Online Washington Death Indexes, Records & Obituaries

Online Washington (State) Death Indexes and Obituaries

Washington State Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907-1960, 1963-1969, 1974, and 1993-January 1996 (free) includes images of the death certificates; not yet complete -- more years and images are being added

Washington Death Indexes and Certificates from FamilySearch (these are free with registration):
- Washington Deaths, 1907-1960 includes text summaries with some information from the death certificates; most entries now have images
  - Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960 digitized microfilm
- Washington Death Index, 1960-1964 digitized microfilm; surnames are arranged by Soundex code
- Washington Death Index, 1965-2014 searchable by name
- Also See: Washington Vital Records and Genealogy Databases at FamilySearch includes indexes for births, marriages and divorces

Washington Vital Records and Indexes at Ancestry (these require payment):
- Washington Death Index, 1940-2017 (1955-1959 appears to be missing or incomplete)
- Washington Deaths, 1883-1960 (index) from death registers for various counties; coverage varies by county
- Also See: Ancestry's Washington State Archives Collection includes indexes for births, marriages and divorces

Washington Death Certificates Index, 1907-1960 and 1965-2017 (free) from the Washington State Digital Archives
Washington Death Indexes for Some Counties, c.1891-c.1907 (free) some of the listings include digitized images of the death records or registers; coverage varies by county

Washington Obituaries Archive - Recent (you can obtain copies of individual obituaries online for a fee) includes the Bellevue Reporter (7/13/2008-Current); Bellingham Herald (9/4/1999-Current); Everett Daily Herald (8/16/2005-Current); Federal Way Mirror (1/30/2011-Current); King County Journal (Bellevue, WA) - (1/8/2003-1/20/2007); Seattle Post-Intelligencer (1/1/1986-Current); Seattle Times (1/6/1985-Current); Spokane Spokesman-Review (7/3/1994-Current); Tacoma News Tribune (1/1/1992-Current); Vancouver Columbian (5/27/1994-Current); and others

Washington Death Records Indexes, Obituaries and Cemeteries by County

Adams County Obituaries 1898-1964
Benton County: Tri-City Herald Obituaries Index, 2000-recent Kennewick, Pasco (Franklin County) and Richland, Washington
Benton County: Tri-City Herald and Kennewick Courier Reporter Obituary Index, 1927-recent Excel files
Clallam County...
- Clallam County Obituary Index starts with 1916 (40,000 listings) from the North Olympic Library System
- Clallam County Obituary Directory
- Clallam County Genealogical Society Obituaries Database
Clark County...
- Clark County Cemeteries
- Clark County: Fern Prairie Cemetery Burials in Camas, Washington
- Clark County: for Vancouver Columbian Obituaries (5/27/1994-Current), see the Washington Obituaries Archive link above
- Clark County Auditor Document Index includes some death records
Cowlitz County: Longview Library Obituaries Index, 1871-recent
Cowlitz County Genealogy Indexes includes indexes for cemeteries, probate records and wills
Ferry County Register of Deaths 1899-1902 (with some after 1902)
Garfield County Death Records Index, 1891-1935
Grays Harbor County: City of Hoquiam Cemetery Burials for Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery
Island County: see Snohomish County below
Jefferson County Genealogical Society Databases includes indexes for births, marriages, deaths, cemeteries, funeral homes, obituaries and other items
King County and Seattle...
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Obituaries 1986-Current; and Seattle Times Obituaries 1/6/1985-Current (you can obtain copies of individual obituaries online for a fee)
- King County: Archdiocese of Seattle Cemeteries Search Engine (Burials in Catholic Cemeteries) includes the following Cemeteries: Calvary (Seattle), Gethsemane (Federal Way), Holyrood (Shoreline), and St. Patrick (Kent); you must register before making a search
- Historical King County Death Records
  - Seattle Municipal Health Department Death Records, 1881-1907
  - King County Auditor Death Records, 1891-1907
  - Both of the above include digital images of the death registers
- King County Online Records Search, 1976-present indexes some death certificates, marriages, and other items; coverage varies by type of record
- South King County Genealogical Society Indexes includes indexes for obituaries, cemeteries, marriages and births
- King County: Lake View Cemetery Burials Index (Seattle)
- King County: Mountain View Cemetery Burials in Auburn, Washington
- King County: Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Burials Civil War Cemetery in Seattle
Kitsap County: Puget Sound Genealogical Society Obituaries Index
Lincoln County Death Registers 1891-1907 and Death Index 1907-1928, 1937-1948 & 1967-1996
Lincoln County Cemetery Obituaries (assorted)
Mason County: Shelton Memorial Park Cemetery Burials Shelton, Washington
Pend Oreille County Death Records Index, 1907-1931
Pierce County: Tacoma Obituary Index 1980-present (also includes some listings before 1980)
Seattle - see the King County section above
Skagit County Genealogy Databases and Obituary Index includes death index 1891-1908, Union Cemetery records (in Sedro Woolley, WA), and more
Skagit County Death Certificates 1907-1908
Snohomish County: Sno-Isle Genealogical Society Obituaries Indexes includes CamWood Obituary Project: Camano Island (Island County) - Stanwood Area; and South Snohomish County Obituary Project, 1905-1930
Snohomish County: Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society Death Index
Spokane County...
- Spokane County Death Returns 1888-1907
- Spokane Public Library Obituaries Index for the Spokane Spokesman Review and the Spokane Daily Chronicle
- Spokane County: Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Indexes includes obituaries, cemetery burials and other items
- Episcopal Diocese of Spokane Church Records, 1870-1947 at Ancestry/requires payment; includes baptisms, marriages and deaths; coverage varies by parish
- For Spokane Spokesman-Review Obituaries (7/3/1994-Current) see the Washington Obituaries Archive above
Stevens County: Northeast Washington Genealogical Society Cemetery Indexes includes three cemeteries in Colville, Washington
Tacoma - see Pierce County above
Thurston County: Masonic Memorial Park Cemetery Burials (in Tumwater, Washington)
Walla Walla County: City of Walla Walla Burial Search - for Mountain View Cemetery
Walla Walla County Death Index 1891-1907
Wenatchee Area Obituary Index 1895-2014 also has cemetery indexes (for Chelan, Douglas & Grant Counties), and a funeral home index
Whatcom County: Bayview Cemetery Records (in Bellingham) not yet complete
Whitman County: Pullman IOOF Cemetery Search

Jewish Burials in Washington

Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State Cemetery Project ongoing project

Ordering Washington Death Certificates and Vital Records

Order Washington Vital Records by Mail (fees and restrictions apply)

More Helpful Washington State Genealogy Records Indexes

State of Washington Historical Records Search - Digital Archives includes a Social Security Death Index for the State of Washington, Washington death indexes c.1891-c.1907 for some counties, some cemetery burials, and census mortality schedules (for 1860, 1870 and 1880), plus many census and naturalization records - free to search
Washington Genealogy Records at Ancestry (requires payment)
includes census records, cemetery burials, military records, vital records and more

Online Washington Death Records & Indexes

A Genealogy Records Guide