Pacific County, WA Property Records: Search Deeds, Owners, Tax Records, and Maps

Three Pacific County offices can help you with your property research. The Auditor’s Office is responsible for deeds, deeds of trust, and plats. The Assessor’s Office evaluates all parcels, and the Treasurer’s Office is responsible for issuing and collecting all associated taxes. The county’s recorded documents date back to 1873, but the Oregon Territory established it as a county in 1851.

It borders Willapa Bay, which produces about a quarter of the nation’s oyster crop from the South Bend, known as the Oyster Capital of the World. Individual parcels range from the riverfront lots in Raymond and South Bend to Long Beach Peninsula beachfronts and cranberry-country farms, which may be particularly attractive to buyers considering the potential for flood and waterfront liens.

Recent reports highlight reasons for consideration when buying property in the county, including the median home value, at $271,400, the median rent at $978, the median household income at 59577.5, and the median real estate tax as a percentage of the assessed value at 0.0079 percent.

How to Look Up Pacific County Property Records

Three main resources for Pacific County property owners offer a range of services. The Assessor’s site, TaxSifter, and MapSifter tools on the county’s website allow you to cross-reference ownership, value estimates, and parcel maps. The Auditor’s Recorded Document Search provides access to the recorded index dating back to 1873, and the Treasurer’s site handles the tax bill. The parcel number cross-references these services.

Who Keeps Pacific County Property Records

Washington keeps property records at the county level, and the Public Records Act ensures public access. The county has divided responsibility for property records among three elected officials:

• The Pacific County Auditor is the county's recording officer and maintains the official chain of title for all real property, per RCW 36.22.010. Its recording division is located in South Bend and Long Beach.

• The Pacific County Assessor discovers, lists, and values all taxable real and personal property under state law. It also makes the Board of Equalization appeal packet available to property owners who wish to challenge their property’s valuation.

• The Pacific County Treasurer sends and collects tax bills. It also maintains delinquency and foreclosure records and collects the state’s Real Estate Excise Tax on sales.

How to Search Pacific County Property Records Online

• First, use the Assessor’s TaxSifter Parcel Search to look up the parcel by owner information, address, or parcel number; review the details and note the parcel number, values, and tax history.

• Next, use the MapSifter to view the parcel boundaries and confirm if it borders the bay, the ocean beach, or the river towns.

• Use the Recorded Document Search to find the most recent deed using the owner or grantee information, or document number or book and page, or recording date, with full availability from 1873.

• Confirm the owner on the latest deed and follow through the chain of title, checking that the grantee matches the grantor on intervening deeds going back to the original transfer. Perform a similar search for documents of trust, encumbrances, and easements.

• Finally, consult the Treasurer to confirm the tax status. Delinquent payments incur interest and penalties, and the county can initiate foreclosure.

County Auditor: Deeds, Deeds of Trust, and Plats

The Auditor, an elected official, is the recording officer for all of Pacific County. The state uses deeds of trust rather than mortgages, which means most owners of trust deeds are found on financed parcels under RCW 65.08.

Document types recorded include:

• Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and real estate contracts

• Deeds of trust, reconveyance, and assignment

• Liens, lis pendens, and easements

• Subdivision surveys, plats, and line adjustments

• Military discharges and marriage records

The online search of the county auditor’s records spans back to 1873, an exceptionally deep digital archive. For documents before 1931 that may not be available online, the Washington State Archives’ Southwest Regional Branch maintains the county’s historical collections and provides in-person and electronic research services. Contact the branch at (360) 753-1684.

County Assessor: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor values all parcels at 100 percent of true and fair market value in accordance with Title 84 RCW. It updates value estimates based on annual sales and physical inspections every six years, ensuring that the figures reflect the condition of the bayfront, beach, timber, and town parcels.

Use TaxSifter or contact the office to find:

• The current legal owner of any parcel

• The parcel number that links county record systems

• Assessed land, improvement, and total values

• Property characteristics, acreage, and tax history

• Current-use enrollment and exemption status

County Treasurer: Taxes, Bills, and Payments

The Treasurer collects payments on behalf of the county and all its districts, and its website has up-to-date bills. It displays the statements sent on January 30th, 2026, with first-half taxes due on April 30th, 2026. Second-half 2026 bills are due on October 31, 2026, and will be subject to interest and penalties as stated in RCW 84.56.

The Treasurer is also the state's agent for the Real Estate Excise Tax. The tax must be paid, and the affidavit submitted before the Auditor will record a deed, or the Treasurer must note that none is due.

Property Tax in Pacific County: Levies, Exemptions, and Appeals

The 1 Percent Levy Limit and How Bills Are Set

Washington's Constitution limits regular levies to 1 percent of assessed value (10 cents per $1,000). It allows extra levies on top of the regular levy for school and other districts, which voters must approve.

One rule is the 101 percent rule, which limits each district's revenue increase to 1 percent above the previous year, plus new construction. This is a revenue cap, not an assessment cap. The assessed value can still increase with costs, and a parcel that increases faster than the district average will have a greater percentage of the levy.

Senior, Disabled, and Veteran Relief

Washington has one of the more liberal relief programs, which the Assessor administers. Households that are 61 years or older (or disabled) and below the county income limit are exempt from excess levies, and may have their taxable value frozen. The same program also applies to veterans with 100% service-connected disability; a deferral also allows qualifying owners to delay taxes as a lien at interest. Refer to the Department of Revenue and Assessor, pursuant to RCW 84.36.

Appealing Your Value

The Assessor’s Office handles most requests to review the value. The Board of Equalization processes appeals as described on the Assessor’s website for real property, and its appeal packet becomes available there. The property owner can file the documentation with the assessor’s office by July 1 or the date specified on the valuation notice.

An individual owner may then take further action with the State Board of Tax Appeals, which reviews the valuation. In this case, the taxpayer must supply comparable sales information.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The Assessor’s MapSifter allows parcel-owner cross-referencing to the county’s parcel viewer. The county’s pre-1931 records are hosted by the State Archives’ Southwest Regional Branch, which hosts the county’s historical collections. The Department of Revenue’s site maintains links to each county in the state, which the parcel owner can also search using the links in the directories.

Details available include:

• Parcel boundaries with ownership and acreage

• Assessment data cross-referenced with the TaxSifter

• Bay, beach, and river reference layers

• FEMA flood mapping reference, crucial to coastal areas

• County historical collections via the State Archives

Flood and shoreline layers are critical reference data when researching property in the Pacific County area, especially near the bay. Double-check the boundaries with the recorded survey and the surveyor.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Washington handles the two kinds of foreclosure very differently, and both matter for property research.

Trustee Foreclosure on Deeds of Trust

Washington’s trust deed laws dominate in foreclosure sales, meaning that most home sales occur through non-judicial trusts. After a default, the deed of trust trustee initiates the sale under the Deed of Trust Act, RCW 61.24, which does not require a court order. Notices of default and sale are recorded with the Auditor’s Office. The sale occurs at a public auction.

Judicial Tax Foreclosure by the Treasurer

A tax foreclosure occurs when a parcel has a tax delinquency of three or more years, and the Pacific County Treasurer initiates the process under chapter 84.64 RCW, resulting in a public auction. Unlike some states, Washington does not allow tax-lien certificate sales, and the county sells the land itself. The Treasurer confirms whether a parcel is in foreclosure.

Costs to Access Property Records

How to Record a Document

Recordings run under RCW 65.08 and RCW 64.04.020, and a deed must satisfy the requirements to be recorded, including being in writing, signed by the grantor, notarized, and including a full legal description. The four-step process involves:

• Format the deed to the state’s standard, including a 3-inch top margin on the first page, 1-inch margins on other pages, and the parcel number separate from the legal description.

• Complete the REET affidavit. The Treasurer must accept payment in full and verify it before the Auditor can record the deed.

• Bring the document in person to the office at Memorial Drive or the Long Beach branch if the parcel owner resides on the peninsula, or mail it with the recording fee.

• Once the document is recorded, the image enters the permanent, publicly accessible electronic recording system and is searchable online.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Pacific County Property Records Checklist

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