SeaTac Death Index Lookup

SeaTac death index records are part of Washington State's centralized vital records system, with free historical indexes from 1907 through 1967 available through the Washington State Digital Archives. SeaTac is in King County, and all death records from the city flow through the state Department of Health and the King County vital statistics office. This page explains how to search SeaTac death records, order certified death certificates, find local resources, and understand the laws that govern access to these records.

How SeaTac Death Index Records Work

When a death occurs in SeaTac, the funeral home or attending physician files a death certificate with the Washington State Department of Health within ten days. DOH keeps all death certificates from 1907 to the present in a single statewide registry. SeaTac has no city-level death database. Every SeaTac death appears under King County in the statewide death index.

The death index is a summary, not the full certificate. It shows the name, date of death, county, certificate number, age, and gender of the person who died. Cause of death is not in the index. The purpose of the index is to help you find a specific record. Once you have the certificate number, you can request the full certified death certificate from DOH or from the King County vital statistics office.

SeaTac was incorporated in 1990. Before that, the area was unincorporated King County. Historical death records from the area prior to incorporation appear in the King County death returns, which go back to 1881 in the Digital Archives. Researchers can find pre-1907 records from the SeaTac area in those King County files.

Note: SeaTac does not issue death certificates. Those records are held by DOH and the King County vital statistics office.

Which County Handles SeaTac Death Records

SeaTac is in King County. All SeaTac death records go through the King County system and the state DOH. Funeral homes file certificates electronically through the state's Electronic Birth and Death Registration System. That record enters the DOH registry. Families can get certified copies through DOH in Tumwater or through the Public Health Seattle and King County office in Seattle.

King County is unique in Washington because it has a local vital statistics office that issues certified death certificates directly, separate from the state DOH in Tumwater. SeaTac families can use either office, and both charge $20 per copy. The King County Medical Examiner investigates sudden or unexplained deaths occurring in SeaTac and files death certificates with DOH when it handles a case. ME investigative files are separate from vital records and can be requested under RCW 42.56.

Searching SeaTac Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the primary free resource for SeaTac death index searches. The statewide index covers 1907 through 1967, and King County Death Returns in the archives go back to 1881. That is more than 80 years of indexed death records available free with no login or account required.

Use the search fields for first name, last name, year of death, and county. Filter by King County to narrow results to the SeaTac area. Each result shows the name, death date, county, certificate number, age, and gender. Note the certificate number if you plan to request the full record from DOH or the King County vital statistics office.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives is free and open to any researcher searching for SeaTac or King County death records.

For deaths after 1967, there is no public online index. Call DOH at 360-236-4300 or Public Health Seattle and King County at 206-477-4000 to confirm whether a specific record exists before paying for a certified copy. A targeted search using "SeaTac Washington death" at the Digital Archives may also pull up cemetery and burial records for the area.

Ordering a SeaTac Death Certificate

Under RCW 70.58, death certificates for deaths within the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. The fee is $20 per certified copy. A Verification of Death letter, which confirms the death occurred but contains less detail than the full certificate, costs $15 and is easier to obtain when the full record is not needed.

Qualified applicants for restricted SeaTac death records include the spouse or domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative of the deceased. You must show valid photo ID and proof of your relationship when requesting a restricted record. For deaths older than 50 years, the records are public and available to anyone.

Ways to order a SeaTac death certificate:

• In person at DOH in Tumwater: 101 Israel Road SE, open Monday through Friday 8am to 4:30pm
• In person at Public Health Seattle and King County: 908 Jefferson St., Suite 111, Seattle
• By mail to DOH: PO Box 9709, Olympia WA 98507-9709
• By phone: 360-236-4300, Monday through Friday 8am to 4:30pm
• Online through VitalChek: vitalchek.com

Source: VitalChek Online Certificate Ordering

VitalChek adds a $12.50 processing fee on top of the $20 state fee. Expedited shipping options are available at extra cost.

Mail orders take about 4 to 6 weeks. Walk-in service at DOH's Tumwater office is same day for records from 1968 to present. Records from 1907 through 1967 may need extra processing time even for in-person requests.

SeaTac Local Resources

The SeaTac City Clerk handles public records requests for city records under RCW 42.56. The Clerk does not hold death certificates, but can assist with city-level documents and direct you to the right agency. The SeaTac Police Department maintains police reports and incident records, including reports tied to death-related incidents in the city. Those reports can be requested under RCW 42.56.

When the King County Medical Examiner handles a SeaTac case, it files the death certificate with DOH. The ME's investigative records are separate and can be requested under RCW 42.56. They are distinct from the certified death certificate stored in the vital records system.

Historical SeaTac Death Records

For deaths before 1907, the SeaTac area was part of unincorporated King County, so early records appear in King County registers rather than any city record. The Digital Archives includes King County Death Returns going back to 1881 and is searchable for free. The Washington State Archives in Olympia holds early death registers and pre-statehood records that go beyond what is online.

The State Archives Research Facility at 1129 Washington St SE, Olympia, can assist with requests that go beyond the digital databases. Contact staff at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. The Puget Sound Regional Branch in Bellevue also holds King County microfilm records not yet digitized. Visit sos.wa.gov/archives for more details.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives holds pre-1907 King County records and can help with genealogical research for early SeaTac area deaths.

Other useful sources for historical SeaTac research include probate records at King County Superior Court, digitized newspapers through the Washington State Library, FamilySearch's Washington death index collections, and cemetery records for SeaTac-area burial sites.

Public Records and Access Laws

Washington State has two main laws that govern death record access. RCW 70.58, the Vital Statistics Act, restricts certified death certificates for deaths within the last 50 years to qualified applicants. Deaths older than 50 years are open public records. The law also sets fees, procedures for amendments, and penalties for fraudulent access to vital records.

RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act, applies to all government records outside the vital records system. Police reports, medical examiner files, city documents, and other agency records fall under this law. You submit a written public records request to the agency that holds the records. Agencies have five business days to respond and must provide cost estimates before producing records.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 establishes who can receive certified death certificates and what fees apply across all of Washington State.

Death index records in the Digital Archives from 1907 through 1967 are fully public. The index contains basic identifying data only, with no cause of death included, so it does not carry the privacy restrictions that apply to certified certificates. The CDC also tracks Washington vital statistics at the national level. Visit their Washington page at cdc.gov for additional links to state resources.

Nearby Cities

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