Find Death Records in Columbia County
Columbia County death records are kept by Columbia County Public Health for certified copies, while historical records going back to 1891 are freely available through the Washington State Digital Archives. Columbia County is a small, rural county in southeastern Washington with Dayton as its county seat. If you need a certified death certificate for a death that occurred here, Columbia County Public Health can issue copies for records from 1907 to the present. For deaths before 1907, the county auditor maintained a death register, and those 230 records have been preserved in the Digital Archives. This guide explains where to look, who qualifies to request records, and how to get what you need.
Columbia County Overview
Columbia County Vital Records
Columbia County Public Health issues certified copies of birth and death certificates for events that occurred in the county. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You must bring a valid government-issued photo ID. You also need to show proof of your relationship to the deceased, or demonstrate a legal interest in the record. Records from 1907 to the present are available through this office.
The fee for a certified death certificate is $25 per copy. Columbia County is a small county, so the public health office handles all vital records requests locally. If the record you need is not available at the county level, staff can point you to the Washington State Department of Health at doh.wa.gov/vital-records, which maintains the statewide vital records database and can issue certified copies for any Washington death from 1907 forward.
Under Washington's vital records law, death certificates are restricted for 25 years after the date of death. After that 25-year period, the record becomes a public record that anyone can request. Before that point, only eligible individuals can obtain a certified copy. Columbia County Public Health follows these same state rules.
| Office | Columbia County Public Health - Vital Records |
|---|---|
| Address | Columbia County Courthouse 341 E. Main Street Dayton, WA 99328 |
| Website | columbiaco.com/health |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Fee | $25 per certified copy |
| Records Available | 1907 to present |
| State DOH | doh.wa.gov/vital-records |
Historical Death Records in Columbia County
The Columbia County Auditor kept a death register from 1891 through 1906. That register contains 230 entries and is now available on microfilm through the Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg. The same records have been digitized and are searchable online at no cost through the Washington State Digital Archives. If you are searching for a death that occurred in Columbia County before 1907, this is the right place to look.
The Columbia County Auditor's office at columbiaco.com/auditor currently maintains marriage licenses and other recorded documents. For historical death records from the county's early years, the auditor refers researchers to the Digital Archives and the state archives system. The auditor's office is in the courthouse at 341 E. Main Street in Dayton, phone (509) 382-4545.
The Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg holds microfilm of the Columbia County death register from 1891 to 1906. You can visit in person or contact them at (509) 963-2136 or cebrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. The branch also holds court records, probate files, and other historical county records that may be useful for genealogy research.
Washington State began requiring statewide death registration in 1907. The Department of Health death certificates from 1907 through 1997 are fully searchable at the Digital Archives. A death index also covers 1907 to 1960 and 1965 to 2020. This means that for most of Columbia County's history, you can find a death record in one of these two places: the pre-1907 auditor register or the post-1907 state certificates.
Search Columbia County Death Records
To search for Columbia County death records, start with the Washington State Digital Archives if you are looking for historical information or doing genealogy research. The Digital Archives holds the Columbia County Register of Deaths from 1891 to 1906 (index and images, 230 records) as well as state DOH death certificates from 1907 to 1997 and a death index through 2020. All of this is freely searchable without any login or fee.
For a certified copy of a death certificate from 1907 to the present, contact Columbia County Public Health directly. You can visit in person during office hours or reach out by phone. The office requires valid ID and proof of relationship or legal interest. If you need a copy of a very recent death certificate, the state DOH at doh.wa.gov/vital-records may also be able to help, and they offer online and mail-in ordering options.
Online ordering is available through VitalChek for Washington State death certificates. VitalChek is an authorized third-party ordering service for the state DOH. It is useful if you cannot visit the county office in person or prefer a mail delivery option.
Note: Columbia County has a small population, so wait times at the public health office are usually short. Call ahead to confirm availability before making the trip to Dayton.Columbia County Genealogy and Research Resources
The Columbia County Historical Society at columbiacountyhistoricalsociety.org maintains local historical records that can support genealogy research. Their collections include family histories, photographs, and documents from early Dayton and the surrounding communities in the Blue Mountains region. Research assistance is available for those tracing early settlers in Columbia County.
The Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg is another key resource. Beyond the microfilm death register, this branch holds Columbia County court records, probate files, and other county records that often contain death-related information. Probate records in particular can document deaths in detail, including names, dates, and property information. Contact the branch at (509) 963-2136 or visit sos.wa.gov/archives to learn about access procedures.
For those researching Columbia County from a distance, the combination of the Digital Archives and the Washington DOH's online ordering system means you may be able to complete your research entirely online. The Digital Archives free search covers the county's full recorded history from 1891 through 1997, which covers most historical genealogy needs. For more recent deaths, the DOH and VitalChek handle ordering with delivery by mail.
Washington Vital Records Law
Columbia County death records are subject to Washington State law under RCW 70.58A. This chapter governs how death records are registered, maintained, and released in Washington. The law was updated effective January 1, 2021, with changes to access procedures, identity verification requirements, and the definition of who qualifies as an eligible requestor.
Death certificates are restricted records for 25 years after the date of death. After 25 years, the record becomes a public record. During the restricted period, only specific categories of people may obtain a certified copy. These include the surviving spouse or domestic partner, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal guardians, and legal representatives acting on behalf of any of these individuals. Anyone with a documented direct and tangible interest in the record may also qualify.
The state Department of Health is the ultimate authority over all Washington vital records. Local offices like Columbia County Public Health operate as local access points within the state system. All certified copies issued at the county level are official state records. The DOH provides guidance on the law and maintains its own ordering portal at doh.wa.gov/vital-records for those who prefer to order directly from the state.
Washington participates in electronic death registration, which allows death certificates to be filed digitally. This system speeds up the process of registering a death and making the certificate available. For small counties like Columbia, electronic registration means records can be ready within days of the death event rather than weeks.
Cities in Columbia County
Columbia County is a rural county in southeastern Washington. Dayton is the county seat and the main population center. The county does not have any cities that meet the qualifying population threshold for individual city pages.
All death records for events occurring anywhere in Columbia County are processed through Columbia County Public Health in Dayton and the Washington State Department of Health.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Columbia County in eastern Washington. Each county maintains its own vital records office for local death certificate requests.