The cost of marriage licenses across the state of Washington will increase by $100 at the end of the month due to new legislation designed to give families extra resources following reports of domestic violence.
Marriage licenses in Cowlitz County will rise from $72 to $172 on Sunday, according to a release from the Cowlitz County Auditor’s Office due to a surcharge imposed by the passage of House Bill 1498 earlier this year.
The bill requires counties issuing marriage licenses in Washington to collect a $100 fee going to a new Domestic Violence Co-Responder Account. The account covers a new grant program that will be administered by the Department of Commerce’s Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, according to the final bill report on the Washington State Legislature website.
Starting in fiscal year 2026, the program will award matching grants to cities and counties for what the bill refers to “domestic violence co-responder programs,” described as programs “using domestic violence victim advocates that are summoned by law enforcement to the scene of a domestic violence incident.”
On scene of domestic violence calls, co-responder advocates would help victims by providing “whole family support, resource connection and care navigation,” the report says.
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed HB 1498 into law on May 19 after the House approved senate amendments April 26 and 27. The final bill passed the Senate 38-10 and the House 70-28.
Nay votes included District 19 Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, as well as Reps. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, and Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet.
District 20 Reps. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, and Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, also voted no, while District 20 Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, voted in favor of the bill.
The Cowlitz County Auditor’s Office encourages couples who are planning to marry and want to avoid the higher fee to apply for their marriage license before the law takes effect on Sunday. For more information, call the auditor’s office at 360-577-3002 or see www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/auditor.
Editor's note: The headline to this story has been updated to clarify the new cost.
Nick Morgan is a news reporter for The Daily News covering business, real estate and the city of Longview.
