Adams County Deed Records

Adams County deed records are filed and maintained by the County Auditor's Office in Ritzville, Washington. The Auditor serves as the official custodian of recorded documents, including warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, real estate contracts, and other instruments that affect real property in the county. If you need to search deed records in Adams County, you can visit the Auditor's office in person or use the Washington State Digital Archives to look up recorded land documents dating back to 1988. The Auditor indexes all recordings so they can be retrieved by party name, document type, or date.

Adams County Auditor Recording Office

The Adams County Auditor's Office handles all real property recordings in the county. The office receives documents, reviews them for proper formatting, indexes them for retrieval, and makes them available for public inspection. Once a deed or other instrument is filed, it enters the public domain and receives a time-stamped recording number. That number ties the document to the official index. The Auditor stores both current and older records on site, and copies can be made during your visit using office equipment.

All documents must meet the formatting rules set by RCW 65.04 and RCW 36.18. The first page must have a three-inch top margin, return address, document title, grantor and grantee names, legal description, and assessor parcel number. Pages that do not meet these standards will be returned. The Auditor cannot give legal advice about how to prepare documents, but staff can tell you whether a document meets the format rules before you submit it.

How to Search Adams County Deed Records

Adams County does not currently offer a dedicated online portal through the Auditor's website for searching recorded documents. If you want to search deed records, your best options are visiting the Auditor's office in person or using the Washington State Digital Archives online. The Digital Archives maintains an index of Adams County land records going back to 1988, with many document images available for viewing at no cost.

The Washington State Digital Archives Adams County collection contains approximately 19,784 deed documents and 7,543 mortgage records. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, year, and document type. Document types in the archive include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, easements, real estate contracts, reconveyances, and many others. Not all documents have images available online, particularly those that contain personal identifiers like Social Security numbers. For those records, you need to visit the Auditor's office directly.

The Adams County Assessor maintains a separate online property search system using TaxSifter and MapSifter tools. You can search by parcel number, owner name, property address, or map number. The Assessor's database shows ownership history including sale dates, grantor and grantee names, and sale prices. This is useful for identifying recording numbers that you can then use to pull the actual deed from the Auditor's files. Both offices are at 210 W Broadway Ave in Ritzville.

For records from before 1988 that are not in the Digital Archives, contact the Washington State Archives Eastern Region Branch at (509) 235-7508. The county's land records go back to 1884, and many older documents are held in the regional archive.

The Digital Archives collection for Adams County contains indexes and images for recorded land documents from 1988 forward, searchable by name, year, and document type.

Recording Fees in Adams County

Washington State sets recording fees by law, and Adams County follows the same schedule as every other county in the state. As of January 1, 2024, the standard recording fee for a deed is $303.50 for the first page, plus $1.00 for each additional page. This fee applies to warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, bargain and sale deeds, and most other conveyance documents. A deed of trust costs $304.50 for the first page because of an added archive fee. These fees include several surcharges that fund housing affordability and preservation programs under RCW 36.22.

If your document does not meet the formatting requirements and you need an emergency cover sheet, expect to pay an extra $50 non-standard fee plus $1 for the additional page. It is worth taking the time to get the formatting right before you submit. The Auditor can return documents that fail to meet standards, which delays the recording date and may affect your legal position in a dispute.

Copies of recorded documents cost $1.00 per page for uncertified copies. Certified copies run $3.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. The Auditor accepts cash and checks. Call (509) 659-3247 to confirm current fees before you come in, as these can change with legislative updates.

Types of Recorded Documents in Adams County

The Adams County Auditor records a wide range of instruments that affect real property. The most common are deeds, which transfer ownership from one party to another. Washington recognizes three main deed types: the statutory warranty deed under RCW 64.04.030, the bargain and sale deed under RCW 64.04.040, and the quitclaim deed under RCW 64.04.050. A statutory warranty deed offers the most protection for the buyer. A quitclaim deed conveys whatever interest the grantor has, with no promises about title quality. Banks often use bargain and sale deeds after foreclosures.

Beyond deeds, the Adams County Auditor records deeds of trust, which serve as the security instrument for most home loans in Washington. When a loan is paid off, a full reconveyance is recorded to release the lien. Easements grant rights to use portions of land, while liens attach a debt claim to the property. Real estate contracts, also called land contracts, document seller-financed purchases. The Auditor also records plats, short plats, surveys, and binding site plans that divide or describe land parcels.

The Adams County index includes records for these document types: addendum, amendment, assignment, deed, deed of trust, easement, farm lease, full reconveyance, lien, mortgage, notice of trustee's sale, quitclaim deed, real estate contract, release, restrictive covenants, right of way, satisfaction of judgment, special warranty deed, statutory warranty deed, subordination agreement, substitution of trustee, trust, warranty deed, water rights, and others. This range of document types means the recorded index is a key tool for researching the full history of any parcel in Adams County.

The Adams County Auditor's Office at 210 W. Broadway in Ritzville is the primary point of contact for recording and retrieving deed documents in the county.

Online Access and Digital Archives

The Washington State Digital Archives is the most useful online tool for researching Adams County deed records. The Digital Archives is run by the Secretary of State's office and was the first state-level digital archives in the country. It holds records transferred from county offices across Washington, including Adams County land records. The search is free. You can look up records by grantor, grantee, document type, and year, and view images for many documents without leaving your computer.

The Adams County Assessor's online TaxSifter system is a good starting point if you know the address or parcel number of the property you are researching. It shows ownership history, sale prices, and the recording numbers tied to past transactions. Once you have a recording number, you can request copies from the Auditor. The Assessor's database includes records going back to 1884 for land records and 1891 for vital records. You can reach the Assessor at (509) 659-3247.

Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, guarantees public access to deed records held by county agencies. You do not need to explain why you want the records, and no special form is required. Agencies must respond within five business days. Adams County deed records are not restricted, so any person can inspect them or request copies.

Cities in Adams County

Adams County includes several small cities and towns. All real property recordings for the county go through the Adams County Auditor in Ritzville. No cities in Adams County currently have individual deed records pages on this site.

Communities in Adams County include Ritzville (county seat), Othello, Hatton, Lind, and Washtucna. All property recordings for these areas are handled at the Auditor's office at 210 W. Broadway in Ritzville.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Adams County. Each has its own Auditor who handles deed recordings for that jurisdiction.