Search Cowlitz County Death Index

Cowlitz County death index records are available through the Washington State Digital Archives for deaths from 1907 through 1967, and certified death certificates for all deaths from 1907 forward are issued by the Washington State Department of Health. Cowlitz County in southwest Washington includes the cities of Longview and the county seat of Kelso. The county auditor and coroner offices in Kelso are the main local contacts for death records and investigation files. This page explains how to find and request death records for any time period in Cowlitz County.

How Cowlitz County Death Index Records Work

Washington State launched its centralized death registration system in 1907. Since that year, all death certificates filed in Cowlitz County have gone to the state rather than remaining at the county. The Washington State Department of Health holds all certified death certificates from 1907 forward. Cowlitz County does not keep certified copies of those records. To get a certified death certificate for a Cowlitz County death from 1907 or later, you contact the Department of Health directly.

The Washington State Digital Archives provides a free death index covering 1907 through 1967. You can search Cowlitz County records at digitalarchives.wa.gov. No account or fee is required. Search by name, date range, or county. Results show the name, age, gender, date of death, county, and the certificate number. That certificate number is what you reference when requesting a certified copy from the Department of Health.

Cowlitz County was established in 1854. That gives it over 50 years of county-level death records before the statewide system began in 1907. Those older records, where they survived, may be at the county auditor's office or on microfilm at the Washington State Archives in Olympia. The era before 1907 covers a significant period in Cowlitz County's history, including early settlement and the growth of the timber industry. The Cowlitz County Auditor at co.cowlitz.wa.us/auditor can confirm what early records the county holds.

The Digital Archives screenshot below shows the main search interface for Cowlitz County death index records. The Digital Archives covers 1907 through 1967 and is free to search for all Washington counties including Cowlitz.

Cowlitz County Auditor Office

The Cowlitz County Auditor in Kelso maintains county records and is the local resource for historical death records research. Death certificates from 1907 forward are state records, and the auditor will direct those requests to the Department of Health. The office may hold early death registers, burial permits, and cemetery records from before 1907. If you are researching a Cowlitz County death from the county's early decades, contacting the auditor is a good starting point.

Kelso and Longview are the two main cities in Cowlitz County and sit side by side along the Cowlitz River near its confluence with the Columbia. The county has a strong timber industry history and has been shaped by major events like the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, which is partly within Skamania County to the east. Death records from the area reflect these historical developments. For the 1907 to 1967 period, the Digital Archives is the fastest way to search. The Cowlitz County Auditor maintains county records and is the local contact for historical death records research and early registers.

Searching Cowlitz County Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the best free resource for online death record searches in Cowlitz County. The index covers 1907 through 1967. Search by name, date range, county, or certificate number. Results display immediately with no login or fee. The certificate number in the results is the reference you need when ordering a certified copy from the Department of Health.

Deaths after 1967 are not in the free index. 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 50 years have passed, the record becomes fully public and access is open to anyone.

For county-level records requests, Cowlitz County accepts online and written requests through its public records portal at co.cowlitz.wa.us/public-records-request. The county will redirect death certificate requests to the Department of Health. For coroner records, early registers, or other county-held documents, the county processes those requests directly.

Note: The Digital Archives also holds some pre-1907 county death returns. Check whether Cowlitz County materials are included when you search, as those records can supplement the formal index for deaths before statewide registration began.

Ordering Cowlitz County Death Certificates

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

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

Online orders go through VitalChek at vitalchek.com. VitalChek charges $12.50 plus shipping on top of the $20 state fee. Online processing is generally faster than mail. VitalChek is the only authorized online ordering service for Washington State vital records. VitalChek handles online orders for certified death certificates from all Washington counties including Cowlitz.

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

Cowlitz County Coroner Records

The Cowlitz County Coroner investigates deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent, or where the cause is not clearly known. The coroner determines cause and manner of death and prepares case files that are separate from official death certificates. These records can include autopsy reports, toxicology findings, and investigation notes. Coroner case files are distinct from the certified death certificate issued by the Department of Health.

Coroner records are government records 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 legal exemption applies. Contact the Cowlitz County Coroner through the county website at co.cowlitz.wa.us/coroner to ask about a specific case or submit a formal request. The Cowlitz County Coroner investigates deaths under unusual or suspicious circumstances and maintains case files separate from the official state death certificate records.

Most routine deaths in Cowlitz County do not involve the coroner. Standard deaths go directly through the funeral home and into the state registration process. Coroner involvement is limited to cases that meet specific criteria under Washington law. If you are looking for a standard death certificate rather than a coroner investigation file, the Department of Health is the right place to start.

Historical Death Records in Cowlitz County

Cowlitz County was formed in 1854, giving it over 50 years of county-level death records before the statewide system started in 1907. The county's early history included fur trading, Catholic missionary activity, and the growth of farming and timber industries along the Cowlitz River. Death records from that period reflect a mix of early settler families and, in some cases, Native American community members. Those older records vary in completeness and format.

The Washington State Archives Research Facility in Olympia is the main repository for pre-1907 county records. It is at 1129 Washington Street SE, Olympia WA 98504, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Contact the Archives at archives@sos.wa.gov or 360-586-1492. Visit sos.wa.gov/archives for more details. Staff can confirm what Cowlitz County microfilm and original records the Archives holds and explain how to access them. The Washington State Archives holds microfilm of county death records predating 1907, including materials from Cowlitz County.

FamilySearch has partnered with the State Archives to digitize a portion of Washington's older vital records. Searching FamilySearch.org is free. For Cowlitz County, probate records at the Superior Court clerk can document deaths through estate filings. Newspaper obituaries from Longview and Kelso papers are another useful source. The CDC's Washington vital records reference page at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/washington.htm describes where records are held and how to access them by time period.

Public Records Access in Cowlitz County

Cowlitz County operates under the Washington Public Records Act at RCW 42.56. Anyone can submit a public records request. County agencies must respond within five business days with the records, a denial with legal basis, or an estimated timeline. For death certificates, the county will redirect requests to the Department of Health since certified death certificates are state records. For coroner records, early registers, or other county-held documents, submit your request through co.cowlitz.wa.us/public-records-request.

Death certificate access rules come from RCW Chapter 70.58 rather than the general public records act. Records less than 50 years old are restricted under RCW 70.58.107 to qualified applicants. Those 50 years or older are fully public and anyone can request them. The Digital Archives index for 1907 through 1967 is already public because all those records have passed the 50-year threshold. Searching the index is free, but a certified copy from the Department of Health still costs $20 regardless of the record's age. RCW Chapter 70.58 is the governing statute for vital records in Washington, setting access rules for death certificates and the timeline for when records become fully public.

Note: If a public records request is denied by a county agency, 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 Cowlitz County

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

Other communities in Cowlitz County include Kelso, Castle Rock, Kalama, Woodland, and Rainier. All death index records for these areas are searchable through the Digital Archives for 1907 through 1967, and certified death certificates are available through the Department of Health.

Nearby Counties

Cowlitz County borders several counties in southwest Washington. If a death occurred near a county line, the record may have been filed in an adjacent county.