Washington County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Washington County are issued by the Washington County Recording Office, not by the Circuit Court Records Department. The Recording Office is part of Assessment and Taxation and serves people who need marriage licenses, domestic partnership registration, and certified marriage copies. Its public counter is in the Public Services Building at 155 N First Avenue, Room 130, Hillsboro, OR 97124, and the office phone is 503-846-8752.
The county allows marriage license service online, in person, or by mail. Both applicants must be old enough under Oregon law, must provide the identity and family history details the county requires, and must follow the Oregon waiting-period and ceremony rules. A license may be used anywhere in Oregon after the waiting period, and the ceremony must occur before the license expires. The officiant signs the issued license after the ceremony and returns it to Washington County within five working days.
The Washington County Recording Office page identifies the office's broader role in recorded documents, marriages, domestic partnerships, and copies. That distinction matters because divorce judgments, custody orders, and dissolution case files are court records. They are requested through the Circuit Court Records Department, while the Recording Office handles marriage licensing and the recorded marriage record.
The county Recording Office source shows the public counter that issues Washington County marriage records and licenses.
That office source is the correct starting point for marriage licenses and certified marriage copies, while divorce record requests move to the court records channel.
Apply for Washington County Marriage Records
The fastest path is to start with the Washington County Online Marriage Application. The online page lets applicants choose English or Espanol and begin the interactive application. Completing the web form does not finish the license by itself. Both applicants must appear at the Recording Office to pay and complete the process, and they should bring the confirmation page with the Submission ID.
- Review the county marriage license rules before starting, including age, kinship, waiting-period, and ceremony timing.
- Complete the online application or request a mail application from the Recording Office by phone or email.
- Bring the confirmation page and both applicants to the Recording Office to complete the license and pay the fee.
- Wait three days from issuance unless the county grants a paid waiver.
- Have an authorized officiant perform the ceremony in Oregon and return the signed license to Washington County within five working days.
Mail applications require more lead time. The county says mailed applications should be requested by calling 503-846-8752 or emailing recording@washingtoncountyor.gov, then signed, dated, and returned with payment. Washington County advises applicants to allow at least three weeks before the ceremony for mailed applications, and the approved license is returned within three working days after receipt.
The county online marriage application source is linked directly from its license workflow.
Use that application source for the initial form, then finish the license with the Recording Office as required by county rules.
Washington County Marriage Application Fields
Washington County marriage records begin with the facts each applicant gives on the license application. The research file confirms that the public landing page does not expose every form field before the Begin Application step, but the county marriage license rules list the key information applicants must provide. Prior marriages matter because the county may issue a license one day after a final divorce date.
| Field or requirement | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Optional selection | English and Espanol are visible on the application landing page. |
| Birthplace | Required text | Required for each applicant. |
| Name at birth | Required text | Used to create the marriage license record. |
| Parents' birthplaces | Required text | Required by the county license page. |
| Parents' names before first marriage | Required text | Required family-history detail. |
| Prior marriage end date | Conditional date | Needed if either applicant was previously married. |
| Name after marriage | Required selection or text | Oregon limits name-change choices after marriage. |
| Payment | Required payment | Cash, check, money order, and debit or credit cards are accepted. |
No medical exam or blood test is required for a Washington County marriage license. Oregon law does not allow marriage of first cousins or nearer kin. The county also states that there are no exceptions, waivers, or refunds for the license fee itself, so applicants should verify eligibility before paying.
Washington County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage fees are paid to the Recording Office. Divorce copy fees are paid through the Circuit Court Records Department because divorce files are court case files. A certified marriage copy is the legal proof of the marriage; the decorative certificate supplied through the online application process is not legal proof. Certified court copies may be needed for a divorce decree, custody order, name-change proof, or other legal use.
| Item | Amount or rule | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60.00 | Recording Office |
| Marriage waiting-period waiver | $5.00 | Recording Office |
| Certified marriage copy | $7.75 each | Recording Office |
| Debit or credit card surcharge | 2.45%, $1.50 minimum | Recording Office |
| Paper court copy | $0.25 per page | Circuit Court Records Department |
| Regular court copy request | $3.00 per case request plus pages | Circuit Court Records Department |
| Certified court copy | $5.00 plus copy charges | Circuit Court Records Department |
Payment is due before court copy completion, and mailing adds actual postage. For electronic court documents, Washington County's case-file copy page lists $3.00 per case request for emailed electronic documents, $0.45 per page for microfilm documents emailed, and $5.00 for an electronic certified copy.
Search Washington County Marriage Records
Washington County marriage record lookup depends on the age and purpose of the record. For recent certified proof, request a certified marriage copy from the Recording Office in person, in writing, or by phone. For a license in progress, use the online application confirmation and the Recording Office. For older county records, the Oregon Secretary of State county inventory and county archives notes may help identify where historic files, indexes, or vault records are kept.
The county marriage license source explains the requirements, fees, and certified-copy rules for Washington County marriage records.
That license source is also the place to confirm waiting-period rules before setting a ceremony date.
State vital records may issue official certified marriage certificates after county registration. The research notes that state certified marriage certificates are often available approximately one month after paperwork is submitted to the county. For immediate county-level licensing or copy questions, the Recording Office remains the local channel.
Find Washington County Divorce Records
Washington County divorce records are Circuit Court records. Divorce, separation, annulment, dissolution with children, dissolution without children, legal separation, modifications, custody enforcement, and family-law orders are handled through Oregon Judicial Department forms and the Washington County Circuit Court. The Recording Office may record property changes that result from marriage, death, divorce, or court orders, but it does not hold the full divorce case file.
Basic public case information may appear through the OJD Online Records Search when the case type and details are public. The official non-confidential register is available at courthouse public terminals or through OJCIN/OECI for subscribers. Full copies, certified decrees, and case-file documents require a request through the Washington County Circuit Court case file copy process.
Some family case details may be limited by court rule, law, or redaction practice. Protected addresses, minor-identifying information, financial account data, adoption material, juvenile matters, and sealed or set-aside records should not be assumed public just because a related case number exists. For broad family case access, use the court's public terminal or request process rather than relying only on the free portal.
Certified Washington County Divorce Copies
A certified divorce decree copy comes from the Circuit Court Records Department when the decree is part of the court case file. The Records Department is in the Justice Services Building, Public Records Review Room 110J, 150 N 1st Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124. General service hours in the research are 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. A request should identify the case number if known, party names, document type, number of copies, and whether certification is needed.
The right office depends on the document. Certified marriage copies go through the Recording Office. Certified divorce case documents go through the court. State vital records may help with certificate-style proof, but full divorce judgments and case filings remain with the court records system.
For a Washington County divorce case, the court record may include the petition, response, temporary orders, custody or parenting-time filings, support orders, modification filings, enforcement motions, and final judgment. The free statewide search may confirm that a public case exists, but it is not a substitute for a certified copy of the judgment. When the record is needed for a name change, remarriage, benefits, immigration, real estate, or another legal purpose, request the certified court copy rather than relying on a screen print from an online search result.
For a Washington County marriage record, the certified copy proves the recorded marriage after the officiant returns the signed license. The decorative certificate is not legal proof. If the state vital records office is used instead of the county Recording Office, allow for the delay between the county's receipt of the completed license and the state certificate becoming available.
Note: A divorce certificate and a full divorce case file are not the same record.