King County Property Records
King County property records are maintained by the King County Assessor, the Recorder's Office, and the King County Treasurer. You can search parcel data, ownership history, assessed values, deeds, liens, and tax information online or in person at county offices in Seattle. King County is the most populous county in Washington State, with roughly 2.3 million residents and a large, active real estate market. The county's online tools are among the most robust in the state, letting you pull detailed property reports without leaving your desk. This page covers how to find King County property records, which offices to contact, what the records contain, and how state law governs access.
King County Overview
King County Assessor – Property Valuation Records
The King County Assessor's Office handles property valuation, tax assessment, and parcel data for all real and personal property in the county. Under Chapter 36.21 RCW, the assessor must determine the value of all taxable property within county boundaries. King County values property at 100% of market value, as required by RCW 84.40.020. The office is located at 201 South Jackson Street in Seattle and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The assessor maintains detailed records for every parcel in the county. Those records include ownership information, legal descriptions, lot size, building details, construction year, and assessed value history. You can call the office at (206) 296-7300 or reach them by TTY relay at 711. Their website at kingcounty.gov/en/dept/assessor has links to exemption programs, revaluation schedules, and property tax relief options for seniors and disabled veterans.
The King County Assessor also runs programs for property that has been destroyed or damaged by storms. If your property suffered damage, the office can review your assessment and provide relief. The same office administers senior exemption and disabled veteran programs for those who meet income requirements.
Lead-in: The King County Assessor's website provides a full overview of valuation services and tax relief programs.
The assessor's office covers all residential, commercial, and industrial parcels throughout King County.
King County Property Records Search Online
The easiest way to search King County property records is through the eReal Property system. This tool lets you look up any parcel by tax account number or parcel number. Once you find a parcel, you get a full property report with ownership data, assessed value, sales history, square footage, building features, and tax information. The search is free and open to the public at any time.
The eReal Property portal is available at blue.kingcounty.com. You can enter a parcel number or address to pull up a full property profile. The system pulls live data from the assessor's database. Records go back many years, so it works well for checking sale history, ownership chains, and value trends over time. Washington State law under RCW 84.41.030 requires continuous revaluation of property, and King County updates values on a rolling cycle. That means the data in eReal is regularly refreshed.
Note: RCW 42.56.070(9) prohibits using lists of individuals pulled from this system for commercial purposes.
The King County eReal Property system is the primary source for current parcel data, assessed values, and ownership records.
Searches are free and do not require an account or login.
For interactive mapping, the King County iMap GIS tool at gismaps.kingcounty.gov lets you search parcels visually on a map. You can click any parcel to pull ownership, sales data, zoning, and tax information. The GIS Center also makes hundreds of data layers available for free download through the King County Open Data Portal.
The King County GIS Center supports the full range of county mapping and spatial data services.
The GIS parcel viewer is useful for visual searches and for pulling data on neighboring parcels.
King County Recorder's Office – Deeds and Documents
The King County Recorder's Office holds all recorded real property documents for the county. That includes deeds, mortgages, easements, liens, satisfactions, and bills of sale. Under RCW 36.22.010, county auditors serve as the recording officers for real property instruments. In King County, the Recorder's Office handles this function. Recording a document provides constructive notice to the public and establishes priority of property interests under RCW 65.08.070.
The Recorder's Office is located at 500 Fourth Avenue, Room 430, Seattle, WA 98104. You can reach them at (206) 477-6620. Their website is at kingcounty.gov/en/dept/records-licensing/recorders-office. Most documents recorded on or after August 1, 1991 are available through the King County Official Records Search online. Documents recorded before 1991 are on microfilm and can be viewed at the King County Archives.
The real estate excise tax, governed by RCW 82.45, must be paid before the Recorder accepts most property transfer documents. The treasurer affixes a tax stamp showing taxes are paid or that none are due. This requirement ensures that every recorded transfer has a documented tax event. Auditors have a ministerial duty to record any instrument that facially affects title to real estate, as long as the proper fee is paid and the document meets formatting standards.
| Office | King County Recorder's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 500 Fourth Avenue, Room 430 Seattle, WA 98104 |
| Phone | (206) 477-6620 |
| Assessor Address | 201 South Jackson Street Seattle, WA 98104 |
| Assessor Phone | (206) 296-7300 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
What King County Property Records Contain
King County property records cover a wide range of details about any given parcel. The assessor's records show ownership name and mailing address, legal description, lot dimensions, zoning, land use code, assessed land value, assessed improvement value, total assessed value, and the levy rates used to calculate taxes. Building records include construction year, square footage, number of rooms, and major features like garages, decks, and outbuildings. Most of this data is searchable through eReal Property.
Recorded documents at the Recorder's Office add another layer of information. When someone buys property, the deed is recorded and becomes a public document. The deed shows the grantor, the grantee, the legal description of the property, and the date of transfer. Mortgages and deeds of trust show the lender and loan terms in general terms. Liens, judgments, and satisfactions show debt obligations tied to the property. All of these become part of the chain of title for that parcel.
Key property data available in King County records:
- Ownership name and address
- Parcel number and legal description
- Assessed value (land and improvements)
- Sales history with prices and dates
- Building characteristics and construction year
- Recorded deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements
- Tax levy rates and payment status
The Seattle Municipal Archives also maintains a guide for property history research that covers older records. That includes building permits from the 1890s, Sanborn fire insurance maps, and Kroll maps available at the Seattle Public Library. The Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch holds King County Assessor property tax records with photographs from the 1930s and 1940s.
Historical King County Property Records
For older King County property records, the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the right place to look. The archives host Real Property Record Cards for King County dating back to the 1930s and 1940s. These cards show tax assessments, ownership history, construction dates, sketches, and often photographs of the buildings. You can search by parcel number or address. When searching by parcel number, enter the 10-digit number with a hyphen between the 6th and 7th digits. For address searches, leave out street directionals and suffixes.
Documents recorded before August 1991 are on microfilm and are kept at the King County Archives. If you need a deed or mortgage from the 1980s or earlier, you may need to visit the archives in person or contact them directly. The King County Recorder's Office can tell you where those older records are housed and whether copies can be ordered remotely.
Note: The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections holds building permits from the 1890s to present, which can supplement property research for Seattle parcels.
King County Property Tax Records
Property taxes in King County are based on assessed value set by the Assessor's Office. The assessor determines value as of January 1 each year under RCW 84.40.020. Levy rates are then applied to that assessed value to produce the tax bill. Different taxing districts within the county have different levy rates, so two properties with the same assessed value in different school districts may have different tax bills.
You can look up tax payment status and amounts through the King County property search tools. The assessor's website has links to property tax payment information, and the county also allows online payment through their portal. If you disagree with an assessed value, you can appeal to the King County Board of Equalization. The Washington Department of Revenue maintains an overview of all county assessor and treasurer websites as well, which is a useful starting point for state-level property tax context.
Accessing King County Property Records
Most King County property records are public under Chapter 42.56 RCW, the Washington Public Records Act. You can request records in person, by mail, or online. The easiest path is to use the county's free online tools. For records not available online, you can contact the relevant office and submit a public records request. King County has a formal public records request process, and the office must respond within five business days.
Certified copies of recorded documents cost a per-page fee. Basic parcel lookups through eReal Property are free. GIS data downloads are also free. If you need a large volume of parcel data, the King County Open Data Portal offers bulk datasets at no cost.
Cities in King County
King County includes Seattle and many other major cities. Property records for all of them are maintained by King County offices in Seattle.
Nearby Counties
These counties border King County. If you are unsure which county has the property records you need, check the parcel's address first.