Search Chelan County Death Records

Chelan County death records are issued by the Chelan-Douglas Health District, which serves both Chelan and Douglas Counties from its office in East Wenatchee. The Health District processes certified death certificate requests for deaths occurring in Chelan County from 1907 to the present. Historical records dating to 1899 are available through the Washington State Digital Archives. Whether you need a certified copy for legal purposes or are researching family history, this guide covers the offices, fees, and online resources available for Chelan County deaths.

Chelan-Douglas Health District Vital Records

The Chelan-Douglas Health District is the main office for certified death certificates in Chelan County. The Health District issues certificates for births and deaths occurring in both Chelan County and Douglas County. The address for the Health District office is 200 Valley Mall Parkway, East Wenatchee, WA 98802. You can also reach them by phone at (509) 664-5306 or through VitalChek at 866-687-1464 for online orders. The mailing address, which differs from the office location, is 316 Washington Street, Waterville, WA 98858-0516.

The Chelan-Douglas Health District website provides information on ordering certified death certificates for Chelan County and Douglas County deaths.

The fee at the Chelan-Douglas Health District is $25 for each certified, noncertified, or informational copy. If you need the certificate the same day, an expedite fee of $10 applies. Note that no same-day service is offered on Fridays. Regular mail delivery costs $3 extra, and priority mail costs $9 extra. Birth certificates are available from July 1, 1907 to the present, and death certificates are available for events in Chelan County from 1907 onward.

To request a copy, you need to show a valid photo ID and proof of your relationship to the deceased or a legal reason for the request. Immediate family members such as spouse, parent, child, or sibling are eligible. Legal representatives and those with a documented need such as estate administration or insurance claims can also qualify. The Health District processes walk-in requests, mail requests, and online orders through VitalChek.

Note: The Health District office hours are shorter on Fridays, closing at noon, so plan your visit accordingly.

Historical Death Records in Chelan County

The Chelan County Auditor's Office in Wenatchee holds birth and death records from 1900 to 1907. These are the records kept at the county level before the state required uniform registration starting in 1907. The Auditor's Office is at PO Box 400, Wenatchee, WA 98807, and can be reached at (509) 667-6604. The Auditor maintains marriage licenses and property records for current use, but death certificate issuance for post-1907 deaths goes through the Health District or state DOH. The Auditor can also note burial records maintained by the City Clerk for some Chelan County municipalities.

For the very earliest death records in Chelan County, researchers should also check the Washington State Digital Archives. Chelan County death records from 1899 to 1907 are indexed and available online through the Digital Archives, covering 142 entries. These pre-statehood records show name, date of death, age, sex, race, marital status, place of death, cause of death, and other details when available. Because the county was formed in 1899, records before that date may not exist at the county level. Some deaths in the Wenatchee Valley area before 1899 might appear in the Kittitas County records or in territorial-era records held by the Washington State Archives.

The Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg holds original Chelan County court records and probate files. Probate records are a supplement to death certificates and often contain additional information such as lists of heirs, property inventories, and court filings that name the deceased. The branch can be contacted at (509) 963-2136 or cebrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.

Washington State Digital Archives Chelan County Records

The Washington State Digital Archives provides free searchable access to Chelan County death records. No account or payment is required. The Chelan County Auditor Death Records collection covers 1899 to 1907 and contains 142 index entries with images. This is the earliest available digital record for Chelan County deaths. The Digital Archives also provides access to the statewide Department of Health Death Certificates collection from 1907 to 1997, which includes Chelan County records with index and images, and the Death Index from 1907 to 1960 and from 1965 to 2020.

Using the Digital Archives is a smart first step before ordering a certified copy. You can confirm that a record exists, review the available information, and identify the certificate number, which can make ordering faster. Keep in mind that the images online are not certified copies and cannot be used for legal purposes. If you need a certified copy for an estate, insurance claim, or other legal matter, you must order through the Health District or state DOH. The research images are free to view and download for personal genealogy use.

Note: The Death Index from 1965 to 2020 covers more recent deaths but may only show index information, not actual images, due to privacy rules under Washington law.

Order Chelan County Death Certificates Online

Online ordering for Chelan County death certificates is available through VitalChek. VitalChek is the authorized vendor for the Washington State Department of Health vital records system. You select Washington on the VitalChek site, fill out the request form, attach copies of your ID and relationship documentation, and pay. The certificate is then mailed or ready for pick-up depending on your selection. VitalChek adds a service fee of $11.50 to the standard $25 certificate fee. Expedited shipping options cost more.

Mail requests to the state go through the Washington State Department of Health Vital Records office in Olympia. Mail orders take several weeks. Use the state DOH website to get the current request form, a list of what to include, and the mailing address. This option is good if you cannot use a credit card for online ordering or prefer to pay by check or money order.

Chelan County Genealogy Resources

The Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society, known as WAGS, is the primary genealogy organization for Chelan County. Their website is at wags.ws and their library is located in Wenatchee. WAGS holds an impressive set of local records including Jones and Jones Funeral Home records from 1906 to 2001, which contain nearly 27,000 entries from Wenatchee-area funeral services. They also have Precht Rose Chapel records for the Chelan area, obituaries from the Wenatchee World newspaper from 1970 to 1991, and funeral folders covering mostly Chelan and Douglas Counties. These compiled records are especially useful when you know the death occurred in the Wenatchee area but cannot locate a death certificate.

The Chelan County Historical Society at chelancountyhistory.org maintains a local history museum and research library. Their collections include photographs, documents, and artifacts from Chelan County history. The Historical Society can provide research assistance and has special collections related to the orchard industry, hydroelectric development, and the Lake Chelan area. Their publications on local history sometimes include family records and obituary listings that can supplement official records.

For deaths related to Native American communities in Chelan County, the Washington State Archives and the National Archives may hold additional records such as tribal census rolls, Indian Agency records, and allotment files. These collections can fill in gaps for families whose ancestors were part of the Colville Confederated Tribes or other groups with ties to the Chelan area.

FamilySearch has indexed Chelan County records and provides free access to many collections at familysearch.org. The site links to the same Digital Archives collections and also holds unique microfilmed records not available elsewhere. It is worth checking FamilySearch even if you have already searched the Digital Archives.

Washington Vital Records Law

Death records in Chelan County are registered and maintained under RCW Chapter 70.58A, Washington's vital statistics law. This law was substantially updated effective January 1, 2021. The revised law sets new standards for who can request a certified copy of a death certificate and what proof is required. Under the current rules, a certified copy is available to a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased, a legal representative of the estate, a governmental agency acting in its official capacity, or another person who can demonstrate a direct and tangible interest in the record.

Before 2021, access rules were somewhat less strict, which means older orders may not have required the same level of documentation. If you are applying today and have been denied in the past, the requirements may have changed since your last attempt. Contact the Chelan-Douglas Health District to ask what documentation is needed for your specific situation before submitting your request.

Informational copies are available to anyone but are stamped as not valid for legal purposes. These copies can be used for personal records and genealogy research but cannot serve as proof of death for insurance, estate, or government purposes. If you need a certificate for any official use, request a certified copy and confirm with the receiving agency what form they require before ordering.

Cities in Chelan County

Chelan County includes the city of Wenatchee, which is the county seat and the largest population center in North Central Washington. Wenatchee has its own city page on this site. Other communities in the county include East Wenatchee (in Douglas County), Cashmere, Leavenworth, Chelan, and Entiat.

All death records for events in any Chelan County community are filed through the Chelan-Douglas Health District office in East Wenatchee.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Chelan County. If you are searching for a death that may have occurred near a county line, check which county the address falls in.