division. This office handles Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. | |
| Death Row Inmates View list of Washington Department of Corrections inmates currently on death row awaiting execution. | |
| Domestic Partnerships Search for domestic partnerships registered with the Washington State Secretary of State's office by name or registration number. | |
| Drinking Water Quality Testing Search Washington Division of Environmental Health database of public wells and other drinking water sources to discover results of water testing. | |
| Drivers License Status Search for the status of Washington State driver licenses, motorcycle endorsements and permits, instruction permits, and ID cards by state card number. | |
| Electrical Permit Search Search Washington State Department of Labor and Industries electrical permit database by permit number or date range and contractor license number, contractor name, or property address. | |
| Employment Background Check Laws Washington employers who hire Washington residents to work in the state of Washington: Abide by the Federal FCRA and the following state law. | |
| Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisories View fish and shellfish consumption advisories issued for specific water bodies in Washington State due to chemical contamination. | |
| Gambling Employee Licenses Search for application and/or license status of employees employed by commercial card room operators and Tribal Gaming Facilities within the State of Washington. Search by name or license number. | |
| Government Employee Salaries View Washington State government employee salaries including most state, county, local governments, and many school districts, colleges and universities. | |
| Health Insurance License Search Search Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner's health insurance license records and disciplinary orders by agent name, agency name, or company name. | |
| Health Provider Credential Search Search Washington State Department of Health provider credential records by credential number or individual name. | |
| Historical Archives Search Washington Secretary of State Digital Archives database of historical records including agreements and contracts, audio records, birth records, cemetery directories, census records, corporation records, death records, land records, maps, marriage records, naturalizations, military records, ordinances, resolutions, family histories and more. Search by name, keyword or collection. | |
| Insurance Commissioner Disciplinary Orders Search the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner disciplinary or general orders involving insurance providers by individual or company name. | |
| Legislative Bills Search for Washington State legislative bills by bill number or keyword. | |
| Marriage Search Search the Western States Marriage Database for marriage records ranging from the pre 1900s to the 1930s. | |
| Missing Children Search the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website by name, city, date range or physical description. | |
| Most Wanted Child Support Fugitives View Washington State's most wanted parents for non-payment of child support. Details include name, photo, physical description, last known address, occupation, and current debt amount. | |
| Obituary Search Search for Washington State obituary records by name of deceased, publication date or obituary text. | |
| Public Instruction Report Card View Washington State public instruction test results by year and school district. | |
| Radiation Monitoring View daily radiation levels for sites in Seattle, Spokane, Richland and Tumwater. Provided by the Washington Department of Health in response to the nuclear disaster in Japan. | |
| Real Estate Disciplinary Actions View list of brokers and real estate firms disciplined for licensing violations from the Washington Department of Licensing. | |
| Revised Code Search the revised code of Washington by citation or view by title. | |
| Shellfish Emergency Closures View Washington State Department of Health statewide listing of emergency beach closures due to marine biotoxins or vibrio. | |
| Shellfish Harvesting Safety Use this Washington State Department of Health system to find out if specific beaches have biotoxin related closures or advisories. | |
| State Employee Salaries Search View Washington Office of Financial Management personnel detail reports about salary information for public employees at most state agencies. | |
| State Patrol Most Wanted View the Washington State Patrol's most wanted criminals. Details include name, photo, date of birth, physical description, last known address, charges, and crime summary. | |
| State Salary Database Search this News Tribune database of Washington state salaries. Search by name, position or agency. | |
| Traffic Accident Reports Search Washington State Patrol's database of state, county, and municipal traffic collision reports by involved party name and collision date, or by collision report number. Fees apply to obtain copies of reports. | |
| UW Degree Validation Search for University of Washington degree recipients from 1983 to the present by name. | |
| Voter and Election Information View information about Washington voter registration, military and overseas voters, voter eligibility, voting by mail, running for office, and upcoming elections. | |
| Voter Information Search Search for Washington State voter registration status, candidates and ballot measures, and elected officials by name and date of birth. | |
| Workers Compensation Coverage Search for Washington State contractor industrial insurance (workers' compensation) account information by worker's comp account number, UBI number, or business name. |
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