Federal Way Death Index Records

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

How Federal Way Death Index Records Work

Death records in Federal Way follow Washington State's centralized vital records system. When a death occurs in Federal Way, the attending physician or funeral home must file 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 which city or county the death took place in. The state keeps one unified registry rather than separate city or county databases.

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

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

Note: Federal Way was incorporated in 1990, so pre-incorporation deaths from this area would appear in King County death records under the unincorporated county designation.

Which County Handles Federal Way Death Records

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

King County is one of only a handful of Washington counties with a local vital statistics office that can issue certified death certificates directly, in addition to the state DOH office in Tumwater. Federal Way residents or their families can use either office to order certificates. Both charge $20 per certified copy. The King County Medical Examiner at 325 Ninth Ave., Third Floor, Seattle, WA 98104 (206-731-3232) handles cases involving sudden, unexplained, or violent deaths in Federal Way.

Searching Federal Way Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the best free resource for searching Federal Way death index records. 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 Federal Way area researchers access to decades 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 the Federal Way area and the surrounding region. 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. You can also search by "Federal Way Washington death" at digitalarchives.wa.gov for more targeted results, including cemetery and burial records specific to the Federal Way area.

Ordering a Death Certificate for Federal Way

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 that the death occurred but includes less detail, costs $15 and is often easier to get.

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

You have four ways to order a Federal Way 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 you order in person.

Federal Way Local Resources

The Federal Way 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 direct you to the right agency for death index requests. The Federal Way Police Department maintains police reports that may document death-related incidents such as accidents or investigations.

The King County Medical Examiner investigates sudden, unexplained, or violent deaths in Federal Way. 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 by submitting a public records request directly to the King County Medical Examiner's office.

Historical Federal Way Death Records

For deaths before 1907, researchers need to look beyond the 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. The area that is now Federal Way was unincorporated King County for most of its early history, so early records appear in King 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 is online. Staff can be reached at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. The Puget Sound Regional Branch of the Archives in Bellevue also holds microfilm copies of King County records that are not yet fully digitized. 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 deaths in the Federal Way area.

Other useful sources for historical Federal Way 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 Federal Way-area cemeteries may be 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 public and available without restriction.

The 50-year rule matters in practice. If a person died in 1974, that record is now public. If someone died in 2010, only a qualified family member or legal representative can request the full certified certificate. The Verification of Death letter at $15 is a less detailed option that may be available to a broader group of requesters for more recent deaths. It confirms the fact of death but does not include all the information on a full certificate.

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.

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 Washington cities also have death records resources and guidance for the death index.