Find Death Index Records in Clark County

Clark County death index records and death certificates are available through several state and local sources. The Washington State Digital Archives provides a free searchable death index for 1907 through 1967, and certified death certificates for all deaths from 1907 forward are issued by the Washington State Department of Health. Clark County, in southwest Washington with Vancouver as its county seat, is one of the state's most populous counties. The Clark County Auditor and Medical Examiner offices are the main local contacts for records and investigation files.

How Clark County Death Index Records Work

Washington State started its centralized death registration system in 1907. All death certificates filed in Clark County from that year forward went to the state. The Washington State Department of Health now holds those certified records. The county does not issue certified copies of post-1907 death certificates. If you need a certified copy, you contact the Department of Health directly.

The Washington State Digital Archives hosts a free death index for 1907 through 1967. You can search Clark County records at digitalarchives.wa.gov with no fee or account required. Search by name, date, or county. Each result shows the name, age, gender, date of death, county, and certificate number. The certificate number is what you need when ordering a certified copy from the Department of Health.

Clark County is one of Washington's oldest counties, established in 1844 from part of Oregon Territory. That gives it over 60 years of county-level death records before the statewide system began in 1907. Those older records are scattered. Some survive at the county auditor's office or in county archives. The Washington State Archives in Olympia holds microfilm from many early Washington counties. The Clark County Auditor at clark.wa.gov/auditor can help determine what early records the county holds.

The Digital Archives screenshot below shows the search interface for Clark County death records. The Digital Archives covers 1907 through 1967 for all Washington counties including Clark County.

Clark County Auditor Office

The Clark County Auditor is located in Vancouver and maintains county records. For death records from 1907 forward, the auditor will direct requests to the Department of Health since those are state records. The office may hold early death registers, burial permits, and cemetery records from before the statewide system began. Staff can confirm what historical records the county holds and how to access them.

Clark County is directly across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. This geographic position means the county has long been a major population center in the Pacific Northwest. Its death records reflect decades of growth and change in the Vancouver area. For the 1907-to-1967 period, the Digital Archives index is the fastest way to search. For anything older than 1907, the auditor or the State Archives is the right contact. The Clark County Auditor handles county records and is the local contact for historical death records research.

Searching Clark County Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the primary free tool for online death index searches in Clark County. The database covers 1907 through 1967. Search by name, date, or certificate number. Results appear immediately with no login or fee required. The certificate number in the results is the key reference when ordering a certified copy from the Department of Health.

For deaths after 1967, no free online index is available. Under RCW 70.58.107, death records less than 50 years old are restricted to qualified applicants. Qualified applicants under RCW 70.58.107(2) include the spouse or domestic partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal guardian, legal representative, or a person with a tangible interest. Once a record is 50 years old, it becomes a public record and access is open to anyone.

Clark County also offers an online public records portal at clark.wa.gov for submitting county-level records requests. The county will redirect death certificate requests to the Department of Health, but this portal is useful for coroner records, early registers, and other county-held documents. Death certificate records go through the state system regardless of what county the death occurred in.

Note: The Digital Archives also holds pre-1907 county death returns for some Washington counties. Check whether Clark County materials are included when you search, particularly for deaths before statewide registration began.

Ordering Clark County Death Certificates

Certified death certificates for Clark County deaths from 1907 forward are issued by the Washington State Department of Health at $20 per certificate. Clark County does not issue them. You can order by phone, mail, in person, or online.

By phone: call 360-236-4300, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. By mail: send your request to Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, PO Box 9709, Olympia WA 98507-9709. Include the full name, date of death, county, your relationship, and a copy of your ID. Mail orders take four to six weeks. Walk-in service is at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater WA 98501.

Online orders are handled by VitalChek, the state-authorized platform. Visit vitalchek.com. VitalChek charges $12.50 plus shipping on top of the $20 state fee. Online orders process faster than mail requests in most cases. VitalChek is the authorized state service for online death certificate orders from all Washington counties including Clark.

Deaths must be registered within 10 days under RCW 70.58.050. Amendments to death certificates after filing are handled under RCW 70.58.200 and typically take 8 to 12 weeks. If you need basic confirmation that a record exists without the full certificate, the DOH offers a Verification of Death letter for $15.

Clark County Medical Examiner Records

Clark County has a Medical Examiner rather than a coroner. The Clark County Medical Examiner investigates deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent, or where the cause of death is not clearly established. The medical examiner determines cause and manner of death and maintains case files that are separate from the official death certificate. These records can include autopsy reports, toxicology findings, and investigation notes.

Medical examiner records in Clark County are subject to the Washington Public Records Act under RCW 42.56. Some records may be withheld if the case is under active investigation or if another exemption applies. The Clark County Medical Examiner's office is located at 1300 Franklin Street, 4th Floor, Vancouver WA 98660. You can reach the office at 564-397-7300 or visit clark.wa.gov/coroner-medical-examiner to ask about records or submit a formal request.

The medical examiner's records are separate from death certificates. Most routine deaths in Clark County do not involve the medical examiner. Standard deaths go directly through the funeral home and into the state registration process. The medical examiner is involved only when specific criteria under Washington law are met.

Historical Death Records in Clark County

Clark County has a long history as one of Washington's oldest organized counties. Its death records go back to the 1840s, though early records were kept informally and survival varies. Records from before 1907, when the state system began, are most likely to be found at the county auditor's office, the Washington State Archives in Olympia, or through genealogical databases like FamilySearch.

The Washington State Archives Research Facility is at 1129 Washington Street SE, Olympia WA 98504. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. You can reach the Archives at archives@sos.wa.gov or 360-586-1492. Visit sos.wa.gov/archives for more details. The Archives holds microfilm of county death records and can tell you what Clark County materials are available. The Washington State Archives in Olympia is a key repository for pre-1907 county death records and historical microfilm collections.

FamilySearch has worked with the State Archives to digitize older Washington vital records. Searching FamilySearch.org is free. For Clark County genealogy, probate court records held by the Superior Court clerk can document deaths through estate filings. Newspaper obituaries from the Columbian and other Vancouver-area papers are another strong resource, often going back well over a century. The CDC's Washington vital records page at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/washington.htm gives a summary of where to find records by time period.

Public Records Access in Clark County

Clark County operates under the Washington Public Records Act at RCW 42.56. Anyone can request records from county agencies. Clark County has an online portal for public records requests at clark.wa.gov. Agencies must respond within five business days with the records, a denial with legal basis, or an estimated timeline. Death certificate requests will be redirected to the Department of Health since those are state records.

Death certificates are governed by RCW Chapter 70.58. Death records less than 50 years old are restricted under RCW 70.58.107 to qualified applicants. Those 50 years or older are public records and access is open to everyone. The Digital Archives index for 1907 through 1967 is fully public. Viewing index data is free, but ordered certified copies cost $20 from the Department of Health regardless of the record's age. RCW Chapter 70.58 governs vital statistics in Washington, setting the rules for who can access death certificates and when records become public.

Note: If a public records request is denied, you can challenge the denial through the Washington State Attorney General's Sunshine Committee or seek review in superior court under the Public Records Act.

Cities in Clark County

Clark County includes several cities and communities in southwest Washington. Death records for all Clark County residents are handled through the same state and county channels described above.

Other communities in Clark County include Battle Ground, Washougal, La Center, Ridgefield, and Woodland. All death index records for these areas are searchable through the Digital Archives for 1907 through 1967, and certified certificates are available through the Department of Health.

Nearby Counties

Clark County borders other counties in southwest Washington. If a death occurred near a county boundary, the record may have been filed in an adjacent county.