IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Washington State's Digital Archives Preserves More Than 10 Million Records Online

"Technology has transformed the way government creates and uses vital information."

The Washington State Digital Archives has now placed more than ten million critical Washington records online. These records are accessible to the public around the world.

The state's Digital Archives serves some 650 researchers each day, averaging 2,400 searches, up more than 50 percent from January 2006.

"Technology has transformed the way government creates and uses vital information, that must be kept to record its place in history," said Secretary of State Sam Reed. "Technology has also allowed us to make it easier for citizens to access their records of government."

The Digital Archives holds a wide range of material from birth, marriage, death, census, military and naturalization records, as well as historical records such as the State Constitution and the first election results in Washington Territory.

Opening its doors in October of 2004, Washington State's Digital Archives received world wide attention for answering a call to protect digital records left perishable by advancing technology and the internet.

It continues to receive world class attention. Archivists from China, Canada, Britain, Singapore, Australia, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona and the United States National Archives have come to study the Digital Archives at its Cheney, Washington facility.

"I'm proud to say the State of Washington is at the forefront of preserving our state's most crucial information," said Reed. "Seven years ago, this project was merely an idea. Today we have ten million records available online!"

The Digital Archives is the nation's first archives dedicated specifically to the preservation of electronic records from both state and local agencies that have permanent legal, fiscal or historical value. It is a section of the State Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.