How Washington Death Records Work

Washington's 2021 vital-records act set a 25-year clock: death records transfer to the State Archives and open. Inside the window anyone can buy an informational copy — but with cause and manner of death stripped out by statute. Informational copies ($25) are open to all, minus cause/manner; certified copies go to enumerated qualified applicants.

Cause of death is omitted from informational AND short-form copies — only qualified applicants see it inside the window. Content reviewed July 30, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.

Where to Order

Washington Center for Health Statistics (DOH)
Official Free
The official record holder — forms, fees, and eligibility straight from the source, without third-party markup.
🌐 doh.wa.gov
CDC — Where to Write for Vital Records
Official Free
The federal directory of every state's vital records office — the authoritative answer to 'where do I order' for any state and any year.
🌐 www.cdc.gov
Washington State Digital Archives
Official Free
Transferred death records and indexes live on the Washington State Digital Archives.
🌐 digitalarchives.wa.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

How long are Washington death records restricted?
Washington's 2021 vital-records act set a 25-year clock: death records transfer to the State Archives and open.
What can non-family requesters get?
Informational copies ($25) are open to all, minus cause/manner; certified copies go to enumerated qualified applicants.
Can I search Washington deaths online for free?
Transferred death records and indexes live on the Washington State Digital Archives.
What if I just need to confirm a death or find an obituary?
Skip the certificate entirely: newspaper obituaries (many are indexed by library databases), the Social Security death index carried on the big genealogy platforms, and probate case files in the county court that handled the estate all confirm a death without touching the restricted certificate.

Related Washington Records

The Washington vital records page covers the full birth-marriage-death picture; birth certificates follow their own (usually longer) privacy clock; probate lives in Washington court records; and people search shows how death records fit a full person lookup. County pages list the local offices that issue copies.