Probate records and wills are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? How about date of death, spouses and children names, birth order, siblings and siblings spouses, parents names, and residence locations for all named persons. Also, ownership of land and/or other significant property, business names and occupation, military service, guardianships, and adoptions. Basically anything owned by the deceased is typically listed and to whom it is to be assigned to.
I won't pretend to be an expert on the probate process - all I know is that I have discovered an amazing amount of good information from probate records and wills as part of my personal genealogy research.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching probate documents and wills:
- FamilySearch - United States Probate Records
- Wills and Probate Records are Genealogy Riches
- How to Use Wills and Estate Records to Learn About Your Ancestors
- Probate Records Could Be the Key to Unlocking Your Family’s Hidden Past
Below, listed by state are links to probate records, wills, and indexes available for free online.
Note: Please be aware that if you find a desired will or probate record in an index, that the holder of the actual materials (e.g., (archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated August, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Adams County Adams County, Letters of Administration, 1888-1964
- Adams County Adams County, Will Records, 1888-1959
- Adams County, Probate Records : Case Files, 1885-1931
- Adams County, Probate Records : Claims, Bonds, 1903-1927
- Asotin County, Probate Case Files, 1884-1972
- Benton County, Probate Records, 1867-1970
- Calallam County Probate Records, 1877-1929; Indexes, 1891-1983
- Chehalis County (present-day Grays Harbor County), Probate Case Files, 1895-1905
- Chelan County, Probate Case Files, 1888-1930
- Clallam County Probate Records Day Book v. 1, 1858-1878
- Clallam County, Auditor's Index of Recordings, 1854-1880
- Clallam County, Probate Case Files, 1890-1914
- Clallam County, Record of Wills 1891-1934
- Clallam County, Wills, 1887-1959
- Clark County, Probate Records, 1854-1979
- Clark County, Wills, 1890-1951
- Columbia County Columbia County, Probate Journals, 1891-1932
- Columbia County, Probate Case Files, 1877-1915
- Columbia County, Probate Case Files, 1878-1943
- Columbia County, Probate Records, 1876-1965
- Colville Agency Records relating to Heirship, 1911-1940
- Cowlitz County Cowlitz County, Index to Wills, 1882-1914
- Cowlitz County, County Records, 1803-2010
- Cowlitz County, Probate Records, 1845-1954
- Cowlitz County, Wills Index
- Douglas County, Probate Records, 1902-1904
- Ferry County, Probate Records, 1899-1930
- Franklin County, Probate Case Files, 1890-1930
- Garfield County, Estate Case Files, 1860-1897
- Garfield County, Petitions for Administration of Estates, 1882-1945
- Garfield County, Wills, 1882-1962
- Grand Ronde-Siletz Agency Heirship Records, 1887-1930
- Grant County, Probate Records, 1907-1981
- Grays Harbor County, Probate Records : Probate Case Files, 1857-1959
- Grays Harbor County, Probate Records : Probate Record Books, Wills, 1857-1930
- Grays Harbor County, Wills, 1860-1938
- Island County, Probate Records, 1891-1968
- Island County, Territorial Probate Court Records, 1854-1890
- Jefferson County, Probate Records, 1853-1975
- King County Probate Records, 1854-1927
- King County, Index to Probate Records
- Kitsap County, Probate Journals, 1879-1930
- Kitsap County, Record of Wills, 1881-1912
- Kitsap County, Will Records, 1881-1955
- Kittitas County, Probate Records, 1886-1930
- Klamath Agency Heirship Records, 1896-1952
- Klickitat County, Probate Records, 1885-1930
- Lewis County, Probate Records, 1867-1949
- Lincoln County, Probate Records, 1897-1960
- Mason County, Justice Court Records, 1858-1914
- Mason County, Probate Records : Case Files, Dockets, Letters, 1845-1957
- Mason County, Wills, 1884-1929
- Okanogan County, Probate Records, 1888-1930
- Pacific County, Probate Records, 1851-1950
- Pend Oreille County Pend Oreille County, Wills, 1907-1969
- Pend Oreille County, Probate Records, 1912-1971
- Pierce County, Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1879-1940
- Pierce County, Probate Case Files, 1855-1911
- Pierce County, Probate Court Index, 1853-1902
- Pierce County, Will Journals, 1854-1950
- Puyallup Agency Miscellaneous Records, 1902-1921
- San Juan County, Probate Records, 1869-1977
- Skagit County, Probate Records, 1872-1958
- Skamania County Skamania County, Wills, 1872-1962
- Skamania County, Probate Court Records, 1854-1984
- Skamania County, Probate Records : Case Files, Administrations, Bonds, 1922-1967
- Snohomish County, Probate Records, 1872-1944
- Spokane County Early Wills July 7, 1891 to January 1, 1900
- Spokane County, Probate Records, 1880-1951
- Spokane County, Wills, 1878-1886
- Stevens County, Probate Case Files, 1886-1891
- Thurston County, Probate Records, 1845-1951
- Thurston County, Superior Court Records, 1925-1940
- Thurston County, Wills, 1876-1937
- Tulalip Agency Heirship Records, 1911-1950
- Umatilla Agency Heirship Records, 1894-1939
- Wahkiakum County, Probate Records, 1854-1922, ca. 1854-1990
- Wahkiakum County, Wills, 1865-1970
- Walla Walla County, Territorial Probate Records, 1860-1889
- Warm Springs Agency; Umatilla Agency Agency Records, 1879-1951
- Washington Courts Online Case Search
- Washington, County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950
- Washington, County Probate Records, 1853-1929
- Washington, County Records, 1803-2010
- Washington, County Records, 1856-2009
- Whatcom County, Marriage and Probate Records, 1869-1877
- Whatcom County, Probate Records : Probate Case Files, Journals, Claims, 1855-1922
- Whatcom County, Probate Records : Wills, 1878-1961
- Whitman County, Probate Journals, 1880-1967
- Whitman County, Probate Minute Books, 1885-1954
- Whitman County, Probate Records : Bonds and guardianships, 1877-1951
- Whitman County, Wills and Bonds, 1876-1878
- Whitman County, Wills, 1892-1937
- Yakima Agency Heirship Records, 1912-1948
- Yakima County, 1869-1907, and Benton County, 1905-1907 Records
- Yakima County, Probate Case Files, 1874-1930
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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