Find Death Records in Orchards

Orchards death index records are handled through Clark County, as Orchards is an unincorporated community rather than an incorporated city. This page explains how the Washington death index works for the Orchards area, how to search historical records through the state Digital Archives, how to order a certified death certificate, and what Clark County resources are available for records research.

How Orchards Death Index Records Work

Orchards is an unincorporated community in Clark County, located in the northeastern part of the Vancouver metro area. Because Orchards is not incorporated as its own city, it does not have a city government or city clerk. All government services including records go through Clark County. When a death occurs in the Orchards area, the attending physician or funeral director files a death certificate with the Washington State Department of Health within ten days, just as with any other location in the state.

Death records for Orchards are indexed and stored as Clark County records in the statewide system. The Washington State Digital Archives covers deaths statewide from 1907 to 1967. When searching for Orchards deaths in that time range, you would search under Clark County in the Digital Archives. The death index shows the name, date, county, certificate number, age, and gender. It does not include cause of death.

The death index is a finding tool, not the full record. Once you locate a certificate number in the index, you use that number to request the full death certificate from DOH. For deaths after 1967, there is no public online index and you must contact DOH directly. For deaths older than 50 years, no proof of relationship is required to obtain a copy.

Note: Since Orchards is unincorporated, there is no Orchards City Clerk. Clark County handles all public records for this community.

Clark County Handles Orchards Death Records

All death records for the Orchards area are managed through Clark County. The Clark County Auditor's Office is at 415 W. 6th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660, phone 564-397-2235. The Auditor maintains county records including historical documents, but death certificates from 1907 to the present are managed by the Washington State Department of Health.

Clark County has a Medical Examiner's Office that investigates sudden, unexpected, or violent deaths. The office is at 1300 Franklin Street, 4th Floor, Vancouver, WA 98660, phone 564-397-7300. The website is at clark.wa.gov/coroner-medical-examiner. When the Medical Examiner handles a case, the office files the death certificate with DOH. Investigation records are separate from the vital records system and can be requested under RCW 42.56, Washington's Public Records Act.

Clark County public records requests can be submitted through clark.wa.gov. The county responds to requests within five business days. For vital records specifically, requests are redirected to DOH.

Searching Orchards Death Records Online

The best free tool for searching historical Orchards death records is the Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov. The index covers deaths statewide from 1907 to 1967. To search for Orchards deaths, use Clark County as the county filter. You can also search by the person's name. Results show the name, death date, county, certificate number, age, and gender. Use the certificate number to request the full record from DOH when needed.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives search is free and does not require an account. Results for the Orchards area appear under Clark County.

Source: Clark County Auditor

The Clark County Auditor maintains county records and can help direct researchers to the right agency for historical death information in the Orchards community.

For deaths after 1967, there is no public index online. Contact DOH at 360-236-4300 to ask about a specific record. You can also contact the Clark County Auditor for help identifying what county-level records might be available for the Orchards area. Since Orchards is unincorporated, some records may be filed only under county references rather than under the community name.

Ordering a Death Certificate for Orchards

Certified death certificates for deaths in the Orchards area are issued by the Washington State Department of Health. The fee is $20 per copy. Deaths from the last 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants, including the spouse or domestic partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and legal representatives. You must provide valid ID and proof of your relationship or authority to get a restricted record.

Deaths older than 50 years are public records that anyone can request. No proof of relationship is needed. For genealogical research on Orchards deaths from 1907 to 1967, check the Digital Archives index first to get the certificate number before paying for a full certified copy.

You can order in person at 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 to the present. For mail orders, send a completed Death Certificate Mail Order Form with a copy of your photo ID and a check or money order to: Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, 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 during business hours.

VitalChek processes online orders at vitalchek.com. The cost is $20 plus a $12.50 processing fee. VitalChek is available 24 hours a day. Expedited shipping is available for an extra charge. A Verification of Death letter costs $15 and confirms that a record exists without providing the full certificate. This letter has fewer access restrictions than a full certified copy.

Orchards Local Resources for Death Records

Since Orchards is unincorporated, there is no city government or city clerk to contact for records. All county-level resources are in Vancouver, the county seat of Clark County. The Clark County Auditor at 415 W. 6th Street, Vancouver, handles historical county records. The Clark County Medical Examiner at 1300 Franklin Street, Vancouver, handles investigation records for deaths requiring investigation. Both offices are accessible for public records requests under RCW 42.56.

The Vancouver and Clark County area has genealogical resources through organizations like the Clark County Genealogical Society. Libraries in the area hold newspaper archives and obituary indexes for the Vancouver and Orchards community going back many decades. FamilySearch maintains a large collection of Washington death records and cemetery transcriptions that can help confirm historical deaths in the Clark County area.

The Washington State Archives in Olympia holds microfilmed county death records for Clark County. For records not yet digitized, researchers can contact the Archives at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov. Their website is sos.wa.gov/archives. Probate records at Clark County Superior Court can also help confirm deaths and provide family details for older records.

Note: When searching for Orchards records in historical databases, try searching under Vancouver, Clark County, or the general northeast Vancouver area, as records may not be filed specifically under the Orchards community name.

Historical Death Records for Orchards

The Orchards area of Clark County developed primarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as an agricultural community northeast of Vancouver. Before Washington's statewide death registration began in 1907, records from this area would have been kept by Clark County officials. The State Archives holds some of these early Clark County records. From 1907 onward, deaths in the Orchards area are part of the statewide system and searchable through the Digital Archives for the 1907 to 1967 window.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives can assist with requests for early Clark County death records that predate statewide registration or are not yet digitized.

For historical research, the Clark County Auditor may have information about early cemetery records and burial permits for the area. Local cemeteries in the Orchards area have records going back many decades and may be transcribed in genealogical databases or available through local societies. The Washington State Historical Society also maintains materials relevant to early Clark County communities.

Public Records and Access Laws

Washington's Public Records Act under RCW 42.56 gives the public broad access rights to government records. Death records have a specific restriction under RCW 70.58. Certified death certificates for deaths within the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. Records older than 50 years are open to anyone without restriction.

The death index in the Digital Archives from 1907 to 1967 is fully public. No account, fee, or proof of relationship is needed to search it. The index shows only identifying information, not cause of death, so it does not trigger the same privacy concerns as a full certificate.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 sets out the fees and qualification rules that apply to death certificate requests statewide, including the Orchards area.

Clark County handles public records requests for county-level documents under RCW 42.56. For vital records, the county redirects requesters to DOH. The CDC tracks Washington vital statistics at the national level at cdc.gov and provides links to state and local resources.

Source: CDC Washington Vital Records

The CDC page provides a national-level entry point to Washington's vital records system and links to DOH and other resources.

Nearby Cities

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