Washington State Death Index
The Washington Death Index holds records of deaths that occurred across the state, maintained by the Washington State Department of Health and accessible through the Washington State Digital Archives. You can search the free online index covering deaths from 1907 through 1967, or order a certified death certificate for any death from 1907 to the present. Records before 1907 may be found through the State Archives or county auditor offices. This page explains how to search, find, and request Washington death index records from official sources.
Washington Death Index Overview
How the Washington Death Index Works
Washington State requires that all deaths occurring within the state be registered. The registration system has been in place since 1907, when the state established uniform recordkeeping for vital events. The Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, is the main agency responsible for death records from 1907 to the present. You can order a certified copy of any death certificate directly from the Department of Health. For genealogy and research, the Washington State Digital Archives offers free access to death indexes covering deaths from 1907 through 1967.
Death records less than 50 years old are restricted under state law. Only qualified family members, legal representatives, and others with a documented legal need can request copies. Records that are 50 years old or older are open to anyone.
Washington also has county-level records that go back before statewide registration. Before 1907, county auditors and health officers kept death registers at the local level. Some counties have records going back to the 1870s and 1880s. King County Death Returns cover 1881 to 1907. Pierce County Death Registers date from 1883 to 1907. Spokane County Death Records go back to 1882 to 1907. These early county records are now part of the Digital Archives, where you can search them at no cost. The State Archives in Olympia also holds microfilm copies of many county-level records that have not yet been fully digitized. Cemetery records, burial permits, and coroner inquest files from various counties round out the available historical sources for those tracing deaths before the modern registration system began.
Washington State Digital Archives Death Index
The Washington State Digital Archives is the most useful free tool for searching Washington death records. It is run by the Washington Secretary of State's office and costs nothing to use. The death index it contains covers deaths registered in Washington from 1907 through 1967. You can search by name, date range, county, and other fields. When you find a match, the result shows the name of the deceased, date of death, county where the death occurred, the certificate number, age at death, and gender. That certificate number is what you need to request the full death certificate from the Department of Health. The database holds over 2 million death records and allows for wildcard searches, date range filters, and browsing by county.
The Digital Archives screenshot below shows the main search portal used to look up Washington death index records from 1907 to 1967.
Search results in the Digital Archives include the certificate number needed to order a full certified copy from the Department of Health.
The Digital Archives also holds county-level death returns and registers from before statewide registration. These include records from King, Pierce, and Spokane counties going back to the early 1880s. Cemetery and burial records from communities across the state are also available, including Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and many smaller towns. The site uses optical character recognition to make handwritten records text-searchable, though some older entries may be harder to find. When searching for older records, try variant spellings of surnames.
Researchers can also use the Archives Vital Records Research Guide for tips on how to approach historical death record searches. The guide covers records organization, microfilm holdings, and alternative sources when the main indexes come up short.
Ordering Washington Death Certificates
The screenshot below shows the VitalChek ordering portal, which is the authorized online vendor for Washington State death certificates.
VitalChek orders are processed directly by the Washington Department of Health and include the $20 state fee plus a $12.50 per-order processing charge.
To get a certified copy of a Washington death certificate, you have four main options: online through VitalChek, by phone, by mail, or in person. Online orders go through VitalChek, the state's authorized vendor. The site is available around the clock. VitalChek charges the standard state fee of $20 per certificate plus a $12.50 processing fee per order. Shipping costs are extra and vary by delivery method. Expedited shipping is available if you need it quickly. You will need to provide information about the deceased and explain your relationship to the record when ordering restricted records.
Phone orders go through the Department of Health at 360-236-4300, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Payment by credit card is required. Certificates ordered by phone are mailed to you. For mail orders, complete the Death Certificate Mail Order Form and send it with a check or money order payable to "Department of Health" along with a copy of your photo ID to: Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507-9709. Mail orders typically take 4 to 6 weeks to process. If timing is not urgent, mail is a reasonable option.
In-person requests can be made at the Department of Health walk-in office at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, closed on state holidays. Walk-in service covers deaths from 1968 to the present. For deaths from 1907 to 1967, same-day service may not always be possible. Bring a valid photo ID and payment of $20 per certificate. The office accepts cash, check, money order, and credit or debit card. Each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $20. The Department also offers a Verification of Death letter for $15, which confirms that a record exists without providing a full certified copy.
Note: Required information for any death certificate request includes the full name of the deceased, date of death, city or county where the death occurred, and your relationship to the deceased and reason for the request.
Who Can Access Washington Death Records
The Washington State Legislature screenshot below shows the legislative website where RCW Chapter 70.58 and other vital records laws are published.
RCW 70.58 sets out the access rules, registration requirements, and fee structure for Washington death records.
Under RCW 70.58.107, death records less than 50 years old are not public records. They are restricted to qualified applicants who can prove their relationship or legal interest. Once a record reaches 50 years old, it becomes a public record and anyone can request it.
Washington defines qualified applicants in RCW 70.58.107(2). The list includes the surviving spouse or domestic partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal guardians, legal representatives, and authorized representatives of any of these. People who can show a tangible interest in the record may also be eligible. For restricted records, you will need to provide a copy of your photo ID and explain your relationship to the deceased. The Department of Health reviews each request to confirm you qualify before releasing a copy. Requests for death records must include enough identifying information for staff to locate the record, including the full name, date of death, and county or city where the death occurred.
Since the Digital Archives death index covers 1907 through 1967, all those records are now more than 50 years old and are fully open to the public. Genealogists and researchers can search and access them without proving any relationship. If you are looking for a death that occurred after 1967, you will need to show you are a qualified applicant before the Department of Health will release a certified copy.
Washington Death Records Before 1907
The Washington State Archives screenshot below shows the Archives homepage, where historical death records and microfilm collections are available for research.
Researchers can visit the Archives Research Facility at 1129 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA 98504, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, or contact staff by email at archives@sos.wa.gov or by phone at 360-586-1492.
Washington State did not require uniform statewide death registration until 1907. Before that date, deaths were recorded inconsistently by county auditors, county health officers, and local registrars. Some Washington counties have death records dating back to the territorial period, well before statehood in 1889. The State Archives holds original death registers and microfilm copies for many counties from this early period. The Digital Archives also contains Washington State Board of Health Death Registers from 1891 to 1907, which were submitted before the modern system began. Researchers looking for pre-1907 deaths should also check with the county auditor in the county where the death occurred, since some counties kept their own historical records rather than sending them to the State Archives.
Other useful sources for pre-1907 deaths include local newspapers, cemetery records, probate files, and funeral home registers. The Washington State Historical Society and many local historical societies maintain cemetery transcriptions and burial lists that can fill gaps in the official record. FamilySearch has partnerships with the State Archives to digitize and index Washington vital records, so searching FamilySearch can turn up records not yet on the Digital Archives. Probate records in county clerk offices also frequently document deaths, since settling an estate requires proof that a person has died.
Washington State Laws on Death Records
The screenshot below shows the CDC reference page for Washington vital records at cdc.gov, which provides national-level guidance on how to access state death certificates.
The CDC confirms that Washington death records from 1907 onward are held by the Department of Health, and that Washington also offers apostille services for certificates that need to be used internationally, handled through the Secretary of State.
The legal framework for Washington death records is found in RCW Chapter 70.58, titled Vital Statistics. Under RCW 70.58.010, the purpose of vital statistics law is to establish a uniform system for registering deaths and other vital events. RCW 70.58.035 requires the State Registrar to maintain a permanent record of all vital events. Under RCW 70.58.050, every death occurring in Washington must be registered with the local registrar in the district where it occurred, with a death certificate filed within ten days. Modern death certificates are filed electronically through the Electronic Birth and Death Registration System (EBDRS), used by funeral homes and medical certifiers.
The RCW screenshot below shows the text of RCW Chapter 70.58, which governs all aspects of death registration and record access in Washington.
The full text of RCW 70.58 covers registration requirements, access rules, fees, amendment procedures, and penalties for misuse of vital records.
Death record fees are set under RCW 70.58.160, which authorizes the State Registrar to collect fees for certified copies. The current fee is $20 per certificate, with revenue deposited into the vital statistics account. Amendments to incorrect death certificates are handled under RCW 70.58.200, which requires documentation and approval by the state registrar. This process can take 8 to 12 weeks. RCW 70.58.220 sets penalties for fraudulently obtaining vital records, including civil penalties and possible criminal charges.
Note: If you need a death record for use in another country, Washington offers apostille certification through the Secretary of State's office. Contact the Secretary of State for details on the apostille process.
Browse Washington Death Index by County
Washington has 39 counties. Each county has its own local resources for historical death records and research. Select a county below to find local office information and death index resources for that area.
View All 39 Washington Counties
Washington Death Index in Major Cities
Death records for Washington cities are processed through the county where the death occurred. Select a city below to find local death index resources and the county office that handles records for that area.