Record Searches

This information is intended to give a general idea of the cost and requirements for searches. Please call (360) 740-1165 for further information.

Legal descriptions in Lewis County can be lengthy. Due to this fact and the possibility of error, we do not read legal descriptions over the phone. To obtain a copy of a legal description or any document recorded in the Auditor's Office, you can either come in to our office or make a request in writing. You may also perform your own online search by clicking here.

When you come in to the Auditor's office, our staff will assist you in your search. Nearly all recorded documents are public in nature, and you may look at them and write down whatever information you choose. There is a $1.00 per page fee for copies of recorded documents.

If you are unable to come in to the office, you may make your request in writing providing us with a name of a grantor or grantee and an approximate time frame of when the document was recorded. There is an $8.00 per hour search fee with a one hour minimum. If you want copies of the document, you must pay the copy fee as well. When most people send in a request, they include a check that is marked "not to exceed $25.00." We then fill in the amount after we complete the search and send you a receipt.

In order to make charging for searches uniform, we do our searches for one name and one decade. For example, if you believe a document was recorded sometime in the 1960's. We will check from 1960 to 1970 for one name and only charge one $8.00 search fee. If you want us to search for two separate names you will be charged two search fees ($16.00). If you wish us to continue into the next decade (in our example: 1970 - 1980), we would charge an additional eight dollars.

You can have any 10 year time frame, but if we do not receive specific start and end dates, we start at the beginning of a decade and go to the end.

Unless otherwise instructed you will receive your copies in the mail. If you need your documents right away, we can fax them to you.

The same search criteria applies, however copies of marriage certificates are different in that they must be certified. The fee for a certified copy is $3.00. We generally do not fax marriage records.