Search King County, WA Property Records

In King County, WA, county offices typically manage property records like ownership data, valuations, and recorded encumbrances, while municipal governments oversee permits, zoning, construction activities, and code compliance within their respective jurisdictions.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $783,350.00 and median rent of $1,917.00, alongside a median household income of $119,220.00 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.83% as a percentage of the property’s assessed value.

Conducting property record searches in King County depends mainly on the type, scope, and age of the record being requested. For basic searches or recent records, users can often rely on online tools such as the King County Parcel Viewer and the Landmark web portal. Many start with PropertyChecker to get a general property overview before consulting county systems for more detailed or official documentation.

Individuals seeking older records, ownership history, or financial claims related to a property may need to visit county offices to access microfilmed or archived records.

A useful approach is to gather key reference information online, such as recording numbers, parcel numbers, legal descriptions, party names, or date ranges, before searching in person. Without these details, locating historical records can be time-consuming and may yield incomplete or less accurate results.

Real property records exist in various forms and are often accessible through different agencies or systems:

Property Ownership and Title Information

In King County, users can research deeds and other vesting documents to track a property’s ownership history and confirm the names and dates associated with each transfer. The King County Parcel Viewer supports ownership history searches from the mid-1970s to the present. For earlier records, the King County Recorder’s Office has the Landmark web portal, which provides an online index of documents recorded from 1976 through July 31, 1991.

Property Sales and Transaction History

General comparable sales research is possible via the King County Assessor’s eSales Search app, which allows searches for sold properties by location or similar features.

For property-specific sales histories, the eReal Property displays transactions from the mid-1980s, including sale price, date, and buyer and seller information. Property appraisers, particularly the county assessor, utilize sales data from comparable properties to determine fair market values for tax purposes.

Additionally, PropertyChecker uses automated valuation models with this sales data to provide property estimates that reflect current market conditions.

Property Tax Assessment and Payment Records

The King County Assessor determines the market value of all taxable properties, while the King County Treasury Operations manages billing and collections.

Property owners can utilize the eReal Property Search to review valuations, characteristics, sales history, and levy rates. Additionally, the King County Treasury Operations’ “View My Account or Pay Online” page provides access to current bills, the past three years’ payment history, and any delinquency details.

If owners believe their assessment is incorrect, they may submit a petition to the King County Board of Equalization Appeals and Equalization (BoAE).

Property Characteristics and Parcel Details

Running a parcel search is simple with the King County Parcel Viewer. By entering an address, parcel number, or selecting parcels on the map, users can quickly access essential property information, including:

• Jurisdiction and zoning

• Total land size

• Water, sewer, and septic details

Critical area designations (flood zones, steep slopes)

• Building age and construction details

Links to the Assessor’s eReal Property Report and Districts and Development Conditions Report

Zoning, Land Use, and Planning Records

With the King County iMap, researchers can interactively examine planning areas, zoning types (rural and residential), district boundaries, contours, aerial imagery, and potential easements. If a property is located within a city such as Seattle or Bellevue, individuals should contact the relevant city planning, GIS, or archives department.

Legal Documents Affecting Property

Access to legal documents that impact property, such as warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, liens, releases, restrictive covenants, and more, is provided by the King County Recorder’s Office. Documents recorded between 1976 and July 31, 1991, can be searched online using the LandMark web portal. Records dated before August 1, 1991, require a visit to the King County Archives to consult microfilm indexes.

Building Permits, Inspections, and Construction Records

The King County Department of Local Services’ (DLS) Permitting Division handles building, land use, code enforcement, and operating and fire regulatory permits for unincorporated areas. Residents can access MyBuildingPermit.com to check permitting requirements, view damage assessments, schedule inspections, and file code complaints.

Additionally, records, including plats, short plats, conditional use permits, boundary line adjustments, and architectural plans/drawings, can be requested by mail, email, or fax.

Maps and Visual Property Data

King County, WA, covers 2,130 square miles of land, of which 1,713 square miles are unincorporated. The King County iMap helps users identify applicable jurisdictions, zoning codes, and critical area regulations for any property countywide. The application features advanced capabilities to locate parcel information, view street maps, topography, and aerial photos, as well as examine map layers for zoning boundaries, flood zones, and hydrography.

The King County Parcel Viewer, accessible through the KCGIS Center under Property Research, offers a powerful way to explore property data.

The tool opens to a search interface for addresses or parcel numbers, with a map that can zoom in on specific parcels or intersections. Layers reveal parcel outlines, zoning boundaries, and address points, while advanced features allow printing and switching basemaps.

Selected parcels appear in a results panel with detailed information, presenting property characteristics in a clear, organized, and accessible format. Free to use, the platform provides a comprehensive view of King County’s property landscape.

Displayed here are charts summarizing the county's tax rates, accompanied by insights into median home values, income figures, and rent rates.

Median Rent

$1,917.00

Washington	$1,019.00
National	$840.25

• +88.1 %
  vs Washington
• +128.1 %
  vs National

Median Home Value

$783,350.00

Washington	$318,300.00
National	$173,750.00

• +146.1 %
  vs Washington
• +350.8 %
  vs National

Median Household Income

$119,220.00

Washington	$68,789.00
National	$65,108.00

• +73.3 %
  vs Washington
• +83.1 %
  vs National

Median Property Tax Rate

0.83%

Washington	0.77%
National	0.74%

• +7.8%
  vs Washington
• +12.2 %
  vs National

Unemployment Rate

2.77%

Washington	3.02%
National	2.87%

• -8.3 %
  vs Washington
• -3.5 %
  vs National

Renter Occupied Housing

36.94%

Washington	25.55%
National	21.81%

• +44.6 %
  vs Washington
• +69.4 %
  vs National

The King County Recorder’s Office serves as the official registrar of deeds in the county. The office records and protects deeds, mortgages, easements, liens, real estate excise tax (REET) affidavits, and survey and plat maps.

These official documents support county operations. For example, the King County Assessor relies on deeds and REET affidavits to confirm ownership transfers and update valuations.

The Landmark web portal provides images of documents recorded on or after August 1, 1991, and indexed information from 1976 through July 31, 1991. Searches can be performed by name, parcel number, recording number, or legal descriptions.

Alternatively, individuals may request copies by mail using the Recorded Document Copy Request Form with payment by check, cashier’s check, or money order, place phone orders on weekdays, or visit the King County Customer Service Center in Seattle. Fees range from $1 per page for regular copies to $8 per hour for record searches.

King County contains 39 incorporated cities and towns. Although county offices manage the official recording of real estate property documents, local governments maintain certain records connected to municipal operations and land use (e.g., zoning, building permits, surveys, and ordinances).

Below is a complete list of all King County’s incorporated municipalities:

Algona (city)

Auburn (city)

Beaux Arts Village (town)

Bellevue (city)

Black Diamond (city)

Bothell (city)

Burien (city)

Carnation (city)

Clyde Hill (city)

Covington (city)

Des Moines (city)

Duvall (city)

Enumclaw (city)

Federal Way (city)

Hunts Point (town)

Issaquah (city)

Kenmore (city)

Kent (city)

Kirkland (city)

Lake Forest Park (city)

Maple Valley (city)

Medina (city)

Mercer Island (city)

Milton (city)

Newcastle (city)

Normandy Park (city)

North Bend (city)

Pacific (city)

Redmond (city)

Renton (city)

Sammamish (city)

SeaTac (city)

Seattle (city)

Shoreline (city)

Skykomish (town)

Snoqualmie (city)

Tukwila (city)

Woodinville (city)

Yarrow Point (town)