Search Lincoln County Death Index

Lincoln County death index records are part of Washington State's centralized vital records system, with historical indexes searchable for free through the Washington State Digital Archives. Lincoln County is a rural county in eastern Washington with Davenport as the county seat and a population of roughly 10,500. This page covers how to search the Lincoln County death index, request certified death certificates from DOH, and find historical records for family research.

How Lincoln County Death Index Records Work

Death records in Lincoln County are filed with the Washington State Department of Health. When a death occurs, the attending physician or funeral director submits the death certificate to DOH within ten days. DOH stores all certificates in the state registry in Tumwater. Lincoln County does not maintain its own modern vital records database separate from the state system.

For historical deaths from 1907 through 1967, the Washington State Digital Archives provides a free, public index. Each record in the index shows the decedent's name, date of death, county, certificate number, age, and gender. Lincoln County's small population means the index has fewer entries than larger counties, but the available records are fully indexed and searchable. Cemetery records for Lincoln County are also available through the Digital Archives.

The death index functions as a locator tool. Find the person you are looking for, note the certificate number, and then request the full certificate from DOH if you need cause of death, family details, or other information not shown in the index. This two-step process applies to most death record searches in Washington.

Lincoln County Auditor Death Records

The Lincoln County Auditor in Davenport maintains county records including historical death registers that predate the state vital records system. The auditor's office at 450 Logan Street can assist with questions about pre-1907 Lincoln County death records. For genealogical researchers, these early registers can provide documentation for deaths that occurred before Washington's statewide recording system took effect.

The auditor's office does not issue modern certified death certificates. Those come from DOH in Tumwater. The auditor handles other county records including property documents and recordings that may be relevant to estate research following a death.

Searching Lincoln County Death Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the primary free tool for Lincoln County death index searches. The index covers 1907 through 1967. Search by name and select Lincoln County to filter results. The index shows certificate numbers you can use to order full records from DOH.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

The Digital Archives covers Lincoln County deaths from 1907 to 1967 and is free to access without any login or account.

For deaths after 1967, no free public index is available online. Contact DOH at 360-236-4300 to inquire about a specific record. Having the person's full name and an approximate year of death helps staff search the registry efficiently. For urgent requests, VitalChek online orders are faster than mail.

Given Lincoln County's small size, records from the early twentieth century may be sparser than in larger counties. If the Digital Archives search returns no results for a name you expect to find, try alternate spellings or a broader year range. Records from this period sometimes have transcription variations that affect searchability.

Ordering a Lincoln County Death Certificate

Certified death certificates for Lincoln County are issued by the Washington State Department of Health. The fee is $20 per copy. Under RCW 70.58, deaths within the past 50 years are available only to qualified applicants: spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative. Deaths older than 50 years are open to the public.

In person: DOH at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater WA 98501, weekdays 8am to 4:30pm. By mail: PO Box 9709, Olympia WA 98507-9709. Mail takes about 4 to 6 weeks. Online: vitalchek.com for $20 plus a $12.50 processing fee.

Source: VitalChek Online Ordering

VitalChek is the state-authorized online ordering service for Washington death certificates, including those for Lincoln County deaths.

DOH also provides Verification of Death letters for $15. These have fewer access restrictions than certified copies and confirm the death was registered. For insurance claims, estate administration, and similar purposes, a verification letter is often sufficient.

Lincoln County Coroner Death Records

The Lincoln County Coroner investigates deaths within the county that are sudden, violent, unexplained, or otherwise require official review. When the coroner handles a case, the office files the death certificate with DOH. The resulting certificate is part of the state vital records system. Coroner investigative files are separate from the DOH registry.

Coroner records are public under RCW 42.56 unless they fall under a specific exemption. Submit a public records request to the Lincoln County Coroner to obtain reports. The county aims to respond within five business days. Active investigation records may be withheld until the investigation closes.

Historical Death Records in Lincoln County

Lincoln County was established in 1883 from the eastern portion of Spokane County. Historical death records from the early county period are held in part by the Washington State Archives in Olympia. The Archives can assist with requests for Lincoln County deaths before the DOH system took effect. The Archives is at 1129 Washington St SE, Olympia WA 98504.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives holds Lincoln County records from before 1907 and can assist genealogical researchers working on early county deaths.

Reach the State Archives at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Cemetery transcription records for Lincoln County are in the Digital Archives and through genealogical society databases. Probate records at the Lincoln County Superior Court document death dates and are public. Given the county's agricultural history, early probate and estate records can be a rich source of information about deaths in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Public Records Access for Lincoln County Death Records

Washington's Public Records Act under RCW 42.56 establishes broad access rights to government records. RCW 70.58 places specific restrictions on vital records. Deaths within the past 50 years require a qualifying relationship. Deaths older than 50 years are public with no qualification needed.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 controls who can obtain a certified Lincoln County death certificate and defines the fee structure.

For Lincoln County public records outside the vital records system, you submit requests through the county's public records process at co.lincoln.wa.us/Public-Records. The county follows RCW 42.56 requirements. The death index in the Digital Archives is fully open and free to the public without restriction.

The CDC's Washington vital records page at cdc.gov links to both DOH and national resources. It provides context for how Washington death data fits into the national vital statistics system.

Source: CDC Washington Vital Records

The CDC page is a useful entry point for national vital statistics data that includes Washington State, where Lincoln County records are part of the larger system.

Cities in Lincoln County

Lincoln County's small communities file death records through the Washington State DOH system. No cities in Lincoln County meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site.

The main communities in Lincoln County include Davenport, Creston, Harrington, Wilbur, and Sprague. Death records for all of these flow through the state DOH vital records system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border or lie near Lincoln County in eastern Washington.