Bothell Deed Records Lookup

Bothell deed records are primarily maintained by the Snohomish County Auditor's Office Recording Division, which serves as the official custodian of real property documents for most of the city. Bothell sits along the King-Snohomish county line, and a portion of the city falls within King County. To search deed records for a specific Bothell property, you need to know which county that parcel is in. This page explains how both county recording systems work and how to find the documents you need.

Recording Offices for Bothell Properties

Most of Bothell falls within Snohomish County, making the Snohomish County Auditor's Office Recording Division the primary destination for Bothell deed records. The Recording Division is located in Everett, the county seat, at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue. You can reach them by phone at 425-388-3483. The office provides online search access for documents recorded since July 1976, making it one of the more complete online archives in Washington. Most documents recorded since July 1976 are available online with both index data and document images.

For the portion of Bothell that sits in King County, property deed records are maintained at the King County Recorder's Office in Seattle. That office is located at 500 Fourth Avenue, Room 430, and can be reached at (206) 477-6620. The King County online system covers records back to August 1, 1991. If you are not sure which county your Bothell property falls in, check the parcel number or use the county GIS mapping tool with the address to determine the correct jurisdiction before you begin searching.

Note: When searching for Bothell deed records, confirm which county the parcel sits in first. Many Bothell addresses near the county boundary have been the subject of annexations over the years, so county assignment can be less obvious than in cities with clear county lines.

How to Search Bothell Deed Records

The Snohomish County Recorded Documents Search portal at snohomishcountywa.gov is the main starting point for most Bothell deed searches. You can search by name, document type, recording date range, or parcel ID. Name searches use the format "Last Name, First Name." The parcel ID search uses the first ten digits of the parcel number. The system returns unofficial, watermarked copies that you can view and print online. Official certified copies require a separate order.

The Bothell City Clerk's Office handles public records requests for city-generated documents including ordinances, resolutions, and municipal records. Deed records are maintained separately by the county.

The Bothell City Clerk manages legislative records, city ordinances, and public records requests for administrative city documents. The Clerk also processes records requests under the Washington Public Records Act. However, deed records and property title documents are held at the county level and are not part of the city's records system. For building permits, call 253-931-3039 for Auburn, or check the Snohomish County permit portal for Snohomish-side Bothell addresses.

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov holds older land records that predate both county online systems. If you are researching a Bothell property with a title history going back before 1976, the Digital Archives is a useful supplemental resource. It contains land records, plat maps, and property record cards with photos from the 1930s and 1940s.

Deed and Property Document Types in Bothell

Several types of recorded documents may appear in a title search for a Bothell property. Statutory Warranty Deeds under RCW 64.04.030 are the most common form used in residential sales, carrying the full set of seller guarantees. Bargain and Sale Deeds under RCW 64.04.040 offer more limited warranties and often appear in bank sales after foreclosure. Quitclaim Deeds under RCW 64.04.050 make no title guarantees and are frequently used for transfers between family members or to correct prior deed errors.

Deeds of trust are the standard mortgage instrument in Washington. They are recorded by lenders when a real estate loan is secured and released by a Full Reconveyance when the loan is paid off. Liens, notices of trustee's sale, and lis pendens filings may also appear in a title search and signal financial claims or pending legal action against a property. Easements grant specific use rights, such as utility access or shared driveway agreements, that run with the land and bind future owners. All of these document types are indexed and searchable through the county recording systems.

Recording Fees for Bothell Property Documents

Washington State sets recording fees under RCW Chapters 36.18 and 36.22. The fee to record a deed is $303.50 for the first page plus $1.00 for each additional page. A deed of trust costs $304.50 for the first page. These fees include a $183 housing affordability surcharge and a $100 Covenant Homeownership surcharge. These fees are the same whether you are recording in Snohomish County or King County, since Washington State sets a uniform fee schedule for all 39 counties.

Documents that do not meet the formatting standards set out in RCW 65.04 may be returned or subjected to a $50 emergency non-standard fee. The first page of every document must have a three-inch top margin and one-inch margins on the other sides. Additional required elements include a return address, document title, grantor and grantee names, abbreviated legal description, and Assessor's parcel number.

In Snohomish County, each additional owner's name beyond the first on certain documents incurs an additional $1.00 fee per the county code. Research and copy fees include $8.00 per hour for pre-1976 searches or when significant staff time is needed. Copy fees are $1.00 per page.

Digital Access to Bothell Property Records

The Bothell city website provides links to public records, the city clerk, permit information, and contact details for county offices that maintain property records.

Snohomish County's online recorded documents search portal covers deeds, liens, plats, surveys, and marriage certificates going back to July 1976. The Snohomish County public records portal at snohomishcountywa.gov/1704 explains how the Recording Division works and what types of documents are searchable. Staff note that in-person inspection hours run from 9:00 AM to noon and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

King County's Parcel Viewer is useful if your Bothell address falls within King County. You can search by address to find the parcel number, legal description, recent sales history, and link directly to the deed index for that property. This is often the fastest way to start a title search for a King County portion Bothell property without already knowing the grantor or grantee name.

Public Access to Bothell Deed Records

Deed records are public. Washington's Public Records Act, RCW Chapter 42.56, gives everyone the right to inspect and copy recorded documents. You do not need to explain why you want them. Both the Snohomish County and King County recording systems provide free online search and image access for most documents in their databases.

In-person access at the Snohomish County Auditor's Office in Everett is available during business hours. The Bothell Municipal Court at the city's record request portal handles requests for court records separately from property records. The Bothell Record Request portal at bothellwa.gov/1574 is the right contact for court-related records, while real property documents stay with the county recording offices.

Snohomish County Deed Records

Most of Bothell sits in Snohomish County, and those deed records are maintained at the Snohomish County Auditor's Office. The county page has full details on the recording system, document types, search tools, and resources.

View Snohomish County Deed Records

Nearby Cities

These nearby cities also maintain deed records through their county recording offices.