Not a government site. We do not sell records or host personal data. About us

County Records Guide
Menu

How to order a Washington birth certificate

Who holds it: Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics (state registrar), July 1, 1907-present; local health jurisdictions offer in-person service for most birth certificates. Pre-July 1907 births were recorded by county auditors (State Archives).1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Who may order and what is restricted
  3. Older records and indexes
  4. Related records in Washington
  5. Birth certificates in Washington counties with a full guide
  6. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  7. Sources

Fee

$25 per certified or informational copy (statutory); VitalChek online/phone total starts at $40.50 ($25 + $8.50 VitalChek + $7 DOH processing; optional $3 VitalChek identity quiz makes it $43.50); Heirloom birth certificate fees start at $50.2

Who may order

Certified birth certificate: only qualified applicants (self, spouse/domestic partner, child, parent, stepparent, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, legal guardian, legal representative, authorized representative, government agency, courts). Noncertified informational copy: anyone.1

Processing time

VitalChek: ships within 3-7 business days of DOH receipt; mail: DOH pages state 6-8 weeks (ordering page) and 8-10 weeks (FAQ text); in person at local health departments usually same day.2

How to search and order

How to order
Online/phone through VitalChek (DOH vendor linked from DOH), by mail to DOH with order form, or in person at local health jurisdictions.2

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
ID and proof of qualifying relationship required for certificates; informational copies are watermarked and cannot be used for legal purposes.1

Older records and indexes

Index
Statewide birth index 1907-1919 via State Archives branches; Digital Archives "Birth Records" collection online.3
Death certificates: who holds it
Department of Health (July 1, 1907-present) and local health jurisdictions; pre-1907 at State Archives (county auditor records).4
Death certificates: fee
$25 per certificate or informational copy; VitalChek total starts at $40.50.4
Older records: vital record indexes
Pre-1907 births/deaths and pre-1968 marriages (county auditor records) at regional branches; online death index 1907-2014 (excl. 1960-1964).3

Birth certificates in Washington counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Benton CountyBenton-Franklin Health District - Vital Records5—$25 per certificate; same-day service extra; VitalChek orders start at $43.006
Clark CountyClark County Public Health, Vital Records7—$38.50 first copy in person; $25.00 each additional; mail orders add $10.00 order fee; VitalChek adds $11.507
Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County Health & Human Services - Vital Records8——
Franklin CountyBenton-Franklin Health District - Vital Records9—Start at $25 each; VitalChek orders start at $43.0010
Grant CountyRegional Health District, Vital Statistics Office, 509-766-7960 (after 1907)11——
Island CountyIsland County Public Health, Birth & Death Records12—$30 per certified birth certificate13
King CountyKing County Vital Statistics / Vital Records Office14—$25 per certificate; mail orders add $4; VitalChek online/phone adds $6.00 agency fee + $11.50 handling; in-person kiosk $28.5015
Kitsap CountyKitsap Public Health District: certified WA birth certificates (1907-present), $25.00 per copy16——
Lewis CountyLewis County Public Health & Social Services, Vital Records17—$25, plus $5 processing fee per record; $5 same-day pick up18
Pierce County———
Skagit CountySkagit County Public Health - Birth and Death Certificates19——
Snohomish CountySnohomish County Health Department - Vital Records20—$25 per copy plus $15 identity verification and record retention fee per record; $2 postage and handling for mail orders21
Spokane CountySpokane Regional Health District - Vital Records22—Mail $35; walk-in $40; phone/online (VitalChek) $4323
Thurston CountyThurston County Public Health & Social Services, Vital Records24—$25.00 per copy24
Whatcom CountyWhatcom County Health and Community Services issues certified and non-certified Washington State birth certificates (births July 1, 1907 to present): $25.00 per copy25——
Yakima CountyYakima Health District - Vital Records26—$25 per certified copy; same-day processing +$10; regular mail +$2; priority mail +$727

For any other county, see the county list on the Washington guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Washington office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: birth certificates in every state. Everything else in Washington: Washington public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Ordering a Birth RecordWashington State Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Ordering a Vital RecordWashington State Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  3. Common Research SubjectsWashington State Archives (Secretary of State)checked November 4, 2026
  4. Ordering a Death RecordWashington State Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  5. Benton County, WA home pageBenton Countychecked November 5, 2026
  6. Vital RecordsBenton-Franklin Health Districtchecked November 5, 2026
  7. Birth and death certificatesClark County Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  8. DepartmentsCowlitz Countychecked November 4, 2026
  9. Vital Records (HTML)Benton-Franklin Health Districtchecked November 7, 2026
  10. Vital RecordsBenton-Franklin Health Districtchecked November 7, 2026
  11. Frequently Asked Questions - CivicPlus.CMS.FAQGrant County, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  12. Island County: Departments OfficesIsland County, Washingtonchecked November 8, 2026
  13. Island County: Birth Death RecordsIsland County, Washingtonchecked November 8, 2026
  14. Recorder's OfficeKing County, Washingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  15. Order a birth certificatePublic Health - Seattle & King Countychecked November 4, 2026
  16. Birth & Death CertificatesKitsap Public Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Public Health & Social ServicesLewis County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  18. Vital RecordsLewis County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  19. Birth and Death CertificatesSkagit County Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Public RecordsSnohomish County, WAchecked November 4, 2026
  21. Birth CertificatesSnohomish County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  22. Birth & Death CertificatesSpokane Regional Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026
  23. Birth CertificatesSpokane Regional Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026
  24. Vital RecordsThurston Countychecked November 4, 2026
  25. Order a Birth or Death CertificateWhatcom County Health and Community Serviceschecked November 6, 2026
  26. Birth & Death CertificatesYakima Health District (yakimacounty.us)checked November 4, 2026
  27. Birth CertificatesYakima Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026