Olympia Death Index and Records

Olympia death index records are filed through Thurston County and maintained by the Washington State Department of Health, which is located in Tumwater just outside the city. This page covers how to search the Olympia death index, where to find free historical records through the state Digital Archives, how to order a certified death certificate, and what local Thurston County offices handle death records for the Olympia area.

How Olympia Death Index Records Work

Olympia is Washington's state capital and is located in Thurston County. When a death occurs in Olympia, the attending physician or funeral home files a death certificate with the Washington State Department of Health within ten days. That certificate enters the state vital records registry managed by DOH, which keeps all Washington death records regardless of which city or county a death happened in.

Because Olympia is the state capital, it is also home to some of the key offices that researchers use. DOH itself is just south of Olympia in Tumwater. The Washington State Archives is located at 1129 Washington St SE, Olympia. The State Legislature website for accessing statutes is also based here. This makes Olympia somewhat unique in that several of the agencies that manage or govern death records are literally in or near the city.

The death index is not the same as a death certificate. The index shows the person's name, date and county of death, certificate number, age, and gender. It does not include cause of death or detailed family information. It is a finding tool. You use it to get the certificate number and then request the full document from DOH. The free digital index covers 1907 to 1967. Deaths after 1967 require a direct contact with DOH.

Note: The city of Olympia does not issue death certificates. That is handled by Thurston County and the Washington State Department of Health.

Thurston County Handles Olympia Death Records

All death records for Olympia flow through Thurston County. The Thurston County Auditor's Office is at 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, Olympia, WA 98502, phone 360-786-5224. The Auditor maintains county records and some historical documents, but modern death certificates are managed by the Washington State Department of Health.

Thurston County also has a Coroner's Office that investigates deaths under unusual or suspicious circumstances. When the Coroner handles a case, the office files the death certificate with DOH. The Coroner's Office can be reached through thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/coroner. For coroner investigation records, you can submit a public records request under RCW 42.56. The county responds to records requests within five business days.

Public records requests for Thurston County general records can be submitted through thurstoncountywa.gov/public-records. For vital records such as death certificates, the county will direct you to DOH or VitalChek.

Searching Olympia Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the best free starting point for historical death index searches in Olympia. The index covers deaths statewide from 1907 through 1967. You can search by name, county, or year range. Each result shows the name, date of death, county, certificate number, age, and gender. Once you find an entry, use the certificate number to request the full certificate from DOH if needed.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives index is free to search and does not require an account or login.

For deaths after 1967, no public index exists online. Call DOH at 360-236-4300 to ask about a specific record before ordering. The DOH walk-in office in Tumwater is close to Olympia and can process same-day requests for records from 1968 to the present. Researchers familiar with the state capital area will find it convenient to visit DOH in person rather than waiting for mail orders.

Source: Thurston County Public Records

Thurston County's public records portal handles requests for county-level records that fall outside the vital records system.

The Digital Archives also contains some Thurston County cemetery records and burial permits that can supplement the main death index. These are especially useful for genealogical research on deaths that may be documented in burial records but not well covered in the index itself. Searching with both the main index and the cemetery records can help confirm and fill in gaps.

Ordering a Death Certificate for Olympia

Certified death certificates for Olympia deaths come from the Washington State Department of Health. The fee is $20 per copy. Deaths from the last 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants, which include the spouse or domestic partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal guardians, legal representatives, and others with a documented legal interest. You must provide valid photo ID and proof of your relationship or authority for restricted records.

Deaths older than 50 years are public records open to anyone. No proof of relationship is needed for older genealogical requests. For deaths between 1907 and 1967, you can often confirm the certificate number through the free Digital Archives index before ordering the full document.

Olympia is close to the DOH office in Tumwater, making in-person ordering practical. Visit the DOH Center for Health Statistics at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm. Same-day service is available for records from 1968 forward. For mail orders, send a completed application form, a copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order payable to "Department of Health" to: P.O. Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507-9709. Mail orders take 4 to 6 weeks. Phone orders can be placed at 360-236-4300 with a credit card.

VitalChek handles online orders at vitalchek.com. The cost is $20 plus a $12.50 processing fee per order. VitalChek is available around the clock. A Verification of Death letter for $15 confirms that a record exists without providing the full certificate and may serve limited purposes with fewer access restrictions.

Olympia Local Resources for Death Records

As the state capital, Olympia has some unique resources that other cities do not. The Washington State Archives research facility is at 1129 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98504. You can visit in person Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. The Archives holds microfilmed death records, early county registers, and other historical materials that may not be digitized. Call 360-586-1492 or email archives@sos.wa.gov to ask about specific records before visiting.

The DOH walk-in office is at 101 Israel Road SE in Tumwater, just a few miles south of downtown Olympia. This is the closest in-person option for ordering a certified death certificate without using the mail or VitalChek. The DOH office can also help confirm whether a record exists for a specific death before you pay for a certified copy.

The Thurston County Auditor and Coroner are both located in Olympia and can assist with county-level records questions. For genealogical research, the Washington State Library in Olympia has digitized newspapers and other historical collections. Probate court records at Thurston County Superior Court can help confirm deaths and identify family connections going back many decades. Local genealogical societies in the Olympia area maintain cemetery records and other supplemental collections.

Note: Because DOH and the State Archives are both located near Olympia, in-person research visits to this area can cover multiple agencies in a single trip.

Historical Death Records for Olympia

Olympia was established in the 1840s and became the territorial capital in 1853, making it one of Washington's oldest settlements. Death records from the territorial and early statehood period exist in scattered forms. Before statewide registration began in 1907, records were kept locally at the county level. The State Archives holds some early Thurston County death registers from this period, and researchers may find relevant records through both the Archives and the Digital Archives.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives, located in Olympia, is particularly valuable for researching deaths that predate the 1907 statewide registration system.

Historical newspapers from Olympia, many of which are digitized and available through the Washington State Library and other sources, can provide obituary information for deaths not well documented in official records. FamilySearch maintains a large collection of Washington death records and cemetery transcriptions. Probate records from Thurston County can also confirm deaths going back to the 19th century and often contain family details not found in the death index itself.

Public Records and Access Laws

Washington's Public Records Act under RCW 42.56 establishes broad public access to government records. Vital records have their own rules under RCW 70.58. Certified death certificates for deaths within the last 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. Records older than 50 years are open to any member of the public without restriction.

The Digital Archives index from 1907 to 1967 is fully public. It shows identifying information only, not cause of death, so it is not subject to the same privacy rules as a full certified certificate. You can search it at no cost without creating an account.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 sets the fees and qualification rules for obtaining certified Washington death certificates.

Thurston County handles public records requests under RCW 42.56 for county-level documents. For vital records, requests are redirected to DOH. The CDC tracks Washington vital statistics data nationally at cdc.gov and links to both state DOH and local resources.

Source: CDC Washington Vital Records

The CDC page is a useful national reference that also links to Washington's vital records system and DOH contact information.

Nearby Cities

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