Marriage License in Yakima County

Yakima County issues marriage licenses through the County Auditor's Office on the first floor of the Yakima County Courthouse. Both parties can apply in person, by mail, or online, and the office keeps marriage records going back to 1880. With more than a century of records on file and a collection indexed at the Washington State Digital Archives, Yakima County provides several ways to apply for a marriage license or find an existing marriage record.

Yakima County Auditor's Office

The Yakima County Auditor's Office is located on the first floor of the Yakima County Courthouse at 128 N 2nd Street. Auditor Charles Ross has served since 2015. Recording Manager Jennifer Richter oversees the division that handles marriage licenses and certified copy requests. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The online application option makes it possible to start the process before your office visit.

Yakima County gives couples three ways to apply: in person at the courthouse, by mail, or online. The online option is recommended and lets you complete most of the form before you arrive. For in-person applications, both parties must be present with valid photo ID. Mail-in applications are accepted when one or both parties cannot come in. Contact the office at (509) 574-1400 to get the correct mail application form and current instructions.

The screenshot below shows the Yakima County Auditor's Office page, which is the main resource for marriage license applications in the county.

The Yakima County Auditor's Office manages marriage license applications, document recording, and certified copy requests for all marriages in the county.

Marriage License Requirements in Yakima County

Washington State law under RCW 26.04.160 sets the requirements that all applicants must meet. Both parties must be at least 18 years old and show a current government-issued photo ID. The name on your ID must match the name on your application and certificate exactly. Blood tests and physical exams are not required. Applicants do not need to be residents of Washington State to apply in Yakima County.

You will need to provide your Social Security number, though this does not appear on any public documents. Both parties need to know their birth state or country, and the full birth names and birth states or countries of both parents. The name on your ID must match your application exactly. If you were previously married, you do not need to bring proof of the divorce or your former spouse's death. However, you must ensure your final divorce decree was filed before applying, because it is your responsibility to verify that. The application asks for the county where the ceremony will take place.

State law requires at least two witnesses at the ceremony, though witnesses do not need to be named at the time of application. Witnesses must be at least 12 years old. The ceremony itself can take place anywhere within Washington State. The license is not valid in other states.

Yakima County accepts in-person applications, mail-in applications, and online applications. The online method is the recommended approach. You can complete the bulk of your application at home and then come in to finalize it. For mail applications, contact the office first to get the right forms and instructions.

Fees and Waiting Period

The marriage license fee in Yakima County starts at $176. If you pay by credit or debit card, an additional convenience fee applies. In the office, you can pay by cash, personal check, signed money order, cashier's check, or debit and credit card. For mail applications, payment must be by personal check, signed money order, or cashier's check. An optional certified copy of your marriage certificate can be automatically mailed to you for an additional $4 at the time you apply.

Washington State law requires a three-day waiting period before a marriage license becomes valid. Under RCW 26.04.180, this waiting period cannot be waived. If the license is issued on a Wednesday, the earliest valid ceremony date is the following Saturday. After the three-day period ends, you have up to 60 days to get married. If your ceremony falls outside that window, the license expires and you must apply again.

For certified copies after the wedding, the fee is $3 each. Non-certified copies are $1 per page. When copies are ordered online through Official Records Online, a $10 service fee applies in addition to the per-copy fees. Mail requests require a check or money order along with both party names, the date of the marriage, and a self-addressed stamped envelope sent to the Yakima County Auditor's Office at PO Box 12570, Yakima WA 98909.

The Yakima County marriage license page outlines the application process, fees, and waiting period requirements for couples applying in the county.

Searching Yakima County Marriage License Records

Yakima County marriage records go back to 1880. Records from 1896 to 2008 are indexed at the Washington State Digital Archives. The Digital Archives collection can help you find a record even if you are not sure which county the couple applied in. Older records, including some prior to 1938, may include both a license document and a separate "Return" document that was filed after the ceremony. Both may appear in the search results for the same couple.

The Yakima County copy request page explains the different ways to get certified or non-certified copies of marriage certificates, including in-person, mail, and online options.

For records not covered by the Digital Archives, or for recent marriages, go directly to the Yakima County Auditor's Office. In-person searches are handled at Room 117 of the courthouse at 128 N 2nd Street. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Payment for in-person copies can be made by cash, check, or debit and credit card. A convenience fee applies to card payments.

For marriages from 1968 onward, the Washington State Department of Health also holds statewide records. Certified copies from DOH Vital Records cost $25 each. You can order through VitalChek online, by phone, or by mail. Online orders ship faster than mail requests. If the marriage occurred within the last five months, request the copy directly from the Yakima County Auditor's Office, since the state may not yet have the record indexed.

Note: Records that were recorded as early as 1890 can be obtained through the Washington State Digital Archives as part of an agreement between the county and the state archival system.

What Yakima County Marriage Records Contain

A marriage license issued in Yakima County shows the full legal names of both applicants as they appear on their photo ID, their ages, birth states or countries, current residential addresses, and parents' legal names and birth locations. The date the license was issued and the expiration date are both shown on the document. The county where the ceremony will take place is also noted, along with the planned date of the wedding.

After the ceremony, the officiant signs and completes the marriage certificate and returns it to the county. The returned certificate adds the ceremony date and location, the officiant's name and title, and the signatures of the two witnesses. Once the county records it, it becomes the permanent public marriage certificate on file. Social Security numbers collected at application are kept confidential and do not appear on any public-facing documents. Proof of prior divorce or a former spouse's death is not recorded either, only the declaration made at the time of application.

Certified copies carry the county seal and are accepted by state and federal agencies for legal name changes, passport applications, and benefit enrollment. Yakima County issues certified copies for $3 each. Non-certified copies cost $1. If you need multiple copies for name change purposes, consider ordering two or three at once to avoid a return trip or second mail request.

The Yakima County marriage ceremonies page covers where and how ceremonies can be performed in the county, including the courthouse location and who may officiate.

Cities in Yakima County

All cities in Yakima County apply for marriage licenses through the Auditor's Office at the Yakima County Courthouse. The city of Yakima is the county seat and the largest city in the county.

Other communities in Yakima County include Selah, Union Gap, Grandview, Sunnyside, and Wapato. All marriage license applications for the county go through the single Auditor's Office location at 128 N 2nd Street in Yakima.

Nearby Counties

Yakima County sits in central Washington and borders several other counties. Washington law under RCW Chapter 26.04 lets any couple apply for a marriage license in any county in the state, regardless of where they live or where the ceremony will take place.