Jefferson County Deed Records Search

Jefferson County deed records are maintained by the County Auditor in Port Townsend. The county was one of the first organized by the Washington Territorial Legislature in 1852, and its recording system holds land documents going back to that era. Deeds and mortgages from 1852 to present are available at the Auditor's office or through the Washington State Archives. Online access to deed records from 1985 forward is available through the county's website, and records from 1982 to present are indexed in the Washington State Digital Archives. This page explains how to search, copy, and use Jefferson County deed records.

Jefferson County Auditor's Office

The Jefferson County Auditor is the official custodian of deed records and other recorded instruments in the county. The Auditor's office receives documents, checks them for formatting compliance, assigns a unique file number with date and time stamp, scans and indexes them, and stores them as permanent public records. This process creates the official chain of title for every parcel in Jefferson County. The office is located in Port Townsend, the county seat.

Deeds and mortgages for Jefferson County go back to 1852, making this one of Washington's oldest recording systems. Historically significant records from the early territorial period are preserved through the Washington State Archives Northwest Regional Branch, which holds physical copies of older documents. For records from 1985 forward, the Jefferson County website provides online access. The Washington State Digital Archives holds indexed records from 1982 to the present.

How to Search Jefferson County Deed Records

The easiest place to start is the Jefferson County Land Records collection at the Washington State Digital Archives. This collection includes indexes and some images of land records recorded with the Jefferson County Auditor from 1982 to the present, covering 545,096 documents. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, or document type for free. Images are not shown for documents containing confidential information. The Jefferson County Auditor transfers records to the Digital Archives periodically, so the most recent year may not be complete at any given time.

For records from 1985 forward, online access is also available through the Jefferson County website. This is useful for people who want to pull recent deed records quickly without a trip to the courthouse. Contact the Auditor's office for login or access details.

In-person searches are available at the Auditor's office in Port Townsend. Staff can help you locate records by name or file number. The Jefferson County Assessor also keeps plat maps, which can be useful when trying to match a legal description to a specific parcel.

The Washington State Digital Archives provides free online access to over 545,000 Jefferson County land records, including deed indexes and images from 1982 to the present.

Jefferson County Deed Recording Fees

Jefferson County follows the state recording fee schedule set by the Washington State Legislature under RCW 36.18 and RCW 36.22. The fee for recording most documents, including warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds, is $303.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. Deeds of trust are $304.50 for the first page. These fees include a $183 housing affordability surcharge and a $100 Covenant Homeownership surcharge added by the legislature. The fees apply uniformly across all 39 Washington counties.

Copies of recorded documents cost $1.00 per page for uncertified copies. Certified copies are $3.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page. Documents that do not meet formatting requirements face a $50 non-standard document fee. The Auditor's office does not give legal advice and cannot interpret documents. The responsibility for proper document preparation rests with the submitter.

Note: Before filing any deed in Jefferson County, confirm the current fee with the Auditor's office, as fees can change with legislative updates.

What Jefferson County Deed Records Include

Jefferson County deed records cover all instruments that transfer or affect an interest in real property within the county. The most common are warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds. A Statutory Warranty Deed under RCW 64.04.030 comes with the strongest title guarantees, while a Quitclaim Deed under RCW 64.04.050 conveys only what the grantor actually holds, with no promises about title. Both types must include a proper legal description, the grantor's notarized signature, and comply with state formatting requirements.

The Jefferson County land records collection at the Digital Archives includes a wide array of document types beyond basic deeds. These include deeds of trust, easements, real estate contracts, mortgages, liens, lis pendens notices, satisfaction of judgment, reconveyances, boundary line adjustments, transfer on death deeds, and water rights. The miscellaneous recordings collection at the Digital Archives contains additional document types like powers of attorney, community property agreements, name change orders, and satisfaction of lien records.

Plat maps are a separate category. Original plat maps for Jefferson County covering years 1907, 1909, 1911, 1915, 1923, and 1924 are available from the Jefferson County Archivist by calling 360.385.9356. The Jefferson County Assessor also maintains current plat maps. Volunteers have also indexed land abstract files from 1850 to 1954 through the Jefferson County Genealogical Society, which is a useful resource for deep historical research.

Jefferson County's historical records archive at the Washington State Digital Archives includes miscellaneous recordings from 1982 to the present, supplementing the main land records collection with documents like powers of attorney and community property agreements.

Online Resources for Jefferson County Deed Records

The Washington State Digital Archives is the main online portal for deed records across all Washington counties. It is free to use and maintained by the Washington Secretary of State's office. For Jefferson County, the collection covers records from 1982 forward. Searches can be done by name, document type, or date range. This is the most efficient starting point for most title research tasks.

For records predating 1982, the Washington State Archives Northwest Regional Branch holds physical records transferred from Jefferson County. The Washington State Archives offers an "Ask an Archivist" service that can help researchers find specific older records. The Jefferson County Genealogical Society research guide is another helpful tool for pre-statehood and early territorial records going back to 1850.

The Washington State Association of County Auditors sets uniform standards for recording across all 39 counties. Jefferson County follows these guidelines, ensuring that deed records are indexed, formatted, and preserved in a consistent and accessible way. The WSACA also represents county auditors in legislative matters that affect property records and recording fees statewide.

Cities in Jefferson County

Jefferson County includes Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Quilcene, Brinnon, Chimacum, and other communities on the Olympic Peninsula. All deed records for properties in these areas are filed with the Jefferson County Auditor in Port Townsend.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Jefferson County or are in the nearby Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound region.