Jefferson County Property Records Search

Jefferson County property records are public documents held by the Assessor, Treasurer, and Auditor offices in Port Townsend, Washington. You can search parcel data, ownership information, assessed values, tax balances, and recorded instruments for properties across the county, from Port Townsend to the Brinnon area and the West End. This page explains how to access Jefferson County property records online, what each office handles, and where to find historical records.

Jefferson County Property Records Overview

Jefferson County occupies the northeastern corner of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, with Port Townsend as the county seat. The county covers a large and varied area that includes urban neighborhoods in Port Townsend, the Quilcene and Brinnon communities on Hood Canal, and the far West End extending toward Bogachiel and Quinault. All property records in Jefferson County are public under Chapter 42.56 RCW.

Three offices manage property records for Jefferson County. The Assessor values all real and personal property and maintains parcel data and GIS maps. The Treasurer collects property taxes and manages tax accounts for all parcels. The Auditor records deeds, mortgages, and other instruments that affect real property. All three offices are part of the Jefferson County government at co.jefferson.wa.us. Each has its own page on the county website with contact details, forms, and online search tools.

Jefferson County accomplishes its required annual revaluation through a focused re-inspection of one sixth of the county each year. The other five sixths are updated by statistical sales analysis and targeted inspections. In 2026, appraisers are performing re-inspections of Cycle 1 properties in the Brinnon School District area and the West End of the county. Property owners in those areas will receive change of value notices later in the year reflecting any assessment changes from the reinspections.

Jefferson County Assessor

The Jefferson County Assessor values all taxable property at 100% of fair market value as required by state law. The Assessor's office is at 1820 Jefferson St in Port Townsend. Phone is 360-385-9105. The Assessor publishes a Tax Comparison for 2025-2026 and the Jefferson County Abstract, both available online through the county website. These documents show how assessed values and levy rates have changed from year to year.

The Assessor provides a GIS Parcel Map Viewer with detailed property lookups. The viewer lets you search by address or parcel number and see property details, ownership, and mapping information. A separate Residential Revaluation Map shows which areas of Jefferson County are being revalued in the current cycle. The Assessor also provides access to historic Value, Levy, and Data reports going back to tax year 2021, and Tax District Maps for both East and West Jefferson County in PDF format.

Exemption and deferral programs available through the Jefferson County Assessor include the Senior, Disabled, and Disabled Veterans property tax exemptions, the Senior and Disabled Persons deferral, the Exemption for Physical Improvement, and the Designated Forest Land and Open Space programs. The Open Space program covers Farm and Agricultural Land and Designated Forest Land separately. Property owners seeking to participate should contact the Assessor's office to get current applications and qualification thresholds.

The Assessor also processes Real Estate Excise Tax affidavits at closing and maintains a searchable database of REET affidavits at co.jefferson.wa.us. This is a useful research tool for finding recent sale prices of Jefferson County properties when the parcel data is not yet updated in the main search.

The Jefferson County Assessor maintains parcel data and GIS maps for all real and personal property in the county, including properties in Port Townsend and throughout the Olympic Peninsula.

Jefferson County Treasurer and Tax Payments

The Jefferson County Treasurer, Stacie Prada, collects property taxes for all parcels in the county. Property tax statements for 2026 were mailed in mid-February. Current tax amounts are available online using the Property Tax Search on the Treasurer's website. You can also email treasurerstaff@co.jefferson.wa.us or call 360-385-9150 to confirm the correct amount due before paying.

Payment options include online credit card or echeck payment through the Treasurer's website, phone payment by calling 1-877-812-8072 with your property ID, mail-in check payment, and in-person cash payment at the Treasurer's office. A convenience fee applies to credit card payments (2.5%), echeck payments ($0.50 temporarily, normally $2.00), and Visa debit ($3.95). Online parcel data updates daily around 6:00 a.m. PST. If you receive an error when searching, try again after that time.

The Treasurer's office also handles tax foreclosure for delinquent properties and manages Real Estate Excise Tax collection. An AutoPay option is available for property owners who want their taxes paid automatically. The Treasurer's website links to Budget Committee and Revenue Reports as well as the Jefferson County Finance Committee records, which are public documents showing how county funds are managed.

The Jefferson County Treasurer collects property taxes for all parcels in the county and provides online payment options, parcel search, and tax foreclosure information.

Recording Property Documents in Jefferson County

The Jefferson County Auditor handles recording of all documents that affect real property in the county under RCW 36.22.010. Recorded instruments include deeds, deeds of trust, reconveyances, liens, easements, and plat maps. The Auditor's office is at co.jefferson.wa.us/150/Auditor. Under RCW 65.08.070, recording a document gives constructive notice to subsequent purchasers and lenders who search the records before closing.

Jefferson County accepts electronic recording for most document types. Title companies and attorneys use eRecording to file documents without visiting the courthouse in Port Townsend. The county's online document search lets researchers look up recorded instruments by name, document type, or date range. For historical Jefferson County property documents not available through the county's current system, the Washington State Digital Archives provides free access to older deeds, mortgages, plat maps, and survey records dating back to the county's earliest period.

The Jefferson County Auditor records all deeds, liens, and other instruments affecting real property and provides an online document search tool for researchers.

Note: The Digital Archives search for Jefferson County records works best when you search by grantor or grantee name and limit the date range to find specific transactions quickly.

Additional Jefferson County Property Resources

The Washington Department of Revenue publishes a directory of all county assessor and treasurer websites. For Jefferson County, the DOR directory links to the current county contact information and provides access to statewide property tax forms, exemption applications, and assessment appeal guidelines. The DOR also oversees the administration of the Real Estate Excise Tax program used in all Washington counties.

Washington law governs Jefferson County property valuation through RCW 84.40.020, which requires assessment as of January 1 each year, and RCW 84.41.030, which requires continuous revaluation on a rolling cycle. Property owners who believe their Jefferson County assessment is too high can appeal to the Jefferson County Board of Equalization. The Assessor's website lists current appeal deadlines and what to include in an appeal filing.

The MRSC guide to county officials is a useful reference for understanding how Washington county assessors and treasurers operate, what records they must maintain, and how the levy calculation process works. This background helps property owners in Jefferson County understand why their assessed values change from year to year and how the levy rate is set based on the county's total assessed value.

Cities in Jefferson County

Jefferson County includes Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Quilcene, Brinnon, and communities along the West End. No cities in Jefferson County currently have individual property records pages on this site. All property records are filed and maintained through the county offices in Port Townsend.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Jefferson County on the Olympic Peninsula and Hood Canal area. Each maintains its own property records system.