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Washington · Central Washington · #267 Most Populous County in the US
Yakima County, Washington
Washington's fruit basket and hop capital - from Yakima's urban center and the sprawling apple, pear, and cherry orchards of the Yakima Valley to the hop yards and wine vineyards of the lower valley, Yakima Canyon's dramatic basalt walls, and the ski slopes of White Pass on the Cascade crest. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Yakima County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Yakima County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Yakima County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via yakimacounty.us.
Sheriff: Yakima County Sheriff’s Office – non-emergency (509) 574-2500.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. The City of Yakima maintains its own Police Department for in-city calls.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-82 and US-12 serve Yakima, the county seat, in south-central Washington along the Yakima River.
Notes: The Yakima Valley stretches roughly 70 miles through central Washington and includes Selah, Naches, Tieton, Union Gap, Sunnyside, Zillah, Toppenish, Wapato, Granger, Grandview, and Prosser.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Yakima County Building & Fire Safety Division – applications and permit status tracked through the Accela Citizen Access (ACA) online portal.
Services: Building permits, manufactured home permits, plumbing and mechanical permits, grading/excavation permits, demolition permits, LPG propane tank permits; permit fees increase annually per CPI (3.1% effective April 1, 2026). The Fire Marshal’s Office handles fire investigations, life-safety inspections, plan reviews, and wildland-urban interface services.
City Permits: City of Yakima Codes Division – 129 N 2nd St, Yakima, WA 98901 | (509) 575-6126 | Inspection Hotline (509) 576-6682 handles permits within city limits.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Yakima County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via yakimacounty.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Yakima Valley Libraries – multiple branches throughout the county; the Yakama Nation Library at the Yakama Nation Cultural Center in Toppenish also serves the community.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Yakima County is genuinely known as “The Fruit Bowl of the Nation,” a nickname coined in the early 1900s and still fitting today – the valley is one of the best apple-producing regions in the world and grows an estimated 70-75% of the entire nation’s hops, thanks to volcanic soil and a latitude matching France’s great wine regions; the valley is also home to more than 90-120 wineries across five American Viticultural Areas. The Central Washington Agricultural Museum, the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, displays 150 antique tractors and over 1,000 pieces of historic farm machinery. The Yakama Nation, whose 1855 treaty combined 14 Southeastern Washington tribes and bands, owns roughly 1.3 million acres within Yakima County and operates the Yakama Nation Cultural Center in Toppenish, alongside Fort Simcoe Historical State Park – one of the few remaining pre-Civil War forts in the West, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The county’s Latino community makes up more than 45% of the population, with deep roots in the region’s agricultural economy
Notes: Yakima County’s genuine “Fruit Bowl of the Nation” identity and its position as the source of roughly three-quarters of America’s hops are exceptionally well documented, alongside a rich and living Yakama Nation heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Yakima County GIS – accessible via yakimacounty.us
Parcel Search: Yakima County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via yakimacounty.us
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Yakima Humane Society – 2405 W Birchfield Rd, Yakima, WA 98901 | (509) 457-6854 | Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM-12:30 PM, 1:30-6 PM, closed Sunday
Services: Founded in 1904 (incorporated 1906), a private nonprofit and the only open-admission animal shelter in the entire county; rescues, reunites, rehabilitates, and rehomes 4,000-5,000 animals annually across owner surrenders, strays, and animal control intakes; provides adoption, spay/neuter, microchipping, and humane education. City of Yakima animal-related calls within city limits route through Yakima Police Community Service Officers; outside city limits, contact the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line, (509) 574-2500.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Yakima County – confirm current contact via yakimacounty.us.
Notes: Yakima River watershed and irrigation water-rights management (including ongoing legal questions around Ahtanum-area water mitigation for new building permits) are significant local concerns given the valley’s agricultural intensity.
NOTES
Yakima County’s genuine “Fruit Bowl of the Nation” identity and its position as the source of roughly three-quarters of America’s hops are exceptionally well documented, alongside a rich and living Yakama Nation heritage spanning 1.3 million acres of tribal land. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of mid-August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Yakima County
Yakima County is Washington’s fifth most populous county and the 267th most populous in the United States, covering 4,296 square miles of central Washington from the Cascade crest east across the Yakima Valley to the Columbia Plateau.
Yakima (population ~96,000, the county seat) is central Washington’s largest city and the commercial hub of the Yakima Valley agricultural economy. The city’s Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic – one of the largest rural health networks in the country – reflects the valley’s substantial agricultural workforce and its healthcare needs. Central Washington University in nearby Ellensburg (Kittitas County) anchors the broader region’s higher education access.
The Yakima Valley produces a remarkable share of the United States’ agricultural output for its size. Washington State grows about 70% of all apples produced in the United States, and Yakima County’s orchards account for a significant portion of that total. The valley also produces the vast majority of US hops – an essential ingredient in beer, and a crop for which the Yakima Valley’s soil and climate are nearly uniquely suited. Yakima hops are recognized internationally as among the world’s finest, and the valley supplies major breweries worldwide.
Wine has emerged as a third major agricultural pillar – the Yakima Valley AVA is one of Washington State’s oldest and most respected wine appellations, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling produced by dozens of wineries in the lower valley around Prosser, Grandview, and Sunnyside.
Grandview and Sunnyside anchor the county’s lower valley agricultural communities – towns with significant Hispanic populations reflecting the agricultural workforce that has shaped the valley’s demographics over the past century. Over 50% of Yakima County’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino – one of the highest percentages of any county in Washington State.
Yakima Canyon – a dramatic basalt gorge carved by the Yakima River between Selah and Ellensburg – is one of central Washington’s most striking natural features, accessible by a scenic state highway that follows the river through the canyon walls.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Washington assesses at 100% of true and fair value. The Yakima County Assessor at 128 N. 2nd Street, Room 112, Yakima, WA 98901, phone 509-574-1100, conducts annual assessments.
Agricultural land: Orchard and farmland may be assessed under current use (open space/agricultural) classification at a lower value than market value – a significant benefit for the valley’s farming families.
The appeal process: File with the Yakima County Board of Equalization at 128 N. 2nd Street, Room 323, phone 509-574-1427. Deadline: July 1 or within 30 days of Change in Value notice.
WA estate tax: Above $2.193 million at rates up to 20%. No WA inheritance tax. Yakima Valley orchard properties with appreciated land values may have significant WA estate tax exposure.
OWNWELL CTA: Yakima County Board of Equalization: July 1. Agricultural current use classification available for orchard and farmland. WA estate tax above $2.193M at up to 20% – significant for appreciated orchard properties. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Yakima County Board of Equalization: July 1. Agricultural current use classification available for orchard and farmland. WA estate tax above $2.193M at up to 20% - significant for appreciated orchard properties. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Superior Court (Probate): The Yakima County Superior Court at 128 N. 2nd Street, Yakima, WA 98901, phone 509-574-1430, handles probate, estate administration, guardianships, and all civil and criminal matters.
Auditor: The Yakima County Auditor at 128 N. 2nd Street, Room 117, phone 509-574-1340, maintains real property records and election rolls. Land records searchable online.
Senior Services
The Yakima Valley Office of Aging and Long Term Care at 2010 Tieton Drive, Yakima, WA 98902, phone 509-574-0940, serves the county’s senior population with in-home services, caregiver support, nutrition programs, and transportation. Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital (now Virginia Mason Franciscan Health) is the county’s primary hospital providing significant geriatric care.
Recommended
Assisted living, memory care, and independent living across Yakima County - from Yakima and Selah to Union Gap, Grandview, Sunnyside, and the wine country communities.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
128 N 2nd St, Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 574-1550
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Yakima County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, Yakima (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Central Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives, in Ellensburg, serves counties in this region.
Yakima Valley Museum’s research library is a notable local resource.
Local societies
No dedicated Yakima County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Yakima County Superior Court 128 North 2nd Street, Room 314, Yakima, WA 98901 (509) 574-2710 / Clerk’s Office (509) 574-1430
Yakima County is in South Central Washington, a major agricultural region known for hops, fruit orchards, and vineyards, county seat Yakima. Washington has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is handled through the Superior Court in each county, under Title 11 RCW.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Washington probate is entirely discretionary – the law does not require a probate proceeding to be filed after a death, regardless of whether there was a will. Probate is typically pursued only when the decedent owned real property titled solely in their name, or personal property exceeding the small estate threshold.
Small Estate Affidavit (RCW 11.62.010) – available when the decedent’s entire probate estate does not exceed $100,000 (personal property only, not counting the surviving spouse’s community property interest), and at least 40 days have passed since death. No court filing is required – the successor presents the sworn affidavit directly to whoever holds the asset. All debts must be paid or provided for first.
Nonintervention Powers (RCW 11.68) – Washington’s signature alternative to full court-supervised probate. If the estate is solvent, the Superior Court MUST grant the personal representative nonintervention powers upon request (unless the will specifically forbids it). Once granted, the representative can sell, mortgage, and distribute estate property, and ultimately close the estate by filing a Declaration of Completion – all without further court orders, notice to beneficiaries, or hearings.
Full/Supervised Administration – required only when nonintervention powers are denied or not sought, typically in contested or insolvent estates.
TEDRA (Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act, RCW 11.96A) – Washington’s framework for resolving probate, trust, and estate disputes.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as personal representative files a petition with the Yakima County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, along with the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
The personal representative petitions for nonintervention powers, which the court must grant if the estate is solvent (unless the will forbids it).
Once granted, the representative pays debts, manages and distributes property, and notifies creditors, without further court supervision.
The estate is closed by filing a Declaration of Completion.
What it costs
Filing fees and probate costs vary by estate complexity; confirm current Yakima County Superior Court fees directly.
Washington HAS a state estate tax, separate from any small estate affidavit or nonintervention process. For deaths on or after July 1, 2026, the applicable exclusion amount is $3,000,000 (RCW 83.100.020), with rates from 10% to 20%. There is NO portability between spouses.
The federal estate tax exemption is far higher, at $15,000,000 for a 2026 death.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
111 N Front St, Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 574-2500
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
128 N 2nd St, Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 574-1340
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Yakima Health District, 1210 Ahtanum Ridge Dr, Union Gap, WA 98903
(509) 575-4040
DSHS Community Services Office
1904 4th Ave, Yakima, WA 98902
(509) 249-6000
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Yakima Health District – confirm current contact via yakimacounty.us.
Hospital: Virginia Mason Memorial (Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital) serves Yakima and the surrounding valley.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
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