Find Property Records in San Juan County

San Juan County property records are maintained by the Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurer offices located in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Because the county consists entirely of islands, all record-keeping is centralized on the main island, and most research can be done online through the county's parcel search and document search portals. With around 17,000 residents spread across dozens of islands, San Juan County has a unique property records landscape that covers residential lots, rural land, commercial parcels, and island-specific special tax programs. This page covers every office you need, the online tools available, and the legal framework for public access to San Juan County property records.

San Juan County Assessor Property Records

The San Juan County Assessor values all taxable real and personal property in the county. This responsibility is set out under Chapter 36.21 RCW. The assessor maintains the full assessment roll, keeps parcel records up to date, and calculates levy rates for every taxing district that covers San Juan County parcels. All properties are assessed with reference to their value on January 1, as required by RCW 84.40.020.

The assessor's office provides several online tools for searching San Juan County property records. The Parcel Search tool lets you look up by Property ID, parcel number, owner name, or property address. You can see property and owner information, taxes, values, property images, assessment history, and deed and sales history. The Polaris parcel map is the GIS tool for viewing parcel boundaries visually across the San Juan Islands. GIS data is also available for download from the assessor's page for researchers who need bulk geographic data.

San Juan County offers a range of special tax programs that affect assessed values. These include Current Use programs for open space, farm and agricultural land, designated forest land, and current use timber land. Senior and disabled exemption programs are also administered by the assessor under the SNR-DSBL Tax Relief Program, along with deferral programs for eligible homeowners. If you see an unusually low assessed value on a San Juan County parcel, it may be enrolled in one of these programs.

The assessor's office mails Change of Value Notices to property owners when their assessed value changes. The 2025 assessments (for 2026 taxes) reflect market sales between January 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025. Physical inspections must occur at least once every six years under RCW 84.41.030. If your value did not change, you will not receive a notice. Counter service at the assessor's office is available Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The San Juan County Assessor's page includes parcel search, GIS map access, levy highlights, tax relief program information, and comparable sales data.

From the assessor portal, you can access the full range of San Juan County property data including assessment history, special program enrollments, and current levy rates by tax code area.

San Juan County Parcel Search and GIS Maps

The San Juan County Parcel Search and Maps page gives you direct access to three tools. The Parcel Search shows property and owner information, tax and value data, assessment history, and deed and sales history. Polaris is the interactive web mapping application that lets you view all San Juan County parcels on a map with the ability to zoom, pan, and click individual parcels for details. GIS data downloads are available for researchers who need shapefiles or other geographic data formats.

You can also search recorded plats, surveys, and condo documents through this page. These recorded maps and subdivision documents are part of the property records system and are useful for verifying lot dimensions, easements, and plat boundaries in San Juan County. The Online Document Search tool links to documents recorded by the county auditor, which is especially helpful for checking deeds and liens without a separate search.

Sales search is another feature available through the parcel search portal. You can look up recent sales by address, parcel, or date range to see what properties have sold for in San Juan County. This data is used by the assessor for mass appraisal work but is also useful for buyers, sellers, and researchers trying to understand the local market.

The San Juan County Parcel Search and Maps portal is the central hub for parcel-level property research across the San Juan Islands.

The Polaris parcel map tool is well-suited for island property research, where visual map confirmation of parcel location is especially important given the complex geography of the San Juan Islands.

San Juan County Auditor and Deed Recording

The San Juan County Auditor records all instruments that affect real property in the county. Under RCW 36.22.010, the auditor is the official recording officer and must record qualifying documents upon payment of fees. All deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, plats, and similar instruments that transfer or encumber real property under RCW 65.08.070 go through the auditor's office. Recording establishes priority of interests and provides constructive notice to the world. An unrecorded deed may be void against a subsequent buyer who records without notice.

The auditor's page at sanjuanco.com/150/Auditor provides access to the Online Document Search, which lets you search recorded documents by name, document type, or recording number. This is the tool you use to find deeds, mortgages, releases, and other instruments that have been filed in San Juan County. You can also access recorded plats and surveys from this page.

For real estate transfers, a completed Real Estate Excise Tax affidavit under RCW 82.45 must be submitted before the auditor records the deed. REET affidavit searches for San Juan County cover records from August 2009 to present and a separate archive from 1952 to July 2009. The treasurer handles contact for REET, and you can reach that office at (360) 378-2171.

The San Juan County Auditor page covers the online document search for recorded deeds and liens, plus access to plats, surveys, and condo recordings for San Juan County properties.

The auditor's online document search is available to the public at no cost and is the main tool for tracing ownership history and verifying recorded instruments on San Juan County parcels.

San Juan County Treasurer and Property Tax Records

The San Juan County Treasurer manages property tax collection, tax foreclosure, and Real Estate Excise Tax for the county. In compliance with RCW 84.56.020, the 2026 tax roll has been certified and is ready for collection. First half taxes are due April 30, 2026, and second half taxes are due November 2, 2026. Tax statements for 2026 began arriving in mid-February 2026.

The treasurer's office has a secure drop box at the main entrance of the Courthouse (Sheriff side) for payments. Late or missed payments result in interest and penalties as provided by state law. The treasurer strongly encourages self-service options, and you can pay taxes online through the county portal. You can also pay by phone at (360) 378-2171. The treasurer's page at sanjuanco.com/314/Treasurer also covers tax foreclosure information, the public auction process for tax-title properties (Land Bank), and REET affidavit searches.

The San Juan County Treasurer's page covers online tax payments, REET affidavit searches, tax foreclosure information, and personal property and mobile home tax records.

The treasurer holds a key position in San Juan County's property records system, acting as the bank for all local taxing districts and managing tax-title land through the public auction process. All county property records are subject to public inspection under Chapter 42.56 RCW.

Communities in San Juan County

San Juan County's main communities include Friday Harbor (the county seat on San Juan Island), Eastsound on Orcas Island, Lopez Village on Lopez Island, and smaller communities across Shaw, Waldron, and other islands. None of these communities meet the qualifying population threshold for a dedicated city page. All San Juan County property records are maintained through the offices in Friday Harbor, and most research can be done through the county's online portals without requiring a ferry trip to the island.

Nearby Counties

San Juan County is accessible by ferry from the mainland. The nearest counties by water are listed below. If you need to research properties across county lines, check each county's separate records system.