Ferry County Deed Records

Ferry County deed records are maintained by the County Auditor's Recording Department at 350 East Delaware Street in Republic, Washington. The Auditor holds all recorded documents affecting real property in the county, including deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments. Ferry County has maintained land records since 1898. You can access deed records by visiting the Auditor's office in person or using the county's online public records search system. The Washington State Digital Archives is also available for historical research on Ferry County property documents.

Ferry County Auditor Recording Department

All recorded documents in Ferry County are maintained by the Auditor's Recording Department. The department handles deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments affecting real property throughout the county. The office also handles marriage licenses and elections. Under Washington law, the County Auditor is designated as the custodian of records and must record legal documents, index them for retrieval, and make them available for public inspection under RCW 42.56.

Ferry County covers 2,204 square miles with a total of 1,444,588 acres, making it one of the larger counties by area in eastern Washington. Most land in the county is public land managed by federal and state agencies. The 8,250 real property taxable parcels as of 2023 had a total taxable value of $775,161,900. The Ferry County Assessor handles property valuation and tax records, while the Auditor handles deed recordings. Both offices are in Republic and work together on property matters.

Searching Ferry County Deed Records

Ferry County maintains an online public records search system for accessing recorded documents. You can search by file number, party name, document type, and date range. Many documents in the system have images available for online viewing. For older records or documents not available through the online system, visit the Auditor's office in person during business hours. Staff can help locate records and provide copies at standard rates.

The Washington State Digital Archives is a helpful resource for historical Ferry County property research. The Eastern Region Branch of the State Archives in Cheney holds many Ferry County historical documents. You can contact that branch at (509) 235-7508 for assistance with older records. Ferry County land records go back to 1898, and some early documents may only be available through the physical files at the Auditor's office or the State Archives.

When searching for deed records, start with the party name if you know it. Ferry County deed records are indexed by grantor and grantee. If you know the property address, the Ferry County Assessor's office at (509) 775-5232 can help you get the parcel number and ownership history. The email for the Assessor is assessor@co.ferry.wa.us. Once you have a parcel number, you can use it to narrow your search in the Auditor's recorded documents system.

The Ferry County Auditor Recording Department page in Republic provides contact information, fee schedules, and access to the online recorded documents search system for the county.

Ferry County Recording Fees

Ferry County follows the statewide recording fee schedule established by the Washington Legislature under RCW 36.18 and RCW 36.22. The standard fee for recording 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 housing affordability surcharges that went into effect in January 2024. Starting July 27, 2025, assignments and substitutions of previously recorded deeds of trust cost $301.00 for the first page.

Certified copies of recorded documents are available for applicable fees. Contact the Auditor's office at (509) 775-5225 to confirm current copy rates. Documents that do not meet the formatting requirements of RCW 65.04 will be returned. Standard formatting requirements include a three-inch top margin on the first page, one-inch margins on all other sides, minimum 8-point font, and no attachments. An emergency non-standard fee of $50 applies when a cover sheet is used to accommodate a non-compliant document.

Ferry County Assessor and Property Records

The Ferry County Assessor works in tandem with the Auditor to maintain the full picture of property ownership and value in the county. The Assessor's primary role is to establish fair market value for all property in Ferry County for tax purposes. The assessed value multiplied by the levy rate determines the amount of property taxes owed each year. The Assessor is required by law to value property at market value and ensure values are equitable, fair, and uniform across the county.

The Assessor's office provides various forms including the Name Change Affidavit for updating records after a deed transfer, the Notice of Continuance for current use or forestland classification, and destroyed property forms. If you have recently acquired property in Ferry County through a deed transfer, contact the Assessor at (509) 775-5232 to update the ownership records and ensure tax bills are sent to the correct address. The physical address for the Assessor is 350 E Delaware Ave, Stop 1, Republic, WA 99166.

Ferry County deed records and Assessor records together provide a complete picture of property ownership. The deed in the Auditor's files shows the legal transfer of title. The Assessor's records show current ownership for tax purposes, assessed value, and parcel details. Both sets of records are public under Washington's Public Records Act and can be accessed without providing a reason for the request.

The Ferry County Assessor's office maintains property valuation and ownership records that work together with the Auditor's deed filings to provide a complete record of real property in the county.

Deed Types and Recorded Instruments

The Ferry County Auditor records all instruments affecting real property within the county. The main deed types used in Washington are 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. All three types may appear in Ferry County deed records, depending on the nature of the transaction.

A statutory warranty deed offers the broadest title protection for buyers, with the grantor promising good title and the right to convey the property. A quitclaim deed is common for transfers between family members or when clearing title disputes. The grantor makes no promises about title quality and simply passes along whatever interest they have. Bargain and sale deeds occupy a middle ground and appear frequently in bank-owned property sales after foreclosure. Each deed must contain a proper legal description, the grantor's notarized signature, and a completed real estate excise tax affidavit before the Auditor will record it.

In addition to deeds, the Ferry County recording system holds deeds of trust, reconveyances, mortgages, easements, liens, real estate contracts, plat maps, and surveys. Under RCW 65.08.070, recording a deed puts the public on notice of the transfer and establishes priority over prior unrecorded interests. This race-to-record rule applies throughout Washington, including in Ferry County.

Cities in Ferry County

Ferry County is a rural county in northeastern Washington. The county seat is Republic. No cities in Ferry County currently have individual deed records pages on this site. All deed recordings for property in the county go through the Ferry County Auditor's Recording Department at 350 East Delaware Street in Republic.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Ferry County. Each has its own recording office for deed and property documents.