Start with the addition, then the block and lot. The Washington State Archives Pacific County assessor-card collection is arranged that way, and many cards lack both address and parcel number. When an online card or photograph is unreadable, record the image problem and ask the Southwest Region Branch about the physical record. A poor bitonal scan does not establish that the original card or photograph is equally poor.
The title describes cards created approximately from 1971 through 2003. That is an assessor-card collection range, not a building-permit coverage period.
The collection holds about 32,000 cards. The archive says damaged cards were recopied with only the latest information, and cards were updated on a four-to-six-year appraisal cycle with older entries often discarded. A clean-looking card can therefore be a later copy that no longer shows an earlier valuation or building description.
Build the locator from the source you have
Use a deed, plat, tax notice, map notation, or other reliable source to assemble a locator without inventing missing pieces:
- Addition name exactly as printed, including a documented variant.
- Block and lot, kept in separate fields.
- Parcel number, when the source provides one.
- Current and former address, when known.
- Approximate appraisal or card period.
- Source for each identifier and the date it was read.
The archive’s search form offers Parcel Number, House Number, Street Name, Addition and several former-address fields, but no separate block or lot field. Search Addition, then compare block and lot on the card. An address or parcel can confirm a candidate when present, but its absence is not a reason to discard a card that matches the documented addition, block and lot.
If the issuing authority for a later permit is unclear, use the city-or-county permit guide before carrying an assessor identifier into another agency’s system.
Keep an image-quality worksheet
For each candidate image, save:
- Displayed card identifier and image number.
- Addition, block, lot, address, and parcel fields actually visible.
- Exact area that is unreadable: photograph, handwriting, sketch, date, or value.
- Whether the problem is low contrast, clipped content, blur, or missing image.
- A transcription with uncertain characters marked rather than guessed.
The archive says the online images are bitonal black and white, which can make photographs illegible. Do not infer a building date or appearance from an image that does not preserve enough detail. Ask whether staff can compare the physical card or another available image, while leaving the result open until they respond.
Reconcile a fictional locator mismatch
Imagine a fictional tax note that says “Cedar Addition, Block B, Lot 7,” while a modern address search returns no card. Searching only the address tests the weakest key for this collection. Preserve the addition wording, search Addition, and compare the candidate’s block and lot.
Suppose the matching card appears, but its building photograph is a black rectangle. Record the card identity, image number, and unreadable region. Contact Archives with the locator and request a physical-record or alternate-image check. Do not promise that the original is clearer, and do not replace the missing visual detail with a description from another property.
Send the unresolved card question to the custodian
The Washington State Archives Southwest Region Branch holds Pacific County Assessor real-property records and answers questions about cards not available online. Contact swbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov or 360-753-1684 with the locator worksheet and one exact question:
The Southwest Regional Branch is at 1129 Washington Street SE in Olympia and is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, except state holidays. It serves Pacific, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Skamania, Thurston and Wahkiakum counties. Copies follow the Washington State Archives fees: viewing and retrieval are free; paper copies are $0.15 a page, digital scans $0.10 a page, and a certification $5. Staff research beyond 15 minutes is billed at $30 an hour, and charges of about $5 or less are waived.
- Does a card exist under this addition, block, and lot?
- Is another card or image associated with this locator?
- Can staff determine whether the physical card preserves the unreadable area?
- Which related collection should hold the missing assessment record?
Keep the archive response with the image and its citation. The collection records assessed land and improvement values. These entries do not prove permit issuance, inspection approval, occupancy approval, or current property condition. If a card contains a permit number, preserve it exactly and use the permit-number lookup guide to identify the issuing system before drawing a project conclusion.
An online miss can reflect a missing locator or an item not available online. An unreadable scan can remain unresolved after staff review. Preserve those limits rather than turning either result into a statement about permit history or current property condition.
Sources: Washington State Archives Title 2695, Southwest Regional Branch page and fee schedule, checked October 20, 2026.