Washington Probate Records

Online Resources

 * Washington, Wills and Probate Records, 1807-1997, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Washington, D.C., Wills and Probate Records, 1737-1952, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Browsable records, incomplete for all counties.
 * Index and images
 * Images
 * Washington, County Records, 1856-2009, ($), images/no index.

Probate Courts
In the territorial era, probate courts were established in each county to keep records of wills, bonds, orders, and the administrations of estates. When the superior courts succeeded the probate courts in 1891, all of the records of the clerks of the probate courts were transferred to the county clerk in each courthouse. Some probates were filed in the superior court.

The Family History Library has acquired copies of probate records for a few counties in Washington. However, they are also available at the various county courthouses, or the county may have transferred early records to the Washington State Archives at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/.