When death certificates open, who can order them now, and the free index, obituary, and probate routes.
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.
Often you don't need the certificate at all — you need proof the death happened. Transferred death records and indexes live on the Washington State Digital Archives. Where an index exists, it answers the question for free.
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Obituaries and the SSDI
The obituary route is faster than most official channels: newspaper obituaries via library databases, funeral-home notices, and the Social Security death index carried on the big genealogy platforms together confirm most deaths within minutes.
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Let probate prove it
Probate is the overlooked confirmer: if an estate was opened, the county court file proves the death, names the parties, and often matters more than the certificate itself — run it through Washington court records.
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When only the certificate will do
When it truly must be the certificate: the rules above apply — 25 years after death in Washington — and the custodian card at the top is the direct channel. For family history at scale, pair this page with the Washington birth certificates guide, whose clock runs differently.
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.
