Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking.
Washington State Department of Health
Center for Health Statistics
P.O. Box 9709
Olympia, WA 98507-9709
(360) 236-4300 Info
Birth Records
In 1891 the state legislature made it the duty of all coroners, physicians and midwives to report all births and deaths under their supervision. Information was collected on birth returns, which was then submitted to and recorded by County Auditors in birth registers. With few exceptions, births before 1891 were not recorded, and even after 1891, many births went unrecorded. Birth registers entries may include name of child, birth date, birthplace, race, parents’ names and places of birth.
Beginning on July 1, 1907, the State took over responsibility for collecting birth records. Post-1907 vital records in the state Center for Health Statistics (Department of Health) in Olympia are not open to the public for research. The index to birth certificates held by the Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, will include father’s name, mother’s name, including her maiden name, child’s name (sometimes), their gender, race, birth date, county of birth, and birth certificate number.
- Aberdeen City Clerk, Birth Register, 1890-1907
- Adams County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1894-1915
- Benton County Auditor, Birth Register, 1905-1907
- Benton County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1905-1907
- Chelan County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1900-1907
- Clallam County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1890-1907
- Clark County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1907
- Columbia County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1906
- Cowlitz County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1907
- Douglas County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907, 1911
- Franklin County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1919
- Garfield County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907
- Grays Harbor County Auditor, Birth Records, 1864-1907
- Island County Auditor, Birth Records 1891-1907
- Jefferson County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907
- King County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1907
- Kitsap County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1907
- Kittitas County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907
- Klickitat County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907
- Lewis County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1907
- Lewis County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907
- Mason County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907
- Mason County Health, Birth Returns, 1891-1894
- Okanogan County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1913
- Pacific County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1915
- Pend Oreille County Auditor, Birth Records, 1903-1935
- Pierce County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907
- San Juan County Auditor, Birth Registers, 1891-1907
- Seattle City Clerk, Birth Register, 1890-1891
- Skagit County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1908
- Snohomish County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907
- Spokane County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1890-1907
- Spokane County Auditor, Register of Births, 1891-1905
- Stevens County Auditor, Register of Births, 1900-1907
- Thurston County Auditor, Birth Register, 1891-1907
- Thurston County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907
- Wahkiakum County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907
- Walla Walla County, Health District, Birth Records, 1889-1907
- Whatcom County Birth Records, 1889-1907
- Whitman County Auditor, Birth Records, 1889-1907
- Yakima County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907
Death Records
In 1891 the state legislature made it the duty of all coroners, physicians and midwives to report all births and deaths under their supervision. Information was collected on death returns, which was then submitted to and recorded by County Auditors in death registers. With few exceptions, deaths before 1891 were not recorded, and even after 1891, many deaths went unrecorded. Information found in the death register may include name, date, location and cause of death, place of birth, and parents’ names and places of birth.
Beginning on July 1, 1907, the State took over responsibility for collecting death records. Post-1907 vital records in the state Center for Health Statistics (Department of Health) in Olympia are not open to the public for research.
- Adams County Auditor, Death Records, 1893-1907
- Census Bureau, Mortality Schedule, 1870
- Chelan County Auditor, Death Records, 1899-1907
- Clallam County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1906
- Clark County Death Register 1891-1907
- Columbia County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1906
- Cowlitz County Auditor, Death Records, 1898-1907
- Department of Health, Death Index, 1907-1960; 1965-2017
- Douglas County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Ferry County Auditor, Death Records, 1899-1902
- Franklin County Auditor, Death Records, 1879-1910
- Garfield County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Garfield County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1935
- Grays Harbor County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Grays Harbor County Death Register, 1891-1907
- Grays Harbor County Health Department, Burial Transit Permits
- Island County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Jefferson County Health Department, Burial Transit and Cremation Permits, 1968-1988, 2009-2010
- Kalama City Clerk (Cowlitz Co), Burial Transit Permits, 1941-1943
- King County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Kitsap County Auditor, Death Records, 1892-1907
- Kittitas County Auditor, Death Records, 1892-1907
- Lewis County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1906
- Lewis County Health Department, Burial Transit Permits
- Lynden City Clerk (Whatcom County), Burial Transit Permits
- Mason County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1905
- Pacific County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1917
- Pend Oreille County Auditor, Death Records, 1907-1931
- Pierce County Auditor, Death Records, 1892-1907
- Seattle Municipal Health Department, Death Records, 1881-1907
- Skagit County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1908
- Skagit County Health Department, Burial Transit Permits
- Snohomish County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Spokane County Auditor, Death Register, 1891-1907
- Spokane County Auditor, Death Returns, 1888-1907
- Thurston County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- U.S. Census Bureau, Mortality Schedule, 1860
- U.S. Census Bureau, Mortality Schedule, 1880
- Wahkiakum County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Walla Walla County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Fatal Accident Cards, 1915-1928
- Whatcom County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Whitman County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907
- Yakima County Auditor, Death Records, 1896-1907
Washington Marriage Records
In 1866, the Legislative Assembly of Washington Territory passed the Act to Regulate Marriages. Although there were legal marriage requirements prior to this year, there were no official forms or record keeping to document that the laws were upheld. Marriage records were maintained at the County level until 1968, when the state took over collecting marriage records. Over time there have been various steps in the marriage process and these have generated a variety of forms/certificates. These include:
- Adams County Auditor, Marriage Certificates, 1937
- Adams County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1884-Present
- Asotin County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1899-2003
- Benton County Auditor, Marriage Affidavits, 1909-1939
- Benton County Auditor, Marriage Certificates, 1905-1995
- Benton County Auditor, Marriage License Applications, 1939-1949, 1952-1953, 1977-1980
- Benton County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1989-Present
- Chelan County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1900-Present
- Clallam County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1950-2014
- Clark County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1843-Present
- Columbia County Auditor, Marriage Affidavits, 1904-1939
- Columbia County Auditor, Marriage Certificate Volumes, 1888-1914
- Columbia County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1876-2003
- Columbia County Auditor, Register of Marriage Statistics, 1891-1910
- Columbia County Auditor, Register of Marriage Statistics, 1891-1910
- Columbia County Clerk, Probate Marriage Records, 1878-1890
- Cowlitz County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1986-Present
- Department of Health, Marriage Index, 1969-2017
- Douglas County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1884-1975
- Ferry County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1900-1999
- Franklin County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1889-Present
- Garfield County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1882-1979
- Grant County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1909-2003
- Grays Harbor County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1871-Present
- Island County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1855-1994, 2001-Present
- Jefferson County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1872-Present
- King County Auditor, Marriage License Registers, 1880-1894
- King County Marriage Records, 1855-Present
- King County Recorder, Marriage Records, 2015
- Kitsap County Auditor, Marriage License Application Affidavits, 1905-1986
- Kitsap County Auditor, Marriage License Register, 1868-1890
- Kitsap County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1860-2014
- Kittitas County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1891-2005
- Klickitat County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1867-Present
- Lewis County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1847-Present
- Lincoln County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1883-2004
- Mason County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1857-Present
- Okanogan County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1998-Present
- Pacific County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1872-1947; 1996-Present
- Pend Oreille County Auditor, Marriage Affidavits, 1911-1948
- Pend Oreille County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1911-2005; 2010
- Pend Oreille County Auditor, Register of Marriage Statistics, 1911-1947
- Pierce County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1876-1947; 1984-Present
- San Juan County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1864-1939
- Skagit County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1884-2000
- Skamania County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1905-2013
- Snohomish County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1867-1999; 2004-2005
- Spokane County Auditor, Marriage Applications, 1939-2010
- Spokane County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1880-Present
- Spokane County Auditor, Register of Marriage Licenses, 1882-1897
- Stevens County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1859-2008
- Thurston County Auditor, Marriage Certificates, 1927-1950
- Thurston County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1970-Present
- Wahkiakum County Auditor, Marriage Affidavits, 1907-1939
- Walla Walla County Auditor, Marriage Affidavits, 1891-1899, 1917-1939
- Walla Walla County Auditor, Marriage Certificates, 1922-1926
- Walla Walla County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1865-Present
- Walla Walla County Auditor, Register of Marriage Statistics, 1891-1913
- Whatcom County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1891-1995
- Whitman County Auditor, Marriage Certificates, 1962-1989
- Whitman County Auditor, Marriage License Applications, 1939-1947
- Whitman County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1872-2002
- Whitman County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1987-Present
- Whitman County Auditor, Marriage Returns, 1890-1939
- Yakima County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1896-2008
Washington Divorce Records
There is no electronic statewide index of divorce records before 1969. The statewide divorce index for 1968 is on microfiche and can be accessed at the Washington State Archives, Olympia or the Washington State Library.
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