Parkland Death Index Records

Parkland death index records are handled through Pierce County, as Parkland is an unincorporated community with no city government of its own. This page explains how the Washington death index works for the Parkland area, how to search historical records through the state Digital Archives, how to order a certified death certificate, and what Pierce County offices are available for records research in the Parkland community.

How Parkland Death Index Records Work

Parkland is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, located just south of Tacoma. It has no incorporated city government, so all public records go through Pierce County. When a death occurs in the Parkland area, the attending physician or funeral director files a death certificate with the Washington State Department of Health within ten days. That record enters the state vital records system, which DOH manages for all of Washington.

Death records for Parkland are indexed as Pierce County records in the statewide system. Pierce County is notable in that it has death registers going back to 1883, well before Washington's 1907 mandatory statewide registration. This means some Parkland-area deaths from the late 1800s and early 1900s may be searchable in the Digital Archives under Pierce County. For deaths from 1907 onward, the main statewide index covers up to 1967 and is available for free online searching.

The death index is a summary record. It shows the name, date and county of death, certificate number, age, and gender. It does not show cause of death or detailed family information. You use the index to find the certificate number and then request the full record from DOH. For deaths after 1967, there is no public index and you must contact DOH or the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department directly.

Note: Parkland does not have a city clerk. Pierce County handles all government records for this community.

Pierce County Handles Parkland Death Records

All death records for the Parkland area go through Pierce County. The Pierce County Auditor's Office is at 2401 S. 35th St., Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98409, phone 253-798-7780. The Auditor maintains county records and historical documents. Modern death certificates from 1907 onward are maintained by the Washington State Department of Health.

Pierce County has a Medical Examiner's Office that handles deaths requiring investigation. The office is at 3619 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98418, phone 253-798-6497. The website is at piercecountywa.gov/medical-examiner. When the Medical Examiner handles a case, that office files the death certificate with DOH. ME investigation records are separate from the vital records system and can be requested under RCW 42.56.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department also issues death certificates for Pierce County events at 3629 S. D St., Tacoma, WA 98418, phone 253-649-1418. Their website is at tpchd.org/healthy-people/vital-records. The fee for a certified copy is $20.

Searching Parkland Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the best free resource for historical death index searches in the Parkland area. The statewide index covers 1907 to 1967. Pierce County specifically has death registers going back to 1883 in the Digital Archives, so some earlier Parkland-area deaths may also be searchable. Search under Pierce County, and filter by name or year range to find relevant records.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives search is free and requires no account. Pierce County records going back to 1883 make this a particularly strong source for older Parkland research.

Source: Pierce County Public Records

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

For deaths after 1967, contact the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department at 253-649-1418 or DOH at 360-236-4300. Either office can confirm whether a record exists before you order a full certified copy. For very recent deaths in the Parkland area, you can also visit the Health Department's office in Tacoma in person to make a same-day request.

Ordering a Death Certificate for Parkland

Certified death certificates for Parkland deaths are issued by the Washington State Department of Health or, for Pierce County records, through the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Deaths from the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants: the spouse or domestic partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and legal representatives. You must show valid ID and proof of your relationship or authority.

Deaths older than 50 years are public records. Anyone can request them without proving a family connection. For deaths between 1883 and 1967, check the Digital Archives first to get the certificate number before paying for a full certified copy.

You can order in person at DOH at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501 (Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm) or at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department at 3629 S. D St., Tacoma. For mail orders, send a completed application form, a copy of your photo ID, and payment 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.

Online orders go through VitalChek at vitalchek.com. The cost is $20 plus a $12.50 processing fee. VitalChek is available 24 hours a day. Expedited shipping options are available for extra cost. A Verification of Death letter costs $15 and confirms a record exists without providing the full certificate, with fewer access restrictions than a certified copy.

Parkland Local Resources for Death Records

Parkland does not have its own city government, so all local resources are county-level offices in Tacoma. The Pierce County Auditor and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department are the main county contacts for records research. For investigation records involving the Medical Examiner, submit a public records request directly to Pierce County under RCW 42.56.

Genealogical researchers can find resources through the Pierce County Genealogical Society, which maintains local records and cemetery transcriptions for the Tacoma and Parkland area. Libraries in Tacoma and University Place have newspaper archives with obituary collections going back many decades. Pacific Lutheran University, located in Parkland, may also have community history materials relevant to deaths in this area.

The Washington State Archives at 1129 Washington St SE, Olympia, holds microfilmed Pierce County death records. For records not yet digitized, contact the Archives at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov. The Puget Sound Regional Branch of the Archives in Bellevue also holds some Pierce County records. FamilySearch maintains a large collection of Washington death records and cemetery transcriptions that can supplement official records for genealogical research in the Parkland area.

Note: For searches in historical databases, try both "Parkland" and "Pierce County" as location filters, since older records may list the county rather than the community name.

Historical Death Records for Parkland

The Parkland area developed in the late 19th century around what became Pacific Lutheran University. Pierce County has death registers going back to 1883 in the Digital Archives, making it one of the better-documented Washington counties for early historical research. Deaths in the Parkland area from that period would be recorded under Pierce County. From 1907 onward, all deaths are part of the state registry and indexed through the Digital Archives up to 1967.

Source: Washington State Archives

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

Historical newspapers from Tacoma and the Parkland area are available through the Washington State Library and other digitization projects and can provide obituaries and death notices for community members going back to the early 1900s. Probate records at Pierce County Superior Court can help confirm deaths and identify family relationships for older records, supplementing the official death index.

Public Records and Access Laws

Washington's Public Records Act under RCW 42.56 provides broad public rights to government records. Death records have specific restrictions 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 or proof of relationship.

The death index in the Digital Archives from 1883 to 1967 (for Pierce County records) 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 is not subject to the same privacy rules as a full certificate.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 sets the fees and qualification rules for Washington death certificate requests statewide, including Parkland and all Pierce County communities.

Pierce County handles public records requests for county documents under RCW 42.56. For vital records, the county redirects to DOH or the Health Department. The CDC tracks Washington vital statistics nationally at cdc.gov.

Source: CDC Washington Vital Records

The CDC page provides a federal-level reference to Washington vital statistics and links to DOH and other state resources.

Nearby Cities

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