Find Death Records in Pierce County

Pierce County death index records span from pre-statehood registers through the present day, with the Washington State Digital Archives providing free online access to historical death indexes from 1883 through 1967, and the Washington State Department of Health and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department both issuing certified death certificates for more recent records. This page covers how to search the Pierce County death index, where to order a certified certificate, what the Medical Examiner handles, and what state law says about access restrictions.

How the Pierce County Death Index Works

Pierce County death records follow Washington State's two-tier system. Current records are filed with the Washington State Department of Health, which maintains the official statewide vital records registry. Historical death indexes from 1907 through 1967 are searchable free through the Washington State Digital Archives. Pierce County stands out because it also has death registers going back to 1883, well before Washington achieved statehood in 1889 and before mandatory statewide registration began in 1907.

When someone dies in Pierce County today, the attending physician or funeral home files a death certificate with DOH within ten days under RCW 70.58.050. That record enters the state system regardless of which city or unincorporated community the death occurred in. For deaths that require investigation, the Pierce County Medical Examiner files the certificate on behalf of the family. The Medical Examiner handles sudden, unexpected, unattended, and violent deaths.

The death index is a summary finding tool, not a full certificate. It shows name, date, county, certificate number, age, and gender but not cause of death. Use the index to locate a specific record, then request the full certificate from DOH or the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

Pierce County Auditor's Office

The Pierce County Auditor's Office in Tacoma is the county's main records office. It maintains recorded documents and handles licensing and elections. For death records, the Auditor's historical role connects to pre-statehood death registers dating back to 1883 that are now accessible through the Digital Archives. The Auditor's current website links to county services and can guide researchers toward records resources.

Source: Pierce County Auditor

The Pierce County Auditor's Office links to county records and can assist researchers with questions about early death registers.

For public records requests covering Pierce County records outside the vital records system, you can submit a request online at piercecountywa.gov/publicrecords under RCW 42.56. Pierce County's public records portal handles requests for a wide range of county documents.

Searching the Pierce County Death Index Online

The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the best free resource for Pierce County death index searches. For Pierce County specifically, the digital archive includes pre-1907 death registers from 1883 through 1907, which is one of the longest historical records sets in the state. Combined with the statewide death index from 1907 through 1967, that gives researchers access to Pierce County deaths spanning 84 years at no cost.

Source: Washington State Digital Archives

Pierce County's pre-1907 death registers in the Digital Archives go back to 1883, giving researchers one of Washington's longest free historical indexes.

Searching is straightforward. Enter a first or last name, filter by county, and set a year range if you know the approximate date. Each result shows the certificate number you need to order a full copy. The Digital Archives also contains cemetery records and burial permits from Pierce County locations, which can add context to a death record search.

For deaths after 1967, no public online index exists. Contact DOH at 360-236-4300 or use VitalChek to request a record search. If you know the year and county, staff can often confirm a record exists before you pay for a certified copy. For deaths in Tacoma specifically, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department can also handle certificate requests.

Note: The pre-1907 Pierce County death registers in the Digital Archives reflect early settlement in a rapidly growing region and may show varying levels of detail compared to modern certificates.

Ordering a Pierce County Death Certificate

Pierce County is one of a small number of Washington counties with a local vital records office. You can order death certificates from either the state DOH or the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Both charge $20 per certified copy. A Verification of Death letter costs $15 and is available from both offices.

You can also order from the state DOH at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501. Call 360-236-4300 or mail requests to PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507-9709. Mail orders take four to six weeks. For faster service, VitalChek at vitalchek.com processes online orders for $20 plus a $12.50 processing fee.

Under RCW 70.58.107, death certificates for deaths within the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. Those include the spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and legal representatives of the deceased. Deaths older than 50 years are available to any member of the public.

Pierce County Medical Examiner

The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office investigates deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent, unexplained, or occur without a physician in attendance. When the ME's office handles a case, it files the death certificate with DOH. That record enters the state vital records system the same way any other certificate does. The ME's investigative files are a separate set of records with different access rules.

Autopsy reports and investigative records held by the Pierce County Medical Examiner are public records in Washington but may be partially withheld if related to ongoing investigations. You can submit a public records request to the Pierce County Medical Examiner under RCW 42.56. Given Pierce County's large population, the ME handles a significant number of cases each year, and its records can be important for estate, insurance, and legal matters.

Historical Death Records in Pierce County

Pierce County has some of the oldest indexed death records in Washington. The pre-1907 death registers dating back to 1883 are searchable for free in the Washington State Digital Archives. These reflect a period of significant growth in the Tacoma area as a railroad terminus and industrial center. The records sometimes show less detail than modern certificates but can confirm deaths, relationships, and burial locations not found anywhere else.

The Washington State Archives at 1129 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98504 holds physical copies of older records that go beyond what is digitized. Contact the Archives at 360-586-1492 or archives@sos.wa.gov, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Their website is at sos.wa.gov/archives. For Pierce County, the Puget Sound Regional Branch in Bellevue also holds microfilmed county records that may supplement the online index.

Other sources for historical Pierce County deaths include probate court files at the Pierce County Superior Court, which often reference the deceased and date of death. Historic newspapers covering Tacoma are widely available through the Washington State Library and other digitization projects. FamilySearch maintains a large set of Washington death records and cemetery transcriptions that can fill gaps in the Digital Archives data.

Source: Washington State Archives

The State Archives holds records going back before the DOH system and can assist genealogical researchers with older Pierce County deaths.

Public Records Access for Pierce County Death Records

Washington's Public Records Act under RCW 42.56 gives the public broad rights to government records. Death records carry a specific restriction under RCW 70.58. Certified certificates for deaths within the past 50 years are restricted to qualified applicants. Deaths older than 50 years are open to anyone, no relationship required.

Qualified applicants for restricted records include the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the deceased, and legal representatives with documented authority. Funeral homes and government agencies also have access for official purposes. You must show proof of your relationship or legal standing when requesting a record under 50 years old.

Death index records in the Digital Archives from 1907 through 1967 are fully public. The index does not show cause of death or family details, so it doesn't trigger the same privacy concerns as a full certificate. Anyone can search and use the index at no cost.

Source: RCW 70.58 Vital Statistics

RCW 70.58 defines who can obtain certified Washington death certificates and what fees apply statewide.

The CDC maintains Washington vital statistics data nationally. Their page at cdc.gov provides contact information and links to DOH resources for anyone researching death records in Pierce County or elsewhere in Washington.

Cities in Pierce County

Pierce County includes several cities and unincorporated communities. Death records for all of them are filed through the state DOH system and indexed in the Washington State Digital Archives for historical searches.

Nearby Counties

These counties border or lie near Pierce County. Each has its own death index records and courthouse resources.