Spokane County Residents Directory

The Spokane County Residents Directory pulls together the public records kept by county offices in eastern Washington. You can look up recorded deeds, marriage licenses, court cases, and other resident records held by the county. Spokane County is a political subdivision of the state, and the Board of County Commissioners acts as the legislative and executive authority. The county runs an online public records portal and keeps a recording index open to the public. This page shows you where to search, who to call, and how the Spokane County Residents Directory lines up with state law. Use the tools below to start your lookup.

Spokane County Residents Directory Office

The Spokane County Public Records Office is the first stop for most resident record requests. It was set up in 2018 to handle requests under the Washington State Public Records Act, RCW 42.56. The office helps the public file requests and helps county staff manage, keep, and release records. Its stated mission is to promote open government and good care of public records. You can reach the office by phone, fax, or email, or use the online GovQA portal.

The Public Records Office sits inside the Human Resources Building at 824 N Adams St in Spokane. Hours run 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Tony Dinaro is the Public Records Officer. Mail goes to 1116 W Broadway Ave, ATTN: Public Records Office, Spokane, WA 99260. Phone: 509-477-1721. Fax: 509-477-2597. Email: spocoprr@spokanecounty.org. If you want to inspect records on site, staff can set an appointment. Review the full Spokane County public records policy before you file.

The policy spells out what a valid request looks like. You must give your name, address, contact info, and a clear description of the records you want. The date and time of the request also go on file. The county flags "bot requests" (those made by a script) and may not honor them if they flood the system in a 24 hour window. More details on the process sit at the Spokane County Public Records Office page.

You can look at the Public Records Requests Portal to see how to submit online. The portal lets you track the status of your request, upload documents, and get responses back through a secure inbox. Under RCW 42.56.520, the county has five business days to respond. They can release the record, ask for more info, give a time estimate, or deny with a legal cite.

The Public Records Office handles most general requests, but some records live with other offices. Court files go through the Clerk, recorded documents go through the Auditor, and vital records split between the state and the county. See the sections below for where to file each type of request.

Spokane County Residents Directory Recording

The Spokane County Auditor runs the recording department. It records real estate documents, liens, military discharges, maps, and surveys. The same office issues marriage licenses, the county business license, and process server licenses. In Washington, county auditors are the official "Custodian of Records." State law under RCW 65 and RCW 36 lays out the minimum info each recorded document needs and the fees the office charges.

You can read the full overview at Spokane County Recording. The page lists the types of documents the office handles and the steps to record something new. Document preparers (not the auditor) are responsible for making sure the form is correct. Auditors are not lawyers, and they cannot give legal advice.

See the recording office homepage at spokanecounty.org/299/Recording for office hours and staff contacts.

The index of recorded documents is online and open to the public. Maps, plats, and surveys can be viewed from any browser. But some documents, such as deeds of trust, are not viewable online. The reason is simple. Older records sometimes hold Social Security Numbers or other personal info, and the county does not want to post them. You can still search and view all documents in full at the public computers in the auditor's office. To get copies of recorded documents, contact the Auditor's Office at 1116 W Broadway Avenue, Spokane, WA 99260, or call 509-477-2270.

Recording numbers shifted back in 1996. Documents recorded before June 3, 1996 have a ten digit number along with volume and page numbers. All three parts must be given when you reference the record. Documents recorded after that date have seven digit numbers and no volume or page. Keep that in mind if you are doing a deep title search or looking for an old family deed.

Search the Spokane County Residents Directory Index

The Spokane County Auditor Public Record Index lets you search recorded documents from your own computer. It is the main online tool for finding real estate filings, liens, and surveys tied to Spokane County residents. You can search by name, document type, or date.

The site warns that the county makes no promise about accuracy or completeness. For privacy reasons, the office may only show images of plat maps, binding site plans, condos, land corner records, short plats, and surveys. Indexing info, though, is there for every document. If you need an image that is not online, go in person or request a copy by mail.

The SCOUT Dashboard is another handy tool. SCOUT is the Spokane County property search. You can pull parcel info, tax rolls, assessed values, and ownership history for any parcel in the county. It ties into the Residents Directory work because property records tell you where someone lives and who owns the land.

Use SCOUT when you need to match a name to a parcel. Use the recorder index when you need the document behind that parcel. Both are free. Neither needs a login for basic lookups.

Spokane Court Records and Residents Directory

Court case files tied to Spokane County residents live with the Spokane County Clerk and Spokane County Superior Court. For a statewide view, the Washington State Courts Odyssey Portal is the main tool. You can search by case number, a person's name, or a business name. The portal shows case summaries, calendars, and a list of documents filed in the case.

Not every Washington court uses Odyssey. Some counties run their own case management systems. Spokane County superior, district, and municipal courts generally show up in the portal. Court records are governed by Washington Court General Rules (GR 31 and GR 31.1) and not the Public Records Act. That means a different set of rules controls what you can see, and the clerk, not the Public Records Officer, handles the request. Certified copies must come from the clerk in person or by mail.

Note: The Odyssey Portal shows case info only, not full court documents, so plan a clerk visit for certified copies.

Vital Records in the Spokane Residents Directory

Birth and death records for Spokane County from 1890 to 1907 are held at the Washington State Digital Archives. The Digital Archives is a free tool run by the Secretary of State. You can search by name, county, and date. Many records are viewable and you can download them without a fee.

More recent birth, death, marriage, and divorce records come from the Washington State Department of Health. Visit doh.wa.gov/certificates-and-licenses/vital-records for order info. The first copy is $25 and each extra copy is $20 when ordered at the same time. Under RCW 70.58A.560, only qualified applicants (self, family, legal reps) can get certified copies of birth and death records.

Marriage licenses are issued through the Spokane County Auditor's recording department. You can start a marriage license application in person at the courthouse. The same office keeps a copy of the license after it is returned. For a certified copy, either the Auditor or the state DOH can help.

Spokane County Residents Directory Background Records

For statewide criminal history of Spokane residents, use WATCH (Washington Access to Criminal History) run by the Washington State Patrol. WATCH shows statewide conviction records for a small fee per name. Results usually come back fast. The help desk is at 360-534-2000. WATCH does not show out of state records or federal cases.

Non-conviction data is restricted under RCW 10.97. For business lookups, the Washington Corporations and Charities Filing System is free. You can search by business name, UBI number, or registered agent. Most filings, such as certificates of existence, can be downloaded as PDFs. Property tax info for Spokane parcels can be found through the Department of Revenue property tax portal, which links out to each county assessor and treasurer.

These tools pair well with the county recorder index. Together they cover most of what is in the Spokane County Residents Directory for a given person or address.

Cities in Spokane County

Spokane County covers the city of Spokane (the county seat), Spokane Valley, and smaller towns. Resident records for people living in any of these places are kept by the county offices listed above.

Other places in Spokane County include Cheney, Deer Park, Liberty Lake, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Millwood, Fairfield, Latah, Rockford, Spangle, and Waverly. All of them fall under the same county recording and court offices.

Nearby Counties

Spokane County sits in eastern Washington, near the Idaho border. If you are not sure which county holds the record you need, check the address first. Washington residents must file in the county where they live.