On August 8th, we’re planning a trip to the Seattle National Archives at Sand Point. Across the street from the Archives is the Seattle Genealogical Society's Library, so we may meander over there too.
Plan Your Research Visit
Using Original Records
Using the Public Access Research Room
The National Archives at Seattle provides researchers the opportunity to view original records created by Federal agencies in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Because each record is a unique and irreplaceable piece of American history, researchers must follow certain rules, requirements, and guidelines in order to ensure the continued preservation of the records.
Research can be initiated in person or by email, mail, or telephone. Please refrain from submitting requests in multiple formats.
Our research rooms are open to the public. Each National Archives facility holds different groups of records. To make the most efficient use of your time, please email, write, or telephone us in advance to make sure that the documents or the microfilm you want to see are available at our location.
Please help us better serve you by taking note of the following:
To view original records in our research room, please email or call us in advance to schedule an appointment. Send an email to seattle.archives@nara.gov or call us at (206) 336-5115.
We do not pull original records for use in our research room after 3:00 p.m.
When submitting an inquiry, include your contact information so that we can reach out to you in case more information is needed. All requests are answered in the order they are received, regardless of the method you use to communicate with us. Please allow 10 business days for us to respond. We often are able to respond much sooner than that.
In order to answer your questions properly, please tell us:
your topic and what you are looking for;
what Federal agencies, offices, or individuals may have been involved and the time period you are interested in; the kinds of records (textual, photographs, maps, drawings, etc) you are looking for.
Using Original Records
This information is only a brief introduction to what you should expect when you are working with original records at the National Archives at Seattle. It is not a complete list of our rules and regulations. Before you can begin working with records, you will be required to read through our researcher orientation guide.
Obtaining a Researcher Card
Renewing or Replacing Your Researcher Card
Before You Enter the Research Room
Inside the Research Room
Tips for Handling Our Holdings
Obtaining a Researcher Card
Before using our archival holdings, every researcher must present a valid Researcher Card issued by the National Archives at Seattle or another NARA facility. New researchers should plan for a total of 15-20 minutes to complete the registration process. To obtain a Researcher Card, an applicant must:
Show official identification that includes a photograph. Acceptable IDs include driver’s license, passport, and school and employment identification.
Complete a short form giving name, address, telephone number, and a brief description of the proposed research topic.
Review a short orientation binder emphasizing safe handling of records and explaining the most basic research procedures, responsibilities, and rules.
Your Researcher Card must be present during each research visit.
