Auburn Death Index Records

Auburn death index records are part of Washington State's vital records system, with free historical indexes available through the Washington State Digital Archives for deaths from 1907 through 1967. Auburn is a city in King County, and all death records from Auburn flow through the state Department of Health and the county's vital statistics office. This page explains how to search Auburn death records, how to order certified death certificates, and what laws govern access to these records.

How Auburn Death Index Records Work

Death records in Auburn follow Washington State's centralized vital records system. When a death occurs in Auburn, the attending physician or funeral home files a death certificate with the Washington State Department of Health within ten days. DOH maintains all death certificates from 1907 to the present, regardless of city or county. The state keeps one unified registry rather than separate city or county databases.

The death index is not the same as a death certificate. The index is a summary record showing the name of the deceased, date of death, county of death, certificate number, age, and gender. It does not include cause of death or family details. The index exists to help you locate a specific record. Once you find an entry in the index and get the certificate number, you can use that number to request the full certified death certificate from DOH.

Auburn sits entirely within King County. That means all Auburn deaths are counted in the King County death index and subject to King County's local vital statistics resources. The city itself does not maintain a death index. Records go to the state, and the state is where you search and order.

Note: Auburn deaths that occurred before 1907 may be in King County's pre-statehood death returns, which are indexed in the Washington State Digital Archives going back to 1881.

Which County Handles Auburn Death Records

Auburn is in King County, Washington's most populous county. King County handles the local processing of death records for Auburn through two key offices: the King County Auditor and Public Health Seattle and King County. When a death occurs in Auburn, the funeral home submits the certificate electronically. The certificate goes into the state EBDRS system and then becomes part of the DOH registry.

King County is unique in Washington because it has a local vital statistics office that can issue certified death certificates directly, in addition to the state DOH office in Tumwater. Auburn residents or their families can use either office to order certificates. Both charge $20 per certified copy.

Searching Auburn Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the best free resource for Auburn death index searches. It covers the statewide death index from 1907 through 1967. For King County specifically, the archives also include pre-1907 death returns going back to 1881. That gives Auburn researchers access to over 80 years of indexed death records at no cost.

To search the Digital Archives, go to the site and use the search fields for first name, last name, year of death, and county. Filter by King County to narrow results to Auburn and the surrounding area. Each result in the index shows the person's name, death date, county, certificate number, age, and gender. Write down the certificate number if you plan to order the full record later.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives search is free and open to the public. No account or registration is needed to view index results.

For deaths after 1967, there is no public online index. You would need to contact DOH directly or use VitalChek to search. DOH staff can often confirm whether a record exists before you commit to paying for a certified copy.

You can also try searching by "Auburn Washington death" at digitalarchives.wa.gov for more targeted results including cemetery and burial records specific to the Auburn area.

Ordering a Death Certificate for Auburn

Washington State law under RCW 70.58 governs access to death certificates. Deaths within the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. The fee is $20 per certified copy. A Verification of Death letter, which confirms the death occurred but includes less detail, costs $15 and is easier to obtain.

Qualified applicants for restricted records include the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative of the deceased. You must show proof of identity and your relationship when requesting a restricted record. Deaths older than 50 years are public and available to anyone.

You have four ways to order an Auburn death certificate:

• In person at DOH in Tumwater or at Public Health Seattle and King County
• By mail to DOH at PO Box 9709, Olympia WA 98507-9709
• By phone at 360-236-4300, Monday through Friday 8am to 4:30pm
• Online through VitalChek at vitalchek.com

Source: VitalChek Online Certificate Ordering

VitalChek is the only authorized third-party vendor for online Washington death certificate orders. It charges a $12.50 processing fee on top of the $20 state fee.

Mail orders take 4 to 6 weeks. Walk-in service at DOH's Tumwater office at 101 Israel Road SE handles records from 1968 to present on the same day. Records from 1907 to 1967 may need extra processing time when ordering in person.

Auburn Local Resources

The Auburn City Clerk handles public records requests for city records under RCW 42.56. The Clerk's office does not maintain death certificates, but it can assist with related city records and can direct you to the right agency for death index requests. The Auburn Police Department Records Unit maintains police reports, which may document death-related incidents such as accidents or investigations.

The King County Medical Examiner investigates sudden, unexplained, or violent deaths that occur in Auburn. When the ME's office handles a case, it files the death certificate with DOH. The ME's investigative records are separate from the vital records system and can be requested under RCW 42.56.

Historical Auburn Death Records

For deaths before 1907, researchers need to look beyond the state DOH system. The Washington State Archives holds early death registers and pre-statehood records that predate Washington's mandatory death registration law. King County's pre-1907 death returns date back to 1881 and are indexed in the Digital Archives for free searching. Auburn was incorporated in 1891, so records from the town's early years may appear in both city records and county death registers from that era.

The State Archives Research Facility in Olympia at 1129 Washington St SE can assist with requests that go beyond what appears online. Staff can be reached at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. The archives' Puget Sound Regional Branch in Bellevue also holds microfilm copies of King County records. Their main site is at sos.wa.gov/archives.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives holds pre-1907 records and can assist genealogical researchers looking for early Auburn deaths.

Other useful sources for historical Auburn death research include probate records at King County Superior Court, historic newspapers digitized through the Washington State Library, and FamilySearch's Washington death index collections. Cemetery records for Auburn-area cemeteries are sometimes available in the Digital Archives as well.

Public Records and Access Laws

Two state laws govern death record access in Washington. The first is RCW 70.58, the Vital Statistics Act. It limits access to certified death certificates for deaths within the past 50 years. Only qualified applicants can get those records. Deaths older than 50 years are available to the public without restriction.

The second law is RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act. This law applies to all government records held by state and local agencies. For records outside the vital records system, such as police reports or medical examiner files, you submit a public records request under RCW 42.56. Agencies must respond within five business days.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 sets out who can obtain certified copies of Washington death certificates and what fees apply statewide.

Death index records in the Digital Archives from 1907 through 1967 are fully public. The index shows only basic identifying details and no cause of death, so it does not trigger the same privacy protections as a certified certificate. Anyone can search and view the index at no cost and with no account required.

The CDC also maintains Washington vital statistics data at the national level. Their Washington page at cdc.gov provides additional contact information and links to state resources.

Source: CDC Washington Vital Records

The CDC page provides a national entry point to Washington's vital statistics system and links to DOH resources.

Nearby Cities

These nearby cities are also served by Washington's death records system. Each has resources and guidance for searching death index records.