Kittitas County Property Records

Kittitas County property records are maintained by the County Assessor and the County Auditor, both located at the Kittitas County Courthouse in Ellensburg. You can search parcel data, ownership history, assessed values, recorded deeds, and tax information for properties throughout the county. Kittitas County covers central Washington State, stretching from the Cascade Mountains east to the upper Yakima River Valley, and has a population of about 47,000. This page explains how to find Kittitas County property records online and in person, what records are available, and which offices handle them.

Kittitas County Assessor – Parcel Records and Valuation

The Kittitas County Assessor's Office determines the value of all real and personal property in the county for tax purposes. Washington State law requires property to be assessed at 100% of true and fair market value under RCW 84.40.020, and the assessor must physically inspect each property at least once every six years. Values are also updated annually through ongoing review of sales data under RCW 84.41.030. The assessor's duties are outlined in Chapter 36.21 RCW.

The Kittitas County Courthouse is at 205 W 5th Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926. Offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The assessor's website at co.kittitas.wa.us/assessor provides access to property search tools, parcel maps, data downloads, and exemption information. You can search by address or parcel number to pull up ownership, assessed value, and property details. The site also has links to business personal property filing, senior and disabled exemption programs, and current use assessment options for agricultural and forest land.

The assessor maintains tax parcel maps for the entire county. Legal descriptions, segregation records, and mapping data are all part of the assessor's records. Any taxpayer who disagrees with a valuation can appeal to the Kittitas County Board of Equalization.

The Kittitas County Assessor's website provides property search and map search tools for parcel lookups.

The assessor's office covers all residential, agricultural, commercial, and timber parcels in Kittitas County.

Kittitas County Auditor – Property Document Recording

The Kittitas County Auditor's Office handles recording of real property documents for the county. Under RCW 36.22.010, the county auditor serves as the recording officer for instruments affecting real estate. Deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and releases are all recorded here. Recording gives public notice of property interests and sets their priority under RCW 65.08.070. An unrecorded instrument may be valid between the parties, but it can be void against a later buyer who records first without notice.

The Auditor's Office is also at the Kittitas County Courthouse, 205 W 5th Ave in Ellensburg. Their website at co.kittitas.wa.us/auditor covers elections, licensing, recording, and financial services. The recording section has a fee schedule and information on requirements for submitting documents. Before a deed or transfer document can be recorded, the real estate excise tax under RCW 82.45 must be paid and the Treasurer must stamp the document.

The Kittitas County Auditor's website provides information on document recording requirements and fee schedules.

The Auditor's Office records all instruments affecting title to real property in Kittitas County.

What Kittitas County Property Records Contain

Kittitas County property records from the Assessor's Office include ownership name and mailing address, parcel number, legal description, land use code, lot size, assessed land and improvement values, and levy rate data. Building records show construction year, square footage, and key physical features. The county covers a mix of residential, agricultural, timber, and commercial land, so records reflect a wide range of land use types including designated forest land and open space current use classifications.

Recorded documents at the Auditor's Office add the legal ownership history. Deeds show who bought and sold a property and the date of each transaction. Mortgages and deeds of trust show financing instruments recorded against the property. Liens, judgments, and easements show other legal interests. Together, the assessor and auditor records give you a full picture of any parcel in Kittitas County. The county site also lets you search recorded documents directly through the property search tool.

For older records, the Washington State Digital Archives holds historical Kittitas County property documents including deeds, mortgages, plat maps, and survey records going back to territorial times. These are available online for free 24 hours a day. The MRSC property tax resource page also provides guidance on assessment and levy processes applicable to Kittitas County.

Kittitas County Property Tax Records

Property taxes in Kittitas County are calculated using assessed values set by the assessor as of January 1 each year. Different taxing districts within the county, including school districts, fire districts, and library districts, each have their own levy rates. The assessor calculates the levy amounts needed to fund each district and posts levy rate sheets on the county website. Property owners can see which taxing districts apply to their parcel and what rate each district charges.

Tax payments in Kittitas County go to the Treasurer's Office. The county website at co.kittitas.wa.us provides links to property tax payment options. Owners who disagree with their assessed value can file an appeal with the Board of Equalization. Seniors and disabled persons may apply for exemptions through the Assessor's Office. The Washington Department of Revenue provides an overview of all county assessor and treasurer resources as well.

Note: Kittitas County has a significant amount of designated forest land and agricultural land enrolled in current use programs, which means assessed values for those parcels differ from standard market value assessments.

Historical Kittitas County Property Records

For historical property research in Kittitas County, the Washington State Digital Archives is the primary resource. The archives hold digitized deeds, mortgages, plat maps, and survey records going back to Washington Territory days. Records are searchable by party name, record type, and date range. Documents are scanned at high resolution to preserve handwritten entries and legal descriptions. The archive expands continuously as county auditors and recorders submit additional digitized collections.

Older plat maps and survey records can also be found through the Kittitas County Assessor's mapping section. The county maintains tax parcel maps and legal description records that trace property boundaries back through prior ownerships. If you are doing a chain-of-title search or verifying a legal description, the assessor's mapping staff can point you to the right records. The Department of Revenue directory also links to state and county resources that support deeper property research.

Cities in Kittitas County

Kittitas County includes Ellensburg and several smaller communities. No cities in the county currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All property records for the county are maintained by the Kittitas County Assessor and Auditor in Ellensburg.

Communities in Kittitas County include Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Roslyn, South Cle Elum, Kittitas, and Thorp. Property records for all of these areas are held by county offices at the courthouse in Ellensburg.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Kittitas County. Confirm the property address to determine which county maintains the records you need.