How to Get a Death Certificate in Washington

Washington limits certified copies to qualified applicants. Under RCW 70.58A, these people can order:

• The deceased's spouse or domestic partner, child or stepchild, parent or stepparent, sibling, grandparent or great-grandparent, or grandchild or great-grandchild
• The legal guardian of the deceased immediately before death
• A legal representative, which in Washington means a licensed attorney representing the deceased or a qualified applicant
• An authorized representative named by a living qualified applicant. A power of attorney from the deceased ends at death and cannot be used
• Next of kin, only if no one else on this list is living
• The funeral home named on the record, or the person with the right to control disposition named on the record, within 12 months of the death
• A government agency or court, for official duties

Two more groups can get the short form only (see below): a title insurer handling a real estate transaction involving the deceased, and a person who shows the certificate is needed for a determination related to the death or to protect a personal or property right related to the death.

Executors: DOH's own forms do not list "executor" or "personal representative" as a category. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department says an executor can get death certificates depending on the scope of duties in their Letter of Appointment or court order, and that a will is not the proper paperwork. Whether the state office accepts letters testamentary on their own for an executor who is not a relative is not stated. Contact DOH at 360-236-4300 to confirm before ordering, since fees are not refunded.

Washington has two places that issue death certificates: local health departments and the state Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Statistics. The state office has death records from July 1, 1907 to the present for deaths in Washington.

Local health departments (fastest, in person)

DOH partners with local health departments for in-person service of most death certificate purchases. Most orders are ready the same day. Find yours in the DOH directory of local health jurisdictions. Some health districts serve more than one county.

Each local office decides which years and places it can serve, so DOH says to check before going that the office has your record type and year. A few examples:

• Public Health Seattle & King County: its page lists deaths in Seattle (all years), King County (1944 to present), and anywhere in Washington (2015 to present). A lower paragraph on the same page says it has records for Seattle or King County only. Call ahead for a death outside King County. Kiosk orders cost $28.50.
• Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department: deaths in Tacoma (1907 to present), Pierce County (1926 to present), and most electronically filed deaths statewide from 2005, depending on the county. Average wait is 20-30 minutes. Walk-in base fee is $39.
• Spokane Regional Health District: Spokane County deaths from 1907 to present. $35 by mail, $40 walk-in, $43 by phone or online.

Local fees change often and some pages list more than one figure. Contact the office to confirm the current fee.

State office: Washington DOH

The base fee is $25 per certificate, set by state law. Each extra copy is also $25. All fees are nonrefundable, even if no record is found or your documents don't prove eligibility.

• Online: Order through VitalChek. The total starts at $40.50 ($25 certificate, $8.50 VitalChek fee, $7 DOH processing fee). An optional $3 identity quiz raises it to $43.50. Faster shipping costs extra. Orders ship within 3-7 business days after DOH receives them from VitalChek. DOH's FAQ page says within 3 days of the order being placed.
• Phone: Call VitalChek at 1-866-687-1464, any time. Credit or debit card. Same fees and timing as online.
• Mail: Send the Death Certificate Mail Order Form (DOH 422-184) to Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507. Pay $25 per certificate by check or money order payable to DOH. First Class return mail is free.
• In person at the state office: Not available. The Tumwater office (Town Center 2, 111 Israel Road SE) is by appointment only, and appointments are limited to corrections, parentage, adoptions, and court-ordered name changes. If you order a certificate during one of those appointments, there is an extra $13.50 processing fee.

DOH's phone line is 360-236-4300, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Mail timing: DOH's own pages disagree. One table says shipped within 6-8 weeks, the Death Record page says 8-10 weeks, and the FAQ page says 5-6 weeks. Plan for about 8-10 weeks after DOH has full payment and all documents, and call DOH at 360-236-4300 for the current estimate.

Proof of identity. One government-issued photo ID showing your full name and date of birth, current or expired less than 60 days. Examples include a driver's license or ID card from any state, a U.S. or foreign passport, a permanent resident card, a military ID, or a tribal ID. The full list is on DOH form 422-177.

If you don't have a government photo ID, send at least two alternate documents that together show matching names and addresses, or together show your full name, date of birth, and photo. DOH also has an exception request process if you cannot meet the requirements.

Proof of relationship. Requirements are on DOH form 422-178. For example:

• Spouse or domestic partner: nothing extra if the name on your ID matches the spouse named on the death certificate
• Child: a copy of your birth certificate showing the deceased as your parent
• Sibling, grandparent, grandchild, and other listed relatives: the birth certificate(s) linking you to the deceased
• Next of kin: a birth certificate for each degree of separation

By mail, send copies only, never originals, along with the signed form and payment.

If something is missing, DOH gives you 30 days to provide it. After that, it closes the order without a refund.

Washington offers three versions. All three cost $25.

• Long form (certified): includes cause and manner of death and the deceased's Social Security number. DOH says you may need it to close bank accounts or claim benefits such as life insurance.
• Short form (certified): leaves out cause and manner of death and the Social Security number. DOH says you may need it for transferring titles (such as vehicles), real estate transactions, and probate cases. It exists only for deaths registered electronically from January 1, 2018 onward.
• Noncertified informational copy: anyone can order it without ID or proof of relationship. It carries a watermark saying it cannot be used for legal purposes.

Before ordering, ask each bank, agency, court, or business which version they accept. You may want to order a mix of long and short forms.

By state law, the report of death must be filed with the local registrar where the death occurred within five calendar days after the death and before burial or cremation.

The funeral home handles this. It gathers the personal information about the deceased from the family member best able to give it, sends the report to the doctor or other medical certifier, and files the completed report with the local registrar. The funeral home named on the record can also order certified copies itself for up to 12 months after the death.

DOH does not publish a set number of days to wait before ordering. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department advises waiting until the funeral home tells you the record is ready. Ask your funeral home whether it will order your first copies and how many.

Many banks, insurers, and agencies want their own certified copy, and Washington charges $25 for each copy, with no discount for extras. Because the long and short forms serve different purposes, think about which institutions need which version. For a fuller breakdown, see our guide on how many copies.

To correct a Washington death certificate, use the Affidavit for Correction (DOH 422-034), found on DOH's Changing Death Certificates page. You can also make corrections in person at DOH's Tumwater office by appointment.

• DOH's current processing time is about four months.
• Only the medical certifier (such as the doctor, medical examiner, or coroner) can correct the cause of death.
• DOH does not accept a driver's license, Social Security card, or family bible as proof documents.
• If you have a certified copy issued less than one year ago, send it with your correction and DOH will exchange it for a corrected copy at no charge.

The Changing Death Certificates page explains who may request a change and what proof is needed. Contact DOH at 360-236-4300 to confirm where to send your request.

DOH says VitalChek is its only contracted and approved third-party vendor. It warns that other companies charge customers high fees to "process" or "help apply" for vital record certificates.

The official ways to order are:

• Washington DOH by mail, using form DOH 422-184
• VitalChek, online through the DOH Vital Records page or by phone at 1-866-687-1464
• Your local health department, listed in the DOH directory

If a website isn't one of these, don't use it.