Clark County Death Records
Clark County death records are available through Clark County Public Health for recent certificates, and through the Washington State Digital Archives for historical records going back to 1891. The county seat is Vancouver, and Clark County is one of the most populous counties in Washington. If you need a certified death certificate for a death that occurred in Clark County, the public health office is your first stop. For older records and genealogy research, the Digital Archives and the Clark County Genealogical Society both offer free or low-cost access to indexes and images that cover more than a century of local death records.
Clark County Overview
Clark County Vital Records
Clark County Public Health is the local office for obtaining certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Clark County within the last ten years. The office is located in Vancouver and serves as a local access point for the state vital records system. You can get a certified copy in person, or order online through VitalChek. For deaths older than ten years, you need to contact the Washington State Department of Health directly.
The public health office also provides Washington State birth certificates from 1940 to the present. Staff can help you understand what documents you need to bring and what proof of eligibility is required. Under Washington law, death certificates are not fully public records until 25 years after the date of death. Until that time, only eligible individuals can request them. That includes immediate family members, legal representatives, and those with a documented legal interest in the record.
The Clark County Public Health office handles local vital records requests for the Vancouver area and surrounding communities. VitalChek online ordering is available for those who prefer not to visit in person. Check the office website for current hours and any service notices, as procedures changed after the new state vital records law took effect on January 1, 2021.
| Office | Clark County Public Health - Vital Records |
|---|---|
| Address |
1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Building 17 4th Floor, Suite 419 Vancouver, WA 98661 |
| Phone | 564-397-8092 |
| Services | Clark County death certificates (last 10 years); WA birth certificates 1940 to present |
| Online Orders | VitalChek |
| State DOH | doh.wa.gov/vital-records |
The Clark County Public Health office provides access to the vital records database for Clark County, including recent death certificates. The office at 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd. can issue certified copies on the day you visit if you have the right documents. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Staff can also tell you if a record has been transferred to the state.
Clark County Public Health in Vancouver handles certified death certificate requests for events occurring within the county over the past ten years.
Historical Death Records in Clark County
The Clark County Auditor maintained death records from 1891 through 1907, before the state took over vital records registration. These early records are now digitized and freely available through the Washington State Digital Archives. The Digital Archives holds both an index and images for Clark County Auditor death records from 1891 to 1907. The Washington State Department of Health death certificates from 1907 to 1997 are also searchable there, along with a death index covering 1907 to 1960 and again from 1965 to 2020.
The Clark County Auditor's office at clark.wa.gov/auditor maintains marriage licenses and property records. For historical death records, it refers people to the Digital Archives. The auditor's address is PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666, and you can reach them by phone at (564) 397-2230 or (564) 397-2292.
The Clark County Auditor keeps official recorded documents and marriage records, while pre-1907 death records from this office are preserved in the Digital Archives.
The Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch in Olympia also holds some Clark County historical records. For researchers who prefer to work with original documents, the archives can arrange access. The branch can be reached at (360) 753-1684.
Search Clark County Death Records
You have several ways to search for Clark County death records depending on what you need. For certified copies of recent certificates, you can visit Clark County Public Health in person or order through VitalChek. For records older than ten years, the Washington State Department of Health is your main source. The DOH handles certified copies of death certificates statewide and offers online ordering at doh.wa.gov/vital-records.
For free searches of historical records, the Digital Archives is the best tool. You can search by name, year, county, and other fields without any cost. The Clark County death index and certificate images from 1907 to 1997 are all available there. This is especially useful for genealogy work or verifying an ancestor's death date and location. The Digital Archives site at digitalarchives.wa.gov is run by the Washington Secretary of State and requires no login for basic searches.
To get a certified copy, you will need to provide proof of your eligibility. Valid government-issued photo ID is required. You may also need to show proof of your relationship to the deceased, or a legal document showing you have a legitimate interest in the record.
For researchers trying to find a death record from the 1890s or early 1900s, the pre-1907 Clark County Auditor records are the right place to look. Washington began statewide death registration in 1907. Before that date, county auditors kept the records, and Clark County's early registers are now fully digitized and searchable at no cost.
Clark County Genealogy and Research Resources
The Clark County Genealogical Society is one of the most active genealogy groups in southwest Washington. The society maintains a library with vital statistics from local newspapers, including death indexes from 2002 through 2021. These newspaper death indexes are a valuable supplement to official government records, especially for finding obituary information not captured in state records. You can reach the society by phone at 360-687-8653 or by email at info@ccgswa.org. Their library is at 3609 NW 6th Avenue, Battle Ground, WA 98604.
The Clark County Genealogical Society library in Battle Ground holds obituary indexes dating back to 2002 and offers research assistance for members and visitors.
The Clark County Historical Society at cchmuseum.org also maintains a research library with photographs, documents, and records from Clark County history. Their collections include cemetery records and obituary indexes that can help fill gaps in the official record. The museum is a good stop for anyone doing deep genealogy research in the Vancouver area.
For online research, the Washington State Digital Archives remains the single best free tool for Clark County death records. The combination of early county auditor records and state DOH certificates means you can often trace a family continuously from the 1890s through the 1990s without leaving the Digital Archives website.
Note: The Clark County Genealogical Society's obituary indexes are free to access for members. Non-members may contact the society for lookup services.Washington Vital Records Law
Washington death records are governed by RCW 70.58A, which sets the rules for registering, maintaining, and accessing vital records in the state. The law was significantly updated effective January 1, 2021, which is why Clark County Public Health posted a service interruption notice around that time. The new law changed access rules, updated the definition of eligible requestors, and tightened requirements for proving identity and relationship.
Under RCW 70.58A, death certificates become open public records 25 years after the date of death. Before that, only qualified applicants can get a certified copy. Qualified applicants include the spouse or domestic partner of the deceased, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal guardians, legal representatives, and anyone who can show a direct and tangible interest in the record.
The state Department of Health at doh.wa.gov/vital-records is the central authority for all Washington vital records. Local offices like Clark County Public Health act as agents of the state system. Records requested from either the local office or the state DOH are certified copies of the same underlying state record.
Washington also participates in the federal Electronic Death Registration system, which means death registrations in Clark County flow electronically to both the state and federal levels. This speeds up the time it takes for a death certificate to become available after a death occurs. Most certificates are ready within a few days of registration.
Cities in Clark County
Clark County includes several cities and communities. Death records for events in any part of the county go through Clark County Public Health and the Washington State DOH.
Other communities in Clark County include Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, and Washougal. All death records for events in Clark County are processed through the same county and state system regardless of the specific city or community.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Clark County in Washington. Clark County also borders Oregon to the south along the Columbia River.