Washington · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Whatcom County, WA
Whatcom County (population 226,847) records real-property documents through the Whatcom County Auditor - Recording Division. Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Whatcom County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Whatcom County Auditor - Recording Division
- Mailing address
- Whatcom County Auditor, 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 103, Bellingham, WA 98225
- Phone
- 360-778-5100 (fax 360-778-5101)
- Checks payable to
- Whatcom County Auditor
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC
Whatcom County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $303.50 standard deed / $304.50 Deed of Trust
- Additional pages
- $1.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- $50 additional fee for non-standard documents per RCW 65.04
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Whatcom County Auditor - Recording Division before you mail a check.
What Whatcom County requires
- Page formatting
- Statewide WA formatting standard (3" top margin first page, 1" other margins); see Recording Requirements page at whatcomcounty.us/238
- Submission & return
- Mail return per submitter instructions
Can you e-record in Whatcom County?
Yes. Whatcom County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Whatcom County, Washington
- Prepare the document so it meets Whatcom County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, CSC, or by mail to Whatcom County Auditor - Recording Division.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Whatcom County Auditor.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Whatcom County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Whatcom County property are searchable at Whatcom County Assessor & Treasurer - Property Search. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Whatcom County
Jurably isn’t a deed-filing desk. It’s how real-estate investors get the important paperwork done. If you’re under contract on a Whatcom County property, we file a memorandum of contract to put your equitable interest on the public record, where every title search will find it. The online notary session is included: you sign it alone, and the seller is notified by certified mail. Then we record it (electronically through the county’s approved network) and return the recorded instrument. It’s a self-help filing service, not legal advice.
Guides for investors
Counties bordering Whatcom
More Washington counties
Under contract in Whatcom County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.