Title Info: Department of Health, Divorce Certificates, 1968-1999

The Digital Archives will be performing system maintenance on Wednesday, November 20th beginning at 5:00 PM PST and ending at 8:00 PM PST. During this time our ecommerce system will be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

This site requires JavaScript to operate correctly. If you are running a script blocker, please add this site to your allow list.

Search This Title:	Spouse A Last Name First Name Middle Name Spouse B Last Name First Name Middle Name Divorce Decree Year From To Search Options Soundex What is Soundex? or
Record Creator:	Health, Department of
Description:	These records are for individuals who were divorced in the State of Washington from 1968 to the current month in 1999. Certificates can include court file number, date of decree, names of both parties, date of birth, location of birth, current residence, social security numbers, petitioner, and petitioner’s attorney. These records can also be called a certificate of dissolution, declaration of invalidity of marriage, or legal separation. In 1998, the front of the Certificate form was revised to include fields for Social Security Numbers. Pursuant to RCW 42.56 and Archives policies, images of these certificates are not displayed. Effective January 1, 2021 RCW 70.58A.510 allows Divorce Certificates to be transferred from the custody of the Department of Health to the State Archives after 25 years. The Department of Health will still provide all certified copies per RCW 70.58A.530.
Related Records:	Pre-1968: Contact the County Superior Court where the divorce was filed. 1996 up to 2 months ago: Contact the Washington Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics. Last 2 months: Contact the County Superior Court in which the divorce was filed.
Access Restriction Notes:	These records are open for research.
Sources of Transfer	State Government Archives Health, Department of
Notes	This record does not include the divorce decree or any papers having to do with custody or community property agreements. Please check with the Superior Court Clerk in the county where the divorce was filed. If you cannot find your divorce record or believe there may be an error on the record, please contact the Washington Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics.
Agency History:	The Washington State Department of Health has been recording birth and death in Washington State since July of 1907, and started recording marriage and divorce in January of 1968. They also license healthcare professionals in the state.
Preferred Citation:	Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], Department of Health, Divorce Certificates, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://digitalarchives.wa.gov, [date accessed].
Record Count:	819,528