Pend Oreille County Marriage License

The Pend Oreille County Auditor's Office in Newport handles all marriage license applications for the county. Both parties must apply in person or by mail to get a marriage license in Pend Oreille County. The office keeps records of licenses issued and certified copies of recorded marriage certificates. If you need to search older marriage records from the area, the Washington State Digital Archives holds historical documents going back well over a century. This page covers what you need to apply, what fees apply, how long you must wait, and how to find records tied to marriages in Pend Oreille County.

Pend Oreille County Auditor's Office

The County Auditor handles marriage licenses in Pend Oreille County. The office is in Newport, which is the county seat. Staff can help you apply for a marriage license, provide certified copies of recorded certificates, and answer questions about the process. The auditor's website has a marriage license page with current details and links to the online application.

You can reach the office by phone at (509) 447-6473 or by email at samantha.hepp@pendoreille.org. If you plan to apply in person, note that staff ask applicants to arrive by 3:30 PM so they have enough time to process the paperwork before the office closes at 4:00 PM. The office is closed on all county-observed holidays.

The Pend Oreille County Auditor website has a dedicated marriage license page at pendoreille.gov/auditor/page/marriage-license. That page includes the online application link, current fees, and instructions for both in-person and mail applications. The office began accepting credit cards in 2025.

The image below shows the Pend Oreille County Auditor's Office page, which is your main resource for marriage license information in this county.

The auditor's office keeps records of all marriage licenses issued and coordinates the return and recording of signed marriage certificates after the ceremony.

Marriage License Requirements in Pend Oreille County

To get a marriage license in Pend Oreille County, both parties must appear in person at the auditor's office or complete a mail application. Each person needs a government-issued photo ID that shows their date of birth. A driver's license, passport, state ID card, or military ID all work. Both applicants must be at least 18 years old. Washington does not require you to live in the state or in this county to apply here, but the ceremony must take place somewhere in Washington.

You will need to provide your Social Security number, or sign an exemption if you do not have one. The application also asks for each parent's full name, including the mother's maiden name, and each parent's birthplace. There is no blood test required, and you do not need to show proof that a prior marriage ended. However, any prior marriage must be legally dissolved before you can apply.

Under RCW Chapter 26.04, Washington sets the baseline rules for marriage licenses statewide. Each county auditor issues the license and records the returned certificate. The law at RCW 26.04.160 governs how applications are made and what information must be included.

The marriage license application in Pend Oreille County can be started online. After you submit the online form and note your application ID, both parties must come to the office together, review the paperwork, and pay the fee. The license is issued at the time of payment. Each appointment takes about 30 minutes.

The image below is from the Pend Oreille County marriage license page, where you can start your online application and review current requirements.

The county's marriage license page lists current requirements, accepted ID types, and step-by-step instructions for both in-person and mail applications.

Fees and Waiting Period

The marriage license fee in Pend Oreille County is $154. This fee went into effect on July 27, 2025, following an increase tied to House Bill 1498. The previous fee was $54. All fees are non-refundable once paid, so make sure you are ready to proceed before paying. The office now accepts credit cards as of 2025, in addition to checks and money orders.

Washington law requires a mandatory 3-day waiting period after you apply. You cannot get married until those three days have passed. There are no exceptions to this rule. The waiting period schedule is simple: if you apply on Monday, the earliest you can marry is Thursday. Tuesday means Friday, Wednesday means Saturday, and so on. The license stays valid for 60 days from the date it is issued.

Certified copies of your recorded marriage certificate cost $3 each. You can request them by calling (509) 447-6473 or emailing samantha.hepp@pendoreille.org. If you applied by mail, the certificate will be sent to the address listed on your application after the signed original is returned and recorded.

Applying by Mail for a Pend Oreille Marriage License

Pend Oreille County allows couples to apply for a marriage license by mail. This option works if you cannot make the trip to Newport in person before your ceremony. The process takes a few extra steps but follows the same basic requirements as an in-person application.

To apply by mail, start by completing the online application. Then fill out a Marriage Application Affidavit. Both parties must sign that affidavit in front of a notary public. Mail the notarized affidavit along with the required fee (check or money order) to the address below. The marriage packet will be mailed to the residence listed on your application.

Send mail applications to:

• Pend Oreille County Auditor
• Attn: Marriage License
• PO Box 5015
• Newport, WA 99156

After the ceremony, the officiant signs the marriage license and you must return the original signed certificate to the auditor's office. You can return it in person, via a third party, or by mail. The office will then record it and you can request certified copies.

Searching Pend Oreille County Marriage License Records

The Pend Oreille County Auditor's Office maintains an online document search that covers recorded documents from 1997 to the present. You can search without creating a login. The system is free to use for basic searches. Marriage applications are public record under Washington law, so they can be looked up by name or document type.

Under RCW 26.04.180, marriage records in Washington are public. All applications may be published in a local newspaper as allowed by law. If you need a certified copy of a recorded marriage certificate, contact the auditor's office directly by phone or email.

The Washington State Digital Archives holds historical marriage records for Pend Oreille County going back many decades. The collection at digitalarchives.wa.gov includes older indexes and images that are not available through the county's online system. This is a good place to look for records from before 1997.

The image below shows the Washington State Digital Archives collection page for Pend Oreille County marriage records.

The Digital Archives is a free resource that holds scanned historical marriage records for Pend Oreille County, useful for genealogy and older record searches.

What Pend Oreille Marriage License Records Contain

A marriage license application in Pend Oreille County includes the names of both applicants, dates of birth, Social Security numbers (or exemption notation), and parents' names and birthplaces. The application captures the intended date and location of the ceremony. Once the ceremony is performed, the officiant signs the license and it becomes a marriage certificate upon return and recording.

The recorded marriage certificate is the document that proves a marriage took place. It shows the names of both spouses, the date and place of the ceremony, the officiant's name and credentials, and the signatures of the parties and any witnesses. Certified copies of this document are often needed for legal name changes, updating government ID, or confirming marital status for financial or legal matters.

Washington law at RCW 26.04.160 sets out what information the marriage license application must include. All applications are public record and may be accessible to anyone who requests them. There is an exception for people enrolled in Washington State's Address Confidentiality Program.

Who Can Perform a Marriage in Pend Oreille County

Washington law sets the rules for who may perform a marriage ceremony. Judges and court commissioners, both active and retired, may officiate. Ordained or licensed ministers, priests, rabbis, and imams may also perform ceremonies. Judges of courts of limited jurisdiction are included as well.

Pend Oreille County does not require officiants to register with the county before performing a ceremony. The officiant simply signs the marriage license after the ceremony and returns it to the auditor's office. The credential and name of the officiant are recorded on the certificate. Make sure whoever performs your ceremony qualifies under state law to avoid problems with the record.

Cities in Pend Oreille County

Pend Oreille County is a rural county in northeastern Washington. Newport is the county seat and the main population center. All marriage licenses for the county are issued through the auditor's office in Newport regardless of where you live within the county.

There are no cities in Pend Oreille County that meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Newport and other communities in the county all use the Pend Oreille County Auditor for marriage license services.

Nearby Counties

These counties border or are near Pend Oreille County. Each county has its own auditor's office for marriage license applications. You can apply in any Washington county regardless of where you live.