Franklin County Death Index

Franklin County death index records are available for free through the Washington State Digital Archives for deaths registered from 1907 through 1967, and certified death certificates for Franklin County residents are issued by the Washington State Department of Health. This page covers how to search the death index, how to order a certified copy, what access rules apply, and where to find older historical records for Franklin County.

How Franklin County Death Index Records Are Kept

Washington State requires that all deaths be registered with the Department of Health. Under RCW 70.58.050, deaths must be registered within 10 days. The DOH Vital Records office in Tumwater is the central repository for all Washington death certificates from 1907 onward. Franklin County death records from that period are part of this statewide system.

For free searches, the Washington State Digital Archives provides online access to the death index from 1907 through 1967. The index is a transcribed database, not photographic images, but it gives you the key details needed to locate and order a certified copy. To search Franklin County specifically, go to digitalarchives.wa.gov and filter results by county. The index covers deaths registered in Franklin County during this period and shows name, date, county, certificate number, age, and gender.

For deaths before 1907, the Franklin County Auditor may hold early death registers or burial records. The Washington State Archives in Olympia also holds microfilm for some pre-1907 county records. Access to pre-1907 material is less consistent than the post-1907 state index, and researchers often need to check multiple sources.

Franklin County Auditor Office

The Franklin County Auditor is based in Pasco at the county seat. The auditor maintains county government records and may hold early death registers and burial documents that predate 1907. For death certificates from 1907 onward, the auditor's office will direct you to the Washington State Department of Health. The auditor also handles public records requests under Washington's Public Records Act.

Franklin County uses the GovQA online system for public records requests. If you need county-held records that are not part of the DOH vital records system, you can submit a request through the Franklin County Public Records portal. The county must respond within 5 business days with the records, a timeline for production, or an applicable exemption. County records like early registers or burial permits are subject to this process rather than the DOH system.

The Franklin County Auditor's office in Pasco can direct you to county-held historical records and process public records requests for documents not in the DOH system.

For pre-1907 death records and county-held historical documents, the Franklin County Auditor is your first local contact.

Searching Franklin County Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives is the best free resource for searching Franklin County death index records. The database covers 1907 through 1967 and is open to anyone without registration. Visit digitalarchives.wa.gov and enter the name you are searching. Filter by Franklin County to narrow your results. Search results include name, date of death, county, certificate number, age, and gender.

The Digital Archives index does not include photographic copies of most certificates. It is a transcribed index meant as a finding tool. Once you confirm a record exists using the index, use the certificate number to order a certified copy from DOH. This is more efficient than sending a request without a certificate number, especially for common names.

The Digital Archives also holds some pre-1907 records for Franklin County, including early registers and cemetery records. These older records are less complete but can help confirm deaths before state registration began. Try searching without a county filter if your initial search returns nothing, since early records may be indexed under a variant of the county name.

The Digital Archives portal for Franklin County death records is shown below.

The Digital Archives search is free and covers over 60 years of Washington death records, including all Franklin County deaths registered from 1907 through 1967.

Ordering a Franklin County Death Certificate

Certified death certificates for Franklin County are issued by the Washington State Department of Health. The DOH holds all death certificates registered in Washington from 1907 onward. A certified copy costs $20. If you only need confirmation that a death record exists, DOH also offers a Verification of Death letter for $15. The verification confirms the record is on file but does not provide the full certificate details.

To order online, use VitalChek, the state's authorized online vendor. VitalChek charges the $20 certificate fee plus a $12.50 processing fee and shipping. Phone orders also go through VitalChek. For mail orders, send a completed application, a copy of your valid photo ID, and a check or money order payable to DOH to: PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507-9709. Mail processing takes 4 to 6 weeks. For faster service, visit the DOH Vital Records office in person at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501 during office hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The office phone number is 360-236-4300.

Under RCW 70.58.107, death certificates are restricted for 50 years from the date of death. During that period, only qualified applicants may order a certified copy. After 50 years the record is public. Amendments to death certificates under RCW 70.58.200 take approximately 8 to 12 weeks.

VitalChek's online ordering portal is shown below. This is the fastest way to order a Franklin County death certificate without visiting DOH in person.

VitalChek processes orders 24 hours a day and accepts major credit cards. Standard delivery adds to the base $20 certificate fee.

Franklin County Coroner Records

The Franklin County Coroner investigates sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths within the county. Coroner records are not part of the DOH vital records system and are not included in the Digital Archives death index. These records can include investigation reports, cause of death findings, and autopsy results. They are maintained separately from death certificates.

To request coroner records for Franklin County, contact the Coroner's office at franklincountywa.gov/189/Coroner. Coroner records fall under Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56. Some portions of these reports may be exempt from disclosure. Submit a written public records request to get a formal response on what is available and what, if anything, is exempt from release.

Historical Death Records in Franklin County

Franklin County was established in 1883, so there are a few decades of records before statewide registration began in 1907. Pre-1907 death records for the county are limited but may include early county registers, burial records, and cemetery transcriptions. The Washington State Archives in Olympia is the primary repository for pre-1907 microfilm collections covering Washington counties.

Contact the State Archives at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov for guidance on what Franklin County pre-1907 material is available. In-person access is at 1129 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98504, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. FamilySearch has also digitized some Washington vital records through a partnership with the State Archives and provides free access to those collections online.

Cemetery records can be a useful supplement. They often capture burials for people who died before state registration was required. Probate court records are another option, since families typically opened a probate case when someone died with property. Those case files list the decedent, approximate death date, and heirs. Old newspaper obituaries from the Pasco and Tri-Cities area can confirm deaths and give family details that do not appear in official records.

The Washington State Archives staff can help identify which microfilm collections and digitized records cover Franklin County's early years.

The State Archives holds pre-1907 microfilm and can confirm what early Franklin County records have survived and where they are stored.

Access Rules for Franklin County Death Records

Washington State law under RCW 70.58.107 restricts death certificates for 50 years from the date of death. During that period only qualified applicants can get a certified copy. Qualified applicants include the spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and legal representatives of the deceased. Once the record is more than 50 years old, it is open to the general public and anyone may request a copy.

For county-held records, Franklin County processes public records requests under Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56. The county's online GovQA portal at franklincountywa.gov/PublicRecords lets you submit requests electronically. The county must respond within 5 business days. County records like early death registers and burial permits are generally public unless a specific exemption applies.

Amendments to death certificates are governed by RCW 70.58.200. The process takes 8 to 12 weeks. Contact DOH directly to start the amendment process if information on a Franklin County death certificate is incorrect. RCW 70.58.220 makes it a crime to fraudulently obtain a death certificate. Request only records you are authorized to receive.

The Washington State Legislature's RCW portal provides the full text of the vital statistics laws that govern Franklin County death record access.

RCW 70.58 covers all aspects of vital records in Washington State, from registration and access rules to fees and amendments that apply to Franklin County death records.

Note: If you are not a qualified applicant under RCW 70.58.107 and the 50-year restriction applies, a $15 Verification of Death letter from DOH may confirm the record exists without providing a full certified copy.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County's county seat and largest city is Pasco. All dissolution and death records for Franklin County residents are processed through the state and county systems based in Pasco.

Other communities in Franklin County include Connell, Mesa, and Kahlotus. Death certificates for residents of any Franklin County community are issued by the Washington State Department of Health.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County is bordered by several Washington counties. If a death occurred near a county line, it may have been registered in an adjacent county. Check the Digital Archives index entry for the county of record before ordering.