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

County Records Guide
Menu

How to order a Washington death certificate

Who holds it: Department of Health (July 1, 1907-present) and local health jurisdictions; pre-1907 at State Archives (county auditor records).1

Last checked against official sources on .

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

Fee

$25 per certificate or informational copy; VitalChek total starts at $40.50.1

Who may order

Long-form (with cause of death/SSN): qualified applicants (family, legal guardian/representative, authorized representative, government agency, courts, next of kin, funeral director or person controlling disposition within 12 months). Short-form adds title insurers and persons showing necessity. Noncertified informational copy: anyone.1

Processing time

VitalChek ships 3-7 business days; mail: DOH death page says 8-10 weeks while the DOH ordering page says 6-8 weeks; local health departments often same day.1

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
Informational copies omit cause and manner of death; no informational copy of long-form or fetal death records.2

Older records and indexes

Index
Statewide death index 1907-2014 (excluding 1960-1964) searchable on the Digital Archives.3
Birth certificates: 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).4
Birth certificates: 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 $50.5
Probate: who holds it
Superior court of the county (clerk of the superior court keeps the file).6
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

Death 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 Records7—$25 per certificate8
Clark CountyClark County Public Health, Vital Records9—$38.50 first copy; $25.00 each additional9
Cowlitz CountyCowlitz County Health & Human Services - Vital Records10——
Franklin CountyBenton-Franklin Health District - Vital Records11—Start at $25 each; VitalChek orders start at $43.0012
Grant CountyRegional Health District, Vital Statistics Office, 509-766-7960 (after 1907)13——
Island CountyIsland County Public Health, Birth & Death Records14—$30 per certified death certificate, in person15
King CountyKing County Vital Statistics / Vital Records Office16—$25 per certificate (extra fees by ordering method; mail orders add $4)17
Kitsap CountyKitsap Public Health District: death certificates, $25.00 per copy; in person, mail, VitalChek online or phone18——
Lewis CountyLewis County Public Health & Social Services, Vital Records19—$25, plus $5 processing fee per record; $5 same-day pick up20
Pierce County———
Skagit CountySkagit County Public Health - Birth and Death Certificates21——
Snohomish CountySnohomish County Health Department - Vital Records22—$25 per copy plus $15 identity verification and record retention fee23
Spokane CountySpokane Regional Health District - Vital Records24—Mail $35; walk-in $40; phone/online (VitalChek) $4325
Thurston CountyThurston County Public Health & Social Services, Vital Records26—$25.00 per copy26
Whatcom CountyWhatcom County Health and Community Services issues Washington State death certificates (deaths 1989 to present): $25.00 per copy27——
Yakima CountyYakima Health District - Vital Records28—$25 per copy (certified or noncertified); same-day +$10; regular mail +$2; priority mail +$729

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: death 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 Death RecordWashington State Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  2. RCW Chapter 70.58A Vital statisticsWashington State Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  3. Common Research SubjectsWashington State Archives (Secretary of State)checked November 4, 2026
  4. Ordering a Birth RecordWashington State Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  5. Ordering a Vital RecordWashington State Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  6. RCW 2.08.010 Superior courts - Original jurisdictionWashington State Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  7. Benton County, WA home pageBenton Countychecked November 5, 2026
  8. Vital RecordsBenton-Franklin Health Districtchecked November 5, 2026
  9. Birth and death certificatesClark County Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  10. DepartmentsCowlitz Countychecked November 4, 2026
  11. Vital Records (HTML)Benton-Franklin Health Districtchecked November 7, 2026
  12. Vital RecordsBenton-Franklin Health Districtchecked November 7, 2026
  13. Frequently Asked Questions - CivicPlus.CMS.FAQGrant County, WAchecked November 7, 2026
  14. Island County: Departments OfficesIsland County, Washingtonchecked November 8, 2026
  15. Island County: Birth Death RecordsIsland County, Washingtonchecked November 8, 2026
  16. Recorder's OfficeKing County, Washingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Order a death certificatePublic Health - Seattle & King Countychecked November 4, 2026
  18. Birth & Death CertificatesKitsap Public Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026
  19. Public Health & Social ServicesLewis County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  20. Vital RecordsLewis County, WAchecked November 8, 2026
  21. Birth and Death CertificatesSkagit County Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  22. Public RecordsSnohomish County, WAchecked November 4, 2026
  23. Death CertificatesSnohomish County Health Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  24. Birth & Death CertificatesSpokane Regional Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026
  25. Death CertificatesSpokane Regional Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026
  26. Vital RecordsThurston Countychecked November 4, 2026
  27. Order a Birth or Death CertificateWhatcom County Health and Community Serviceschecked November 6, 2026
  28. Birth & Death CertificatesYakima Health District (yakimacounty.us)checked November 4, 2026
  29. Death CertificatesYakima Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026