Spokane County Recorder: Deeds & Records

The Recording Department also records military discharge documents, plats and surveys. The same department handles marriage licenses and certain county-issued licenses.

The Auditor’s recording role is different from the Assessor’s responsibility for property value and the Treasurer’s responsibility for real estate excise tax.

The Spokane County Auditor provides an online public document index for recorded real estate records.

You can search by grantor, grantee, document number, document type and recording date.

The system also includes useful advanced name-search features and a way to find related recordings.

1. Open the official recording portal.

   Use the county-operated document search rather than a third-party records website.

2. Select Public Log In.

   Public users can continue without a paid subscriber account.

3. Search by the recorded party.

   Enter the grantor, grantee or a name appearing on either side of the transaction.

4. Add useful filters.

   Use the recording date, document type or known document number when available.

5. Check the index results.

   Review names, document type, recording date and the Auditor File Number.

6. Find related recordings.

   Use the portal’s Find Related option when researching other documents involving the same property or a referenced instrument.

7. Save the recording number.

   Use it when requesting a copy or contacting the office.

How Spokane County’s name search works

Spokane’s search system offers both Exact Match and Advanced search modes.

Why older recording numbers look different

Spokane County changed its document-number format on June 3, 1996.

Documents recorded before that date use a 10-digit recording number along with volume and page information.

Documents recorded afterward use a seven-digit number without volume and page references.

When a deed refers to a pre-June 1996 instrument, include the old recording number and book/page information in your research.

The Auditor’s recorded-document index is primarily a name-and-document search, not a street-address search.

If you know only the property address, start with SCOUT, Spokane County’s property information system.

SCOUT brings together Assessor and Treasurer property information, including parcel identifiers, tax records and assessment data.

1. Open SCOUT Property Information.

   Use the official county property-search tool.

2. Enter the street address.

   Search by house number and street name, or enter a parcel number if you have one.

3. Choose the correct parcel.

   Confirm its site address and property information.

4. Review ownership and parcel details.

   Identify the party names and parcel number associated with the property.

5. Return to the Auditor’s document index.

   Search the appropriate owner or former owner as a grantor or grantee.

Spokane County GIS and parcel maps

The SCOUT Map tool provides parcel mapping, zoning information, districts, permits and other geographic layers.

It is especially useful when researching a property in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights or unincorporated Spokane County.

Spokane County provides ordinary and certified copies of recorded documents.

The online search can help you find the document number, but most deed images must be obtained through the Recording Department.

You can request a deed copy in person, by telephone or through a mailed request.

Spokane County recorded-document copy fees

These amounts are from the Auditor’s recording fee schedule. The certified-copy first-page charge includes the certification component; do not add that charge a second time.

How to request a deed by mail

1. Find the document number.

   Use the Auditor’s online search and identify the correct recording.

2. Prepare a written copy request.

   Include the document number, your return address and whether certification is needed.

3. Calculate the copy charge.

   Use the county’s fee schedule and confirm the page count when possible.

4. Include payment.

   Make the check payable to Spokane County Auditor.

5. Mail the request.

   Use the Recording Department’s official mailing address below.

Spokane County’s published recording fee schedule took effect on July 27, 2025 and is the schedule shown on the county’s Recorder website during 2026.

Washington recording fees are higher than in many other states because the charges include several state-authorized assessments and surcharges.

Always calculate fees according to the exact document category rather than applying one rate to every filing.

These charges apply to the categories identified by the Auditor. Plats, surveys, special liens and multi-transaction documents have different requirements. Real estate excise tax is separate.

Standard deed recording examples

A new real estate deed must meet Washington’s recording requirements and any applicable transfer-tax requirements.

A particularly important Spokane County rule is that the Treasurer processes the Real Estate Excise Tax Affidavit before the deed is recorded by the Auditor.

1. Prepare the correct deed.

   Use accurate grantor and grantee names, the proper legal description and a legally appropriate document.

2. Check the execution.

   Confirm required signatures and acknowledgment information. A title company or attorney can assist with legal preparation.

3. Review the recording format.

   Check the first-page margin, title, names, parcel number and legal-description requirements.

4. Prepare the REET affidavit.

   Use the applicable Washington Department of Revenue form for the transfer.

5. Visit the Treasurer for excise processing.

   Present the deed and REET affidavit and pay any tax or processing charge due.

6. Present the deed to the Auditor.

   Submit the properly prepared deed with the required recording payment.

7. Keep the Auditor File Number.

   Use the recording reference when checking the document’s status or ordering copies.

Spokane County recording format checklist

The county recommends clear black printing that can be scanned and archived.

Avoid unreadable notary seals, text obscured by stamps, and taped or stapled attachments.

What if the first-page margins are wrong?

The Recorder provides a cover-sheet option for certain nonstandard documents.

The published nonstandard procedure requires a signed statement and an additional $50 fee on top of normal recording charges.

What happens after a document is submitted?

The county reviews its formatting and payment requirements, then assigns an Auditor File Number and recording date.

The document is scanned and usually indexed the next day. The original is returned to the address stated on the document.

A document appearing in the index confirms that it was recorded. It does not guarantee that the document is legally valid or establishes clear title.

Washington’s Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) generally applies to taxable sales of real estate.

The Spokane County Treasurer processes the REET affidavit and collects applicable taxes and fees before the Auditor records the conveyance.

For ordinary residential and commercial sales, Washington uses a graduated state tax structure. A separate local tax component is also added.

Washington state REET rates for 2026

These are the graduated state components for applicable 2026 transfers. Qualified agricultural and timberland transactions follow different rules. Local REET depends on the property’s jurisdiction.

Why the property location matters

A property within the City of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake or an unincorporated area may have different local tax treatment.

Verify the exact property jurisdiction and use the applicable Washington Department of Revenue rate schedule.

Does an exempt transfer still require an affidavit?

Some transfers, including certain gifts, inherited-property transfers or qualifying transactions, may be exempt from the tax.

An exemption may still require a completed REET affidavit, supporting documentation and processing fees.

Treasurer excise-tax assistance: 509-477-4713.

The Spokane County Recording Department is located on the first floor of the county courthouse at 1116 West Broadway Avenue.

This is the office to visit for recorded-document research, copies and document recording.

Mailing address for recorded documents

Before visiting the courthouse

Spokane County separates recorded land documents, property assessment and tax collection among different offices.

A deed transfer can involve all three, but each handles a different step.

Electronic recording in Spokane County

The Spokane County Auditor has accepted electronically submitted documents since August 2010.

Electronic recording is useful for title companies, lenders, attorneys and frequent document submitters.

The county lists CSC, Simplifile, eRecording Partners Network and Indecomm as supported commercial submitters.

How to search recorded plats and surveys

Spokane County’s online recording system includes searchable maps, plats, short plats and surveys.

Unlike most deed images, selected recorded map images are publicly viewable online.

If you have a recorded map book and page, the county advises entering that information in the Remarks field rather than the ordinary Book/Page fields.

You can also uncheck Search All Types and select the appropriate map document category.

How to find a deed-of-trust release

When a Washington deed of trust is paid off, the public record may include a Full Reconveyance or a Substitution of Trustee and Full Reconveyance.

Search the original deed of trust, then use its recording number to research later related filings.

If the expected reconveyance is missing, contact the lender or title company. The Auditor does not independently determine whether a loan has been paid.

Spokane County’s public document index can help property owners identify unfamiliar recorded instruments.

Periodically search your name, trust or business name and review any unexpected recent entries.

Do not confuse the county’s general emergency-alert programs with a property-deed recording alert. A dedicated Recorder fraud-alert enrollment service was not confirmed in the official resources used for this guide.

The following official resources provide the recording requirements, public records index, parcel lookup, fees and tax procedures used in this guide.

For a broader explanation of land records, recording-office responsibilities and certified copies, these related guides may help.