Camas Death Index

Camas 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 dating back to 1907. Camas is a city in Clark County in southwestern Washington, and all death records from within the city are filed with the state Department of Health. This page explains how to search the Camas death index, where to order certified death certificates, and how state law governs access to these records.

How Camas Death Index Records Work

Death records in Camas follow Washington State's statewide vital records system. When a death occurs in Camas, the attending physician or funeral home files a death certificate with the Department of Health electronically within ten days. That certificate becomes part of DOH's permanent registry. The city of Camas does not maintain its own death index. All records go to the state.

The death index and a death certificate are two different things. An index entry shows the name, date of death, county, certificate number, age at death, and gender. No cause of death appears in the index. You use the index to find a specific record. Once you have the certificate number from an index entry, you can request the full certified document from DOH.

Camas is in Clark County in the far southwest corner of Washington, just east of Vancouver and across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. All Camas deaths appear in the Clark County portion of the state death index. Clark County has had people and records going back to the mid-1800s, and some historical records for the area predating 1907 may be available through the Washington State Archives.

Clark County Handles Camas Death Records

Camas is in Clark County. The Clark County Auditor in Vancouver maintains county records and historical documents. For modern death certificates, all requests go through the state DOH in Tumwater. Clark County does not have a separate local vital statistics office that issues death certificates independently. All certified copies come from DOH.

Source: Clark County Auditor

The Clark County Auditor in Vancouver holds historical county records and can direct researchers to the right source for death records.

The Clark County Medical Examiner investigates deaths in Camas and the rest of Clark County that are sudden, suspicious, or violent. The ME's office is at 1300 Franklin Street, Fourth Floor, Vancouver WA 98660, and can be reached at 564-397-7300. When the ME handles a case, it files the death certificate with DOH. ME investigative records are separate from vital records and can be requested under Washington's Public Records Act.

Searching Camas Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov provides free access to the Camas death index. The statewide index covers 1907 through 1967. Filter your search by Clark County to focus on Camas records. Each result shows the name, date of death, county, certificate number, age, and gender. The certificate number is what you need to order a full certified copy from DOH.

The Digital Archives also holds older Clark County records that predate the 1907 statewide system. Searching by "Clark County death" or "Camas Washington death" can surface historical burial and cemetery records for the area. No account or registration is needed to search. Everything is free.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives index from 1907 to 1967 is the best free starting point for any Camas death index search.

For deaths after 1967, no free public online index exists. Contact DOH directly at 360-236-4300 to check whether a specific record exists before paying for a certified copy. You can also do a targeted search for Camas historical death records at digitalarchives.wa.gov.

Ordering a Camas Death Certificate

Death certificates for Camas deaths are ordered from the Washington State Department of Health. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Under RCW 70.58, deaths within the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. Qualified applicants include the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, and legal representatives of the deceased. Deaths older than 50 years are available to any member of the public.

A Verification of Death letter costs $15 and confirms a death occurred without providing the full certificate. It has fewer access restrictions than a certified copy and is useful when you only need to confirm that a death took place.

You can order Camas death certificates four ways:

• In person at DOH: 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater WA 98501, Monday through Friday 8am to 4:30pm
• By mail: DOH, PO Box 9709, Olympia WA 98507-9709
• By phone: 360-236-4300
• Online through VitalChek at vitalchek.com ($20 state fee plus $12.50 processing fee)

Mail orders take 4 to 6 weeks. Walk-in service handles records from 1968 to present on the same day.

Source: VitalChek Online Certificate Ordering

VitalChek is the only authorized third-party vendor for online Washington vital records orders and is available 24 hours a day.

Camas Local Resources

The Camas City Clerk handles public records requests for city documents under RCW 42.56. The Clerk does not hold death certificates but can assist with other city records and direct you to the right agency. The Camas Police Department Records Unit maintains police reports for death-related incidents in the city.

Clark County provides public records access for all unincorporated areas and handles ME investigation records for deaths throughout the county. For Camas specifically, the city's own public records process handles city-generated records while county and state systems handle vital records.

Historical Death Records for Camas

Camas was incorporated in 1906, just one year before Washington State started its mandatory death registration system. For deaths from before 1907, researchers need to check Clark County's older historical records. The Washington State Archives holds early Clark County death registers and pre-statehood records that may include Camas-area deaths from the 1880s and 1890s.

The State Archives Research Facility in Olympia at 1129 Washington St SE can assist with historical records. Staff are available Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Contact them at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov. Their site is at sos.wa.gov/archives. The Digital Archives contains digitized Clark County records including cemetery records and burial permits that may supplement official death registers.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives holds Clark County records predating 1907 and can help researchers find historical death records for the Camas area.

Cemetery records, probate files at Clark County Superior Court, and historical newspapers are all useful supplementary sources for Camas death research. FamilySearch also maintains Washington State death collections that include Clark County data.

Public Records and Access Laws

Washington's RCW 70.58 governs access to death certificates. Certified copies for deaths within 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants only. Deaths older than 50 years are public. The Digital Archives index from 1907 to 1967 is completely open to everyone. No restrictions apply because the index shows only basic identifying information without cause of death.

For all other government records held by Camas or Clark County, RCW 42.56 (the Public Records Act) applies. This law gives the public the right to access and copy government records. Agencies must respond to requests within five business days.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 sets out who qualifies for restricted death certificates, what fees apply, and when records become fully public.

The CDC page at cdc.gov provides national context and links to Washington state vital records resources.

Source: CDC Washington Vital Records

The CDC page links to state-level vital records resources and provides data on death statistics across all Washington counties including Clark.

Nearby Cities

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