Tumwater Death Records

Tumwater death records are maintained by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, which serves as the vital records office for Tumwater and all of Thurston County. If you need to find a death record or get a certified death certificate for a Tumwater resident, the county public health office in Olympia is where you go. Their records cover most Washington State deaths from January 1, 2008 to the present. For deaths before 2008, you need to order from the Washington State Department of Health directly.

Thurston County Vital Records - Tumwater Office

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services handles death certificates for Tumwater and all other Thurston County communities. The vital records office is at 412 Lilly Road NE, Olympia, WA 98506-5132. Phone: 360-867-2618. Email: vital_records@co.thurston.wa.us. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM with no appointment required during those hours. Same-day service is typically available for walk-in requests.

The county holds Washington State birth records from 1907 to the present and most Washington State deaths from January 1, 2008 to the present. This is an important distinction. If you need a death certificate for a Tumwater resident who died before 2008, you must order it from the Washington State Department of Health, not from the county office. The state holds all records from 1907 to the present.

When you pay by credit or debit card, there is an additional card processing fee. Credit card fee is $2.00 or 2.30%, whichever is greater. Debit card fee is $2.00 or 1%, whichever is greater. Mail orders require a check or money order made payable to TCHD. Do not send cash by mail.

Thurston County Vital Records Portal

The screenshot below shows the Thurston County Public Health vital records page, which covers how to order death certificates for Tumwater and all Thurston County residents, including fees, required documentation, and ordering methods.

The county vital records page is a good first stop before ordering to confirm current fees, what ID you need to bring, and whether same-day service is available for your request.

How to Get a Tumwater Death Certificate

You can request a Tumwater death certificate in three ways. Go in person to the Olympia office, send a mail request, or order through the Washington State Department of Health for deaths before 2008. There is no VitalChek-specific portal listed for Thurston County, so online orders for county-held records may need to go through the state DOH's VitalChek link at doh.wa.gov.

For in-person requests, go to 412 Lilly Road NE, Olympia during the 9 AM to 4 PM window. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and documentation showing your relationship to the deceased. The fee is $25 per certified copy. Same-day service is typically available. Certified copies are issued only to qualifying individuals: spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, legal representatives, and others with documented legal need under RCW Chapter 70.58A.

Mail requests go to the same 412 Lilly Road NE address in Olympia. Include a completed request form, a photocopy of your ID, proof of your relationship, and a check or money order for $25 per certificate payable to TCHD. Plan for several weeks of processing time. Mail orders take longer than in-person visits by a significant margin.

For deaths before 2008, contact the Washington State Department of Health at doh.wa.gov or call 1-866-687-1464. The state holds all Tumwater death records from 1907 to the present. Mail orders to the state take 6 to 8 weeks. VitalChek online orders through the state take 3 to 7 business days at a total cost starting at $40.50.

Note: All fees are nonrefundable, even if no record is found for the person you are searching.

Tumwater City Clerk Records

The Tumwater City Clerk handles city administrative records including city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records requests for city documents. The city clerk's office does not process vital records. Death certificates for Tumwater residents go through Thurston County Public Health, not through city hall. If you are looking for city government records or public records requests for documents like building permits or city contracts, the city clerk's page at ci.tumwater.wa.us is where to start.

For estate-related records beyond death certificates, Thurston County Auditor at 3000 Pacific Avenue SE, Suite 130, Olympia, WA 98501, phone 360-786-5405, handles property records, marriage licenses, and UCC filings. Their email is recording@co.thurston.wa.us. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Property records can be accessed online through their portal at thurstoncountywa.gov/auditor. Copy fees for recorded documents are $1.00 per page for plain copies and $3.00 for the first page plus $1.00 per additional page for certified copies.

Historical Tumwater Death Records

For older Tumwater and Thurston County death records, the Washington State Digital Archives is the primary free resource. Their website at digitalarchives.wa.gov has Thurston County Auditor death records from 1891 to 1907, Department of Health death certificates from 1907 to 1997, and the death index from 1907 to 2020. All records are searchable and viewable for free with no account required.

The Olympia Genealogical Society serves Thurston County including Tumwater. They hold meetings, maintain research resources, and assist members with genealogy work. Their website is at olympiagenealogy.org. The society's library collection is a useful supplement to official state databases, especially for older deaths where records may be sparse.

The Washington State Historical Society at 1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402, holds major Pacific Northwest history collections at washingtonhistory.org. Their research library includes Thurston County materials and is open to the public. FamilySearch at familysearch.org offers free access to Washington death certificates from 1907 to 1960 and the state death index through 2020, both searchable by name and county.

Thurston County Death Records

Tumwater is in Thurston County. All death records for this city go through the Thurston County Public Health vital records system. Visit the Thurston County death records page for more on county-level resources, historical records, and search options.

View Thurston County Death Records

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Tumwater. Olympia and Lacey are also in Thurston County and use the same public health office for death records.