Access Kitsap County Deed Records

Kitsap County deed records are maintained by the County Auditor's office in Port Orchard. The Auditor serves as the official custodian of all recorded real property instruments under Washington State law, including deeds, mortgages, easements, liens, and plats. Online property searching is available through the county's public records system, and historical land records going back to the 1800s can be found through the county's own database. Whether you're researching ownership, tracing a chain of title, or filing a new deed in Kitsap County, this page covers what you need to know.

Kitsap County Auditor Recording Division

The Kitsap County Auditor's Recording Division handles all real property document recording for properties on the Kitsap Peninsula. This includes Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Port Orchard, Silverdale, Kingston, and all other unincorporated areas. The Auditor receives documents, checks formatting requirements, assigns a unique file number with date and time, indexes by grantor and grantee, and stores the records permanently. All recorded documents become part of the public record and are accessible to anyone under the Washington Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.

Kitsap County property records encompass deeds (warranty, quitclaim, special warranty), mortgages and deeds of trust, tax liens, mechanic's liens, judgment liens, easements and covenants, plats, surveys, and foreclosure documents. All real property conveyances must be recorded under RCW 65.08.070 to provide constructive notice to third parties. An unrecorded deed may be valid between buyer and seller but can be voided by a later buyer who records first without notice of the earlier transfer.

The Kitsap County Auditor's Recording Division in Port Orchard handles all deed recordings and provides public access to recorded land documents for the Kitsap Peninsula.

How to Search Kitsap County Deed Records

The main online search tool for Kitsap County deed records is psearch.kitsapgov.com, the county's official public records search system. This free portal covers deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded documents with records dating back to the 1800s. You can search by property address, parcel number, or owner name. The system integrates with Kitsap County Assessor property access records and GIS maps, making it useful for both title research and property tax lookups. Business license records and assumed business names filed with Kitsap County are also searchable through this system.

The Kitsap County Land Records collection at the Washington State Digital Archives holds indexes and images of land records recorded with the Kitsap County Auditor from 1987 to 2014. Document types in this collection include deeds, deeds of trust, easements, mortgages, liens, satisfaction records, quitclaim deeds, transfer on death deeds, trustees' deeds, and reconveyances. Images are not available for records that contain personal identifiers.

For in-person searches, the Auditor's office at 619 Division Street in Port Orchard has staff who can assist with record lookups and provide certified copies of recorded documents. Bring the grantor or grantee name, the approximate recording date, or the auditor's file number to speed up the search.

The Kitsap County public property search portal provides free online access to deed records, tax assessments, GIS maps, and other recorded land documents going back to the 1800s.

Kitsap County Deed Recording Fees

Kitsap County follows the Washington State recording fee schedule established under RCW 36.18 and RCW 36.22. The standard recording fee for most documents 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 went into effect January 1, 2024 and include a housing affordability surcharge enacted by the state legislature. Non-standard documents that require a cover sheet due to formatting issues cost an extra $50 on top of the regular recording fee.

Copies of recorded documents are $1.00 per page for uncertified copies. Certified copies are $3.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page. The Auditor's office at 619 Division Street provides certified copies. Basic property information is free to view online, but document copies carry the per-page fee.

Note: Confirm the current Kitsap County recording fee schedule directly with the Auditor before submitting documents, as the state legislature may update fees periodically.

Types of Deed Records in Kitsap County

Kitsap County records a wide variety of real property instruments. The most common deed types 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. Statutory warranty deeds offer the strongest buyer protections, with the grantor warranting title against any prior claims. Bargain and sale deeds, often used after foreclosures, carry more limited warranties. Quitclaim deeds convey whatever interest the grantor holds, with no title guarantees, and are common in family transfers and estate matters.

Beyond standard deeds, Kitsap County records include deeds of trust, modification of deed of trust, amendment of mortgage, transfer on death deeds, sheriff's deeds, tax deeds, and trustee's deeds. The county also records UCC filings, easements, real estate contracts, assignments, liens, and reconveyances. These documents together form the chain of title for each parcel in Kitsap County.

Washington's recording priority rule under RCW 65.08.070 makes the order of recording legally significant. If two parties claim the same property, the one who recorded first generally prevails. This "race-notice" rule means that buyers and lenders must record their deeds and mortgages promptly after closing.

The Washington State Digital Archives holds indexed Kitsap County land records from 1987 to 2014, including deeds, mortgages, easements, and other recorded instruments.

Cities in Kitsap County

Kitsap County includes Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Silverdale, Kingston, and other communities. All deed records for properties in these areas are filed with the Kitsap County Auditor in Port Orchard.

Nearby Counties

These counties are in the Puget Sound and Olympic Peninsula region surrounding Kitsap County.