Washoe County, Nevada Genealogy Records

Selected record inventories for Washoe County, their listed years, and where to ask for access.

Selected inventory review: 2026-11-02. Selected newspaper catalog metadata checked for state and county attribution. Publication dates do not establish complete issue holdings or online access. Library of Congress newspaper directory

Formed
1861
County seat
Reno
Churchill CountyDouglas CountyElko CountyEsmeralda CountyEureka CountyHumboldt CountyLander CountyLyon CountyMineral CountyNye CountyPershing CountyStorey CountyWhite Pine CountyCarson CityWashoe CountyChurchillElkoEurekaHumboldtLanderMineralPershingWashoe
Washoe CountyToday's boundaries ยท U.S. Census Bureau

Listed record inventories

Selected holdings and indexes for Washoe County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.

Newspapers

See the repository's descriptions and search options

Repository access note: Selected newspaper titles cataloged by the Library of Congress with explicit county geography. Priority is given to titles beginning by 1950; up to five later titles are included where no earlier dated title is listed for that county. Dates describe publication history, not the issues available at a library. Multiple format records with the same title, place and dates are grouped. The catalog may describe paper, microfilm or online resources. Open ends and the word Current reflect the catalog description; confirm present availability and exact holdings with the libraries listed on the linked record.

Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.

Where to find the records

  • Washoe County official website

    Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county recorder and the district court, and any online record search the county offers.

  • The county recorder

    Deeds and other land records, and marriage certificates.

  • The district court

    Probate (wills and estates), divorces and civil cases.

  • The Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records

    In Carson City: state records and some county and court records.

  • Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Recordsfree

    The state library and archives in Carson City, with state records and some county and court records.

  • FamilySearch Catalogfree

    Search by place for "Nevada, Washoe" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Land not yet in any county

Nevada TerritoryWashoeWashoeNevada Territory
Washoe as created in 1861Where its land was the day beforeToday's boundaryBoundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1861, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

Nevada began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1911. Before 1861 its land was part of Utah Territory, so look there for the earliest records.