Washington birth, death, marriage and divorce records: where to look
Washington's Department of Health has births and deaths from July 1, 1907 and marriages and divorces from 1968. Certified copies need a qualifying relationship; the state also sells uncertified informational copies to anyone. Fees start at $25. For marriages and divorces before 1968, go to the county.
At a glance
| Record | Years at the state | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | July 1, 1907 to present. [1] | Fees start at $25 per copy; other fees depend on ordering or shipping. [1] |
| Death | July 1, 1907 to present. [2] | Fees start at $25 per copy. [2] |
| Marriage | 1968 to present at the state. The state says it can take up to five months after a marriage for the record to reach it. [3] | Base fee starts at $25 per copy. [3] |
| Divorce | January 1, 1968 to present (certificate of dissolution). The Department says the county clerk cannot issue a divorce certificate. [3] | Fees start at $25. [3] |
| Older records (State Archives) | The Digital Archives home page lists Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce record collections. It does not state the years on that page. [5] | Not confirmed on the official pages we read. |
Superscript numbers point to the official page each fact came from, listed at the bottom of this page.
Birth records
- Where it is kept
- The Department of Health (online or by phone through VitalChek, which the state's page names, or by mail) or a county health department; some counties offer same-day service. [1]
- Years covered
- July 1, 1907 to present. [1]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Certified copies: the person, spouse or domestic partner, child, parent, stepparent, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, legal guardian or representative, a government agency or a court, with proof. Anyone can request a noncertified informational copy, watermarked not for legal use. [1]
- Fee
- Fees start at $25 per copy; other fees depend on ordering or shipping. [1]
- Processing time
- Online or by phone through VitalChek: 3 to 7 business days processing and shipping, depending on shipping. By mail: 8 to 10 weeks for a certificate (6 to 8 weeks for a noncertified informational copy). [1]
Death records
- Where it is kept
- The Department of Health or a county health department. [2]
- Years covered
- July 1, 1907 to present. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Certified copies need a qualifying relationship and proof; anyone can request a noncertified informational copy (it matches the short form and cannot be used for legal purposes). [2]
- Fee
- Fees start at $25 per copy. [2]
- Processing time
- Online or by phone: 3 to 7 business days; by mail: 8 to 10 weeks. [2]
Marriage records
- Where it is kept
- The Department of Health for 1968 on; before 1968, the county auditor's office where the license was issued. [3]
- Years covered
- 1968 to present at the state. The state says it can take up to five months after a marriage for the record to reach it. [3]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Anyone can request a marriage certificate; no proof of identity or relationship is required. [3]
- Fee
- Base fee starts at $25 per copy. [3]
- Processing time
- Online or by phone: 3 to 7 business days; by mail: 6 to 8 weeks. [3]
Divorce records
- Where it is kept
- The Department of Health issues a one-page divorce certificate for 1968 on; the county superior court clerk issues the decree and holds pre-1968 divorces. [3]
- Years covered
- January 1, 1968 to present (certificate of dissolution). The Department says the county clerk cannot issue a divorce certificate. [3]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Anyone can request a divorce certificate; no proof of identity or relationship is required. [3]
- Fee
- Fees start at $25. [3]
- Processing time
- Same as marriage. [3]
Older records (State Archives)
- Where it is kept
- Washington State Archives, Digital Archives (online). [5]
- Years covered
- The Digital Archives home page lists Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce record collections. It does not state the years on that page. [5]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Processing time
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
We did not search the collections, so we cannot say which years or counties are covered.
About ordering online
The state's pages say VitalChek online or phone orders process and ship within 3 to 7 business days, depending on the shipping option. We did not read VitalChek's own pages or fees. [1]
Archives and other places to look
- The Washington State Digital Archives lists Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce collections. The home page does not say whether images are free or how far back each one goes. [5] Washington State Digital Archives
The National Archives describes FamilySearch.org as free with account creation (see our census page), but we could not open FamilySearch's own pages, so we do not describe what it holds for Washington.
Historical newspapers
The Library of Congress's Chronicling America lists 88 digitized newspaper titles published in Washington, with issues dated from September 11, 1852 to December 10, 1963. Coverage is uneven inside that span: it is a list of titles, not a promise that every town or year is there. Chronicling America includes select digitized newspapers through 1963.
Browse Washington titles at the Library of Congress
New to newspaper research? See our guide to finding old newspapers (obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements).
Counts come from the Library of Congress's "All Digitized Titles" list, read October 27, 2026. The Library of Congress says it believes these newspapers are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions.
How we verified this page
Last verified October 27, 2026. Offices change fees and rules without notice. If something here no longer matches the official page, trust the official page.
Confirmed on official pages
- State holds births and deaths from July 1, 1907 and marriages and divorces from 1968.
- Fees start at $25 per certified or noncertified copy, plus ordering and shipping fees.
- Anyone can request a noncertified informational copy of a birth or death record.
- Marriages and divorces before 1968 are at county offices, per the state.
Could not verify
- Years and free/paid access for the Digital Archives collections.
- Heirloom certificate fees beyond the $50 starting price on the birth page.
- County fees and times.
Pages read 2026-10-27.
Sources
- WA DOH: Birth certificates Official state page read 2026-10-27
- WA DOH: Death certificates Official state page read 2026-10-27
- WA DOH: Marriage and divorce certificates Official state page read 2026-10-27
- WA DOH: Order a certificate Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Washington State Digital Archives Official state page read 2026-10-27