Pullman Washington Death Records

Death records for Pullman and the rest of Whitman County are issued through Whitman County Public Health. The county holds death certificates on file from 2013 to the present, and older records are available through the Washington State Department of Health. Pullman is also fortunate to have the Whitman County Genealogical Society located right in the city, a resource that holds a Whitman County Death Register going back to 1891 along with newspaper records from the Pullman Herald. If you are searching for Pullman death records for family history or legal purposes, this page covers all the key sources.

Pullman Death Records - Where to Start

Whitman County Public Health is the local office for certified death certificates in Pullman. They hold death certificates on file from 2013 to the present. If you need a certificate for a death that occurred before 2013, your request goes to the Washington State Department of Health, not to the county. The county office can still help point you in the right direction, and in many cases VitalChek can route your request to the state on your behalf.

Online ordering is available through VitalChek for Whitman County records. The county office also accepts in-person requests and mail applications. Each certified copy costs $25. You will need to show a valid photo ID and declare your relationship to the deceased. The $15 identity verification fee may also apply depending on the order method.

The Pullman City Clerk's office handles public records requests for city documents; vital records are issued by Whitman County Public Health and the state DOH.

The Whitman County Superior Court Clerk is in Colfax, the county seat, about 20 minutes north of Pullman at 400 N Main St, Colfax, WA 99111. Phone: (509) 397-6240. The court clerk handles court records, divorce decrees, and related filings. They do not issue death certificates, but they can help access probate records that may document historical deaths.

Historical Records for Pullman

Pullman has an exceptionally strong local historical death record collection compared to many Washington cities its size. The Whitman County Genealogical Society at 115 NW State Street, Room 103A, Pullman, WA 99163, holds the Whitman County Death Register covering deaths from 1891 to 1907. This register was compiled from county records and provides one of the most complete pre-statehood death records collections in eastern Washington. The society also holds obituaries from the Pullman Herald newspaper from 1888 to 1929, which can supplement the death register with biographical details not captured in official records.

For deaths from 1907 onward, the Washington State Digital Archives holds scanned Washington death certificates searchable by name and year at no charge. The Whitman County collection in the Digital Archives is well-indexed. Many records can be viewed and downloaded for free from the site. This is the best starting point for any Pullman death that occurred in the early and mid-twentieth century.

The Whitman County Historical Society maintains archives at the Community Congregational United Church, 525 NE Campus, Pullman, WA. Hours are Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon. They hold over 1,000 inventoried collections, including indexes to birth, death, census, and cemetery records for Whitman County. For researchers who need to look beyond what is in the digital archives, the historical society's holdings are substantial. Their email contact is wchsarchives@gmail.com. Their website is at whitmancountyhistoricalsociety.org.

Washington State University, located in Pullman, has a library system with historical collections relevant to Whitman County. The Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections division holds regional materials that may include documentation of deaths in the early university community and surrounding area.

Ordering a Pullman Death Certificate

For deaths from 2013 forward, order through Whitman County Public Health. For deaths from 1907 through 2012, order from the Washington State Department of Health at P.O. Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507-9709. The fee is $25 per certified copy in either case. Online ordering through VitalChek is available for both the county and state and adds a convenience fee on top of the base rate.

For mail orders, download the application form from the Whitman County Public Health website or the state DOH website depending on which office you need. Include a photocopy of your photo ID, complete the application fully, and make payment by check or money order. For the county office, send to their Colfax location. For the state, send to the Olympia address above. Processing times for mail requests typically run one to two weeks.

Note: If you are ordering for genealogy and the death occurred more than 50 years ago, the Washington State Digital Archives may have a free downloadable copy of the certificate that you can access without going through the official request process.

Local Genealogy and Research Resources

The Whitman County Genealogical Society is the best local genealogy resource for Pullman death records research. Their office at 115 NW State Street, Room 103A in Pullman is staffed by volunteers with strong knowledge of local records. Research assistance is available for a fee of $10 minimum per hour. They accept research requests by mail, and their holdings go beyond what is in any online database. The society also holds marriage records, census indexes, and cemetery surveys covering all of Whitman County. Contact them at whitmancgs.org.

Neill Public Library in Pullman provides free access to genealogy databases including Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com during library hours. Their reference staff can help you locate Washington state death records, local newspaper obituaries, and other research tools. The library's Washington State collection includes local histories and county directories that can help identify when and where a person died.

For cemetery records, the Pullman and Whitman County area has several active and historic cemeteries. Cemetery records can establish a death date when a certificate is unavailable or difficult to obtain. Find a Grave and BillionGraves both have Washington records contributed by local volunteers, including entries for Pullman-area cemeteries. Cross-referencing these with the county death register and obituary files can often resolve gaps in the official record.

Washington Vital Records Law

Pullman death records are governed by the same state law as all Washington vital records: RCW 70.58A. This chapter sets out who can receive a certified copy, how fees are set, and what information must appear on each death certificate. The law was substantially revised in 2018 and is the current controlling authority.

Certified copies of a Pullman death certificate can be issued to the decedent's spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. Legal representatives with documented authority can also receive them. People outside those groups may receive an informational copy, which carries all the same data but is stamped as not valid for legal identity purposes. This distinction matters if you need the certificate for an estate, insurance claim, or legal filing.

Under Washington law, death records become publicly accessible 50 years after the date of death. Before that point, identity and eligibility checks apply. After the 50-year mark, any person can request a copy without showing a relationship. For records of that age, the Digital Archives often has a free copy available already, so you may not need to go through the official process at all.

RCW 70.58A also governs how deaths are registered. Each death must be reported within five days. The attending physician or medical examiner certifies the cause and manner of death. Funeral directors handle the actual filing with the local registrar. If a certificate needs correction after it has been filed, the amendment process under the same statute applies and requires documentary evidence to support any change.

Whitman County Death Records

Pullman is in Whitman County, and county-level resources cover the full range of death record offices, historical archives, and research organizations for the area. For details on county offices in Colfax and the complete picture of Whitman County vital records, visit the county page.

View Whitman County Death Records

Nearby Cities

The largest nearby city is Spokane, located about 80 miles northwest of Pullman in Spokane County.