Snohomish County, Washington Divorce Records

Snohomish County divorce records are official documents detailing the dissolution of a marriage filed with the County Superior Court Clerk. These records consist of different documents filed with and generated by the clerk during divorce proceedings. Generally, divorce records serve as legal documentation of divorce proceedings and may be required to prove an individual’s marital status, enabling them to remarry. Divorce records may also be required to support a name change or immigration matters, and can be crucial for genealogical research.

Snohomish County Divorce Stats: According to the Washington State Department of Health’s Marriage and Divorce Statistics, Snohomish County recorded 1,594 divorces in 2024, which translates to a divorce rate of 1.8 per 1,000 persons out of a population of 867,100. The county had the third-highest divorce count in Washington. Compared with the previous year (2023), when the county recorded 1,554 divorces, there was a 2.54% increase in 2024.

Are Divorce Records Public in Snohomish County?

Yes. In Snohomish County, divorce records are considered part of court records. Per Washington’s General Rule (GR) 31, the public has the right to access court records, including divorce records. Thus, anyone may obtain divorce records in Snohomish County.

However, Washington’s GR 31 is not absolute. Most notably, personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers are usually omitted or redacted from public divorce records per GR 31(e). Additionally, sealing orders may limit access to specific documents.

How to Find Divorce Records in Snohomish County

In Snohomish County, interested persons may search and obtain or access divorce records through the Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office, the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH), or the Washington State Archives. Generally, court filings, such as divorce decrees and similar documents, are maintained by and accessible through the Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office. Meanwhile, divorce certificates for divorces from January 1, 1968, to the present are issued by the WADOH. Divorce records indexes starting from 1968, on the other hand, are available through the Washington State Archives.

Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office

Record seekers may request or access divorce records through the Superior Court Clerk’s office, either online, in person, or by mail. They may use the Washington Courts Online - Odyssey Portal Case Search to access Snohomish County divorce records online. Users may also look up basic case information for free through the portal. However, they would be charged annual subscription fees to access public court documents through the portal. The names of the parties involved or the case number are required to search the portal.

Interested persons may visit the Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office during regular business hours to access public divorce records in person for free. However, they must present a valid government-issued picture ID to access confidential or sealed records. Additionally, they would be charged a fee in accordance with the clerk’s fee schedule for copies of documents they request.

Record seekers may use the clerk’s Copy Request form to request divorce records by mail. They may fill out the request form and mail it with a self-addressed stamped envelope and required fees (via cashier's check or money order made payable to Snohomish County Clerk). To ascertain the cost for their request, requesters may contact the Clerk's Customer Service division at contact.clerk@snoco.org or (425) 388-3466.

Note: divorce records predating 1978 will require in-depth research, and the clerk charges a $30 hourly fee for conducting these searches. Record seekers use the Research Request Form to make a research request.

Washington State Department of Health

Interested persons may order Snohomish County divorce certificates from January 1, 1968, to the present by mail from the Washington State Department of Health using the Marriage / Divorce Certificate Mail Order Form. The following information is needed to complete the form:

• The full name of one of the parties named in the record
• The approximate date of the divorce
• The name of the city or county where the divorce was filed
• The requseter’s signature

Requesters may be charged up to $25 per certificate. Additional fees may also apply depending on the ordering or shipping method. These fees are strictly payable by check or money order.

Washington State Archives

The Washington State Archives provides a Digital Archive search tool on the home page of its official website that individuals may use to search and access Snohomish County divorce records indexes dating back to 1968. The tool is accessible for free and searchable by the names of parties involved or the year the divorce decree was issued.

Method	Where to Go	Info Needed	Cost	Processing Time
Online	Washington Courts Online - Odyssey Portal Case Search And Washington State Archives website	The names of the parties involved or the case number (for the Washington Courts Online - Odyssey Portal Case Search ) And Either spouse's names or the divorce decree year (for the Washington State Archives website)	Free. However, to access court documents through the Washington Courts Online - Odyssey Portal Case Search, users must pay an annual subscription fee	Instant
In Person	Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office	Names of the parties involved or the case number. Valid government-issued picture ID is also required to access confidential or sealed records	Free	Same day
By Mail	Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office And Washington State Department of Health (WADOH)	Copy Request form (for Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office) And Marriage / Divorce Certificate Mail Order Form (for WADOH)	Varies depending on the type of record (for Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office) And $25 per certificate (for WADOH)	10 business days (for Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s office) And 6 - 8 weeks (for WADOH)

Overview of the Snohomish County Court System

Snohomish County Superior Court handles all domestic relations matters, including divorce cases, in the county. Meanwhile, the County Superior Court Clerk serves as the custodian of court records generated in cases handled by the Superior Court, including divorce filings. Detailed below are the addresses and contact details of the Snohomish County Superior Court and the Superior Court Clerk’s office:

Snohomish County Superior Court
Snohomish County Courthouse
3000 Rockefeller Ave. M/S 502
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: (425) 388-3421
Fax: (425) 388-3498

Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s Office
3000 Rockefeller Ave, M/S 605, Room M206
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: (425) 388-3466

Online Access to Snohomish County Divorce Records

Snohomish County divorce records are accessible online through the Washington Courts Online - Odyssey Portal Case Search. The portal enables users to conduct a free online divorce lookup in Snohomish County. However, only basic information about divorce cases is available through the portal for free. Users must pay annual subscription fees to access complete divorce records through the portal. These fees range between $100 and $600 annually. Party names or case numbers are the primary criteria for conducting searches on the portal.

Interested persons may also use the Washington State Archives Digital Archives Search tool to find Snohomish divorce records online. However, only the indices of older divorce records are available through the tool. Users must select divorce records under the “search by collection” section of the tool. Subsequently, they would be able to search by the names of parties involved or the year the divorce decree was issued. Generally, typical information found in a divorce index includes:

• The divorced spouses' full names
• Number of children
• Divorce decree date
• The number of plaintiffs in the divorce proceeding
• Record reference number

Alternatively, interested persons may find Snohomish County divorce records online through third-party websites that offer public records search services. The websites usually charge a fee per search or record provided, and these fees may vary by website. Additionally, they are privately owned and run independently from government entities. Furthermore, the records they provide may contain outdated or inaccurate information.

What’s Typically Included in a Snohomish Divorce Record

Snohomish County divorce records are usually comprised of the following documents:

• Dissolution of marriage petition
• Summons
• Proof of service
• Response to petition
• Financial declaration
• Property and debt list
• Motions
• Transcripts
• Court orders, including child custody, restraining, support, and property division orders
• Divorce decree

Information	Available to the Public?
Dissolution of marriage petition	Yes
Response to petition	Yes
Summons	Yes
Child custody order	Yes
Divorce decree	Yes
Spouses’ children’s identifiable information	No
Social security numbers and financial account numbers	No

How to Get Certified Copies of Snohomish Divorce Records

Depending on the type of record, interested persons may get certified copies of Snohomish County divorce records through the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH) or the Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Certified divorce certificates are available through the latter, while the former provides certified divorce decrees.

Interested persons may order a certified Snohomish County divorce certificate by mail from the WADOH. The agency charges a $25 fee (payable by check or money order) per certificate requested, and additional fees may apply. Requesters may complete the Marriage / Divorce Certificate Mail Order Form and mail it with the required fee payment to the WADOH mailing address outlined in the form.

On the other hand, record seekers may order certified copies of Snohomish County divorce decrees from the County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, either in person or by mail. The clerk charges $5.00 for the first page of each document and $1.00 for each additional page. Acceptable forms of payment include cashier’s checks or money orders made payable to the Snohomish County Clerk. Individuals may also need to present a valid government-issued ID when requesting certified records. They may make an in-person request during regular business hours at the clerk’s office. Alternatively, they may complete the Copy Request form and mail it, along with a self-addressed envelope and payment of the required fees, to the Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

Type of Copy	Use Case	Who Can Request	Legally Valid?
Certified Copy	Remarriage, changing last name, immigration application, and other legal or official proceedings	Anyone (if public)	Yes
Informational Copy	Genealogy research, verifying marital status, person reference, and confirming details about a divorce		No

Snohomish Divorce Records Summary

Custodian	Available Record Type	Access Method	Fees & Notes
Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk’s Office	Certified and regular copies of divorce decrees and other related court records	In person or by mail via the Copy Request Form.	Certified records cost $5.00 for the first page of each document and $1.00 for additional pages. Uncertified copies cost $0.25 per page for electronic records prepared by staff and $0.50 per page for non-electronic instruments or records on file prepared by the clerk’s staff
Washington State Department of Health (WADOH)	Divorce certificates (January 1, 1968, to the present)	Mail-in via the Marriage / Divorce Certificate Mail Order Form.	$25 base fee
The Washington State Archives	Divorce indexes (dating back to 1968)	Online	Free. Indexes contain limited information.
Third-Party Websites	Aggregated records	Online	Fees may vary by website, and the completeness and accuracy of the records they provide are not guaranteed.