Search Pullman Death Records

Pullman death index records are filed through Whitman County and maintained by the Washington State Department of Health. Pullman is home to Washington State University and is the largest city in Whitman County. This page covers how to search the Pullman death index, how to find free historical records through the Digital Archives, how to order a certified death certificate, and what local Whitman County offices are available for records research.

How Pullman Death Index Records Work

Pullman is located in Whitman County in southeastern Washington, near the Idaho border. When a death occurs in Pullman, the attending physician or funeral director files a death certificate with the Washington State Department of Health within ten days. That record enters the statewide vital records system, which DOH manages for all 39 counties. Pullman deaths are indexed as Whitman County records in that system.

The death index is a summary record. It shows the person's name, date and county of death, certificate number, age, and gender. It does not show cause of death or family information. You use the index to find a certificate number and then request the full document from DOH. The Washington State Digital Archives covers deaths statewide from 1907 to 1967 at no cost. Deaths after 1967 are not in a public index and require a direct request to DOH.

Pullman's large university population means many deaths in the area involve young adults or transient residents, which can complicate genealogical research. However, the same rules apply: all deaths must be registered with DOH within ten days, and all records from 1907 onward are part of the state system. For historical Pullman deaths, the Digital Archives index is the right starting point for the 1907 to 1967 window.

Note: Pullman city government does not issue death certificates. That responsibility belongs to Whitman County and the Washington State Department of Health.

Whitman County Handles Pullman Death Records

Death records for Pullman are managed through Whitman County. The Whitman County Auditor's Office is at 400 N. Main St., Colfax, WA 99111, phone 509-397-6240. Colfax is the county seat, located about 20 miles north of Pullman. The Auditor maintains county records and historical documents, but modern death certificates are held by the Washington State Department of Health.

The Whitman County Coroner investigates deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent, or under unusual circumstances. When the Coroner handles a case, the office files the death certificate with DOH. The Coroner can be reached at whitmancounty.org/coroner. Coroner investigation records are separate from the vital records system and can be requested under RCW 42.56.

Whitman County public records requests go through the county's public records officer at whitmancounty.org/publicrecords. The county responds within five business days. For vital records, requests are redirected to DOH.

Searching Pullman Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the top free resource for historical Pullman death index searches. The index covers deaths statewide from 1907 to 1967. Search under Whitman County for Pullman-area deaths. You can also search by person 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 is free to search and requires no account or login. Whitman County records are searchable going back to 1907.

For deaths after 1967, there is no public index. Contact DOH at 360-236-4300 to confirm whether a record exists. Pullman is in eastern Washington, making the DOH office in Tumwater a long drive away. Mail orders and VitalChek online ordering are more practical for most Pullman-area requests. Whitman County Auditor staff may also be able to help identify what county-level resources exist for older records.

Cemetery records and burial permits for Whitman County are also searchable in the Digital Archives. These can supplement the main death index for historical research on Pullman-area deaths, especially for records that may be better documented in burial records than in the state index.

Ordering a Death Certificate for Pullman

Certified death certificates for Pullman deaths are issued by the Washington State Department of Health. The fee is $20 per 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 provide valid ID and proof of your relationship or authority for restricted records.

Deaths older than 50 years are public records. Anyone can request them without proving a family connection. For Pullman deaths between 1907 and 1967, check the Digital Archives index first for the certificate number before ordering a full copy.

In person, visit DOH at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501 (Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm). For eastern Washington residents, mail orders are more practical. 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.

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. A Verification of Death letter costs $15 and confirms a record exists with fewer access restrictions than a full certified copy.

Pullman Local Resources for Death Records

For Pullman-area death records research, the main local contacts are the Whitman County Auditor in Colfax and the Whitman County Coroner for investigation records. The Pullman City Clerk can handle city-level public records requests, but city records do not include death certificates. For county-level records, contact Whitman County under RCW 42.56.

Washington State University has a university archives at Pullman that may hold institutional records relevant to campus deaths and historical community events. The university library system also has newspaper archives and historical collections that can supplement official death records for Pullman. The Whitman County Historical Society maintains local history materials and may have cemetery records or obituary indexes for the area.

The Washington State Archives in Olympia holds microfilmed Whitman County death records. Contact them at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov. Their website is sos.wa.gov/archives. FamilySearch also maintains Washington death records and cemetery transcriptions that can help confirm historical Pullman and Whitman County deaths. Probate records at Whitman County Superior Court can provide family details and confirm deaths going back many decades.

Note: For university-related deaths or records involving WSU students, the university's institutional records may be a relevant supplemental source depending on the circumstances.

Historical Death Records for Pullman

Pullman was founded in the 1870s and grew as an agricultural town and later as a university city with the establishment of Washington State University in 1890. Death records from the early years follow the general eastern Washington pattern: before 1907, records were kept at the county level with varying completeness. From 1907 onward, all deaths are part of the statewide system and searchable through the Digital Archives for 1907 to 1967.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives can assist with requests for early Whitman County records that predate statewide registration or have not yet been digitized for the Digital Archives.

Historical newspapers from Pullman and Colfax can provide obituaries and death notices going back to the late 19th century. The Whitman County Historical Society maintains materials that may supplement the official death index. Cemetery records from Pullman-area cemeteries are transcribed in some genealogical databases and may help confirm historical deaths when the official record is incomplete or difficult to locate.

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 in the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. Records older than 50 years are open to anyone without proof of relationship.

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

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 sets the fees and qualification rules for obtaining certified Washington death certificates, applying equally in Pullman and all Washington communities.

Whitman County handles public records requests for county documents under RCW 42.56. For vital records, the county redirects to DOH. The CDC tracks Washington vital statistics at the national level at cdc.gov.

Source: CDC Washington Vital Records

The CDC page provides a national reference for Washington vital statistics and links to state DOH and local resources.

Nearby Cities

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