Moses Lake Death Index Records

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

How Moses Lake Death Index Records Work

Death records in Moses Lake follow Washington State's centralized vital records system. When a death occurs in Moses Lake, 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 for all of Washington. The state keeps one unified registry rather than separate city or county databases.

The death index is a summary record, not the same as a death certificate. The index shows the name of the deceased, the date of death, the county, the certificate number, age, and gender. Cause of death is not included. The index is a finding tool. Once you locate an entry and note the certificate number, you can use that number to request the full certified death certificate from DOH or through an authorized vendor.

Moses Lake is the county seat of Grant County in eastern Washington. All Moses Lake deaths are counted in the Grant County death index. The city does not maintain its own separate death index. Records go to the state, and the state is where you search and order.

Note: Grant County's early death records are available in the Digital Archives for free searching. Moses Lake was platted in 1910, so most deaths before that date would appear in Grant County records for the broader county area rather than under Moses Lake specifically.

Which County Handles Moses Lake Death Records

Moses Lake is in Grant County, the county seat of which is Ephrata. The Grant County Auditor's Office in Ephrata maintains county records and can assist with historical death records research. Death certificates from 1907 forward are maintained by the state DOH, but the Grant County Auditor is a good starting point for local research guidance.

The Grant County Auditor at 35 C St. NW in Ephrata can assist with historical records research and direct you to the right agency for death certificate orders. For recent deaths, DOH in Tumwater is the primary source. For historical records in the Digital Archives, use the free search at digitalarchives.wa.gov and filter by Grant County.

Searching Moses Lake Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the primary free tool for searching Moses Lake death index records. It covers the statewide death index from 1907 through 1967 and includes early Grant County death records from before statewide registration began. For a small eastern Washington city like Moses Lake, the Digital Archives is often the fastest way to find older death records.

To search, go to the Digital Archives and use the fields for first name, last name, year, and county. Filter by Grant County to narrow results to Moses Lake and the surrounding area. Each result shows the person's name, death date, county, certificate number, age, and gender. Keep the certificate number when you find a match, because you will need it to request the full certified copy from DOH.

Source: Grant County Auditor

The Grant County Auditor maintains county records and can help researchers identify the right resources for Moses Lake death index searches.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives search is free and open to anyone. You can search by "Moses Lake Washington death" at digitalarchives.wa.gov for targeted results.

For deaths after 1967, there is no public online index. Contact DOH at 360-236-4300 or use VitalChek to search. For deaths in very recent years, DOH staff can often confirm whether a record exists before you pay for a certified copy.

Ordering a Death Certificate for Moses Lake

Washington State law under RCW 70.58 governs death certificate access. Deaths within the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. The fee is $20 per certified copy. A Verification of Death letter costs $15 and confirms the death without providing all the detail of a full certificate.

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

You can order a Moses Lake death certificate four ways:

• In person at DOH in Tumwater at 101 Israel Road SE
• 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 and 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 handles records from 1968 to present on the same day. For Moses Lake residents who want to avoid the drive to Tumwater, the mail or phone options are often more practical.

Moses Lake Local Resources

The Moses Lake 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. The Moses Lake Police Department maintains police reports that may document death-related incidents such as accidents or investigations.

The Grant County Coroner investigates sudden, unexplained, or violent deaths in Moses Lake and Grant County. When the Coroner's office handles a case, it files the death certificate with DOH. The Coroner's investigative records are separate from the vital records system and can be requested under RCW 42.56 through Grant County's public records process.

Historical Moses Lake 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. Grant County was established in 1909, and before that the Moses Lake area was part of Douglas County. Death records from the very early settlement period may appear in both Douglas County and early Grant County records. The Digital Archives holds early county records from this region that can be searched for free.

The State Archives Research Facility in Olympia at 1129 Washington St SE can assist with requests that go beyond what is available online. Staff can be reached at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Their main site is at sos.wa.gov/archives. The Eastern Regional Branch of the Archives in Cheney also holds eastern Washington county records.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives holds pre-1907 records and can assist genealogical researchers looking for early Moses Lake and Grant County deaths.

Other useful sources for historical Moses Lake death research include probate records at Grant County Superior Court, FamilySearch's Washington death index collections, historic newspapers from eastern Washington, and cemetery records for Grant County cemeteries available in the Digital Archives.

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.

The second law is RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act. This applies to all government records held by state and local agencies. For records outside the vital records system, such as police reports or coroner 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 restrictions as a certified certificate. Anyone can search and view the index at no cost 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 Washington cities also have death records resources and guidance for the death index.