Cowlitz County Death Records
Cowlitz County death records are available through the Cowlitz County Health and Human Services office for certified copies, and through the Washington State Digital Archives for historical records dating back to 1891. The county seat is Kelso, with Longview being the largest city. If you need to obtain a certified copy of a death certificate for a death that occurred in Cowlitz County, this guide covers the local office, its address and phone number, eligibility requirements, and how online and mail-in ordering works. Genealogy researchers will find free resources through the Digital Archives and the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society, which maintains an obituary index and research guides for the county.
Cowlitz County Overview
Cowlitz County Vital Records
The Cowlitz County Health and Human Services office issues certified copies of Cowlitz County birth and death certificates. The office is located in Longview at 1952 9th Avenue. You can reach the vital records staff by phone at (360) 577-3016. Under Washington State law, death records do not become fully public until 25 years after the date of death. Until that 25-year period passes, only eligible individuals can request a certified copy.
Eligible requestors include the spouse or domestic partner of the deceased, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal guardians, legal representatives, and anyone with a direct and tangible legal interest in the record. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID when you visit. You may also need documentation showing your relationship to the deceased. Staff at the health office can tell you what to bring before your visit.
The Cowlitz County Health and Human Services office at 1952 9th Avenue in Longview is the local source for certified Cowlitz County death certificates.
For deaths that occurred in Cowlitz County, you can also order certified copies from the Washington State Department of Health at doh.wa.gov/vital-records. The state DOH maintains the same records as the county office and offers online and mail-in ordering. Online ordering is available through VitalChek, which is an authorized ordering service for Washington vital records.
| Office | Cowlitz County Health and Human Services - Vital Records |
|---|---|
| Address | 1952 9th Avenue Longview, WA 98632 |
| Phone | (360) 577-3016 |
| Website | co.cowlitz.wa.us/vital-records |
| Online Orders | VitalChek |
| State DOH | doh.wa.gov/vital-records |
Historical Death Records in Cowlitz County
The Cowlitz County Auditor maintained death records from the late 1800s through 1907. The Register of Deaths from 1891 to 1907 is available on microfilm, and the Cowlitz County Auditor death records from 1898 to 1907 are also held in the archives. These records have been transferred to the Washington State Digital Archives, where you can search them for free. The Digital Archives also holds Washington State DOH death certificates from 1907 to 1997, giving you continuous coverage from the county's earliest recorded deaths through most of the twentieth century.
The Cowlitz County Auditor's office in Kelso handles current functions like marriage licenses and recorded documents. The auditor's address is 207 Fourth Avenue North, Kelso, WA 98626, and the phone number is (360) 577-3016. Certified marriage certificates cost $8 per copy. For historical death research, the auditor refers people to the Digital Archives and the Washington State Archives.
The Cowlitz County Auditor in Kelso maintains current recorded documents, while pre-1907 death records from this office are preserved through the state archives system.
The Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch in Olympia also holds Cowlitz County historical records. For researchers who want to work with original documents or records not available through the Digital Archives, the branch can arrange access. You can reach them at (360) 753-1684 or visit sos.wa.gov/archives.
Cowlitz County has a rich record of historical deaths going back to its early settlement. The combination of auditor records, state DOH certificates, and the statewide death index means you can trace most Cowlitz County deaths from 1891 through 2020 using free online resources before needing to contact any office for a certified copy.
Search Cowlitz County Death Records
Start at the Washington State Digital Archives for free searches of historical Cowlitz County death records. The site holds the Cowlitz County Register of Deaths from 1891 to 1907, auditor death records from 1898 to 1907, state DOH certificates from 1907 to 1997, and a death index through 2020. You can search by name, year, and other fields without any account or fee. This covers the vast majority of historical genealogy research needs.
For a certified copy of a death certificate, contact Cowlitz County Health and Human Services at (360) 577-3016 or visit their office at 1952 9th Avenue in Longview. You can also order online through VitalChek or directly from the state DOH. All certified copies come from the same underlying state record regardless of which office you order from. The cost is the same either way.
If you are doing courthouse research, the Cowlitz County Historical Museum at 405 Allen St in Kelso also holds local historical records and can assist with genealogy research. The museum phone is (360) 577-3119, and their website is at co.cowlitz.wa.us/museum. Museum staff can point you to local cemetery records and other supplemental sources.
Note: When searching the Digital Archives, try alternate spellings of names, as early records sometimes used phonetic spelling or abbreviated first names.Cowlitz County Genealogy and Research Resources
The Lower Columbia Genealogical Society (LCGS) maintains research resources for Cowlitz County and the surrounding area. Their genealogy room is located at the Longview Public Library at 1600 Louisiana St., Longview, WA. The society maintains an online obituary index and resource guides for Cowlitz County, and their service area includes Castle Rock, Cathlamet, Cougar, Grays River, Kalama, Kelso, Longview, Ryderwood, and Silver Lake. The LCGS is a good resource if you are looking for death information not captured in the official state records system.
The Cowlitz County Historical Museum at 405 Allen St in Kelso holds local historical records, photographs, and genealogical resources. Museum staff can assist with research questions and point you to specific collections. Exhibits at the museum cover Cowlitz County's lumber industry and transportation history, and the archives include a range of materials useful for family research. The museum phone is (360) 577-3119.
For digital research, the Washington State Digital Archives covers Cowlitz County very well. The statewide death index alone covers 1907 to 1960 and 1965 to 2020, which means you can often verify a death date and location without ordering a full certified copy. This is useful for preliminary research before committing to the cost of a certified certificate.
Washington Vital Records Law
Cowlitz County death records fall under Washington State law at RCW 70.58A. This statute controls how death records are created, maintained, and accessed in Washington. The law was substantially revised effective January 1, 2021. The revision updated eligibility rules, tightened identity verification requirements, and changed the procedures for requesting records. Local offices like Cowlitz County Health and Human Services follow these state rules.
Death certificates are restricted for 25 years after the date of death. Once the 25-year mark passes, they become public records that anyone may request without showing a relationship to the deceased. Before that, certified copies go only to eligible individuals: the spouse or domestic partner, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, legal guardians, legal representatives, and those with a documented direct legal interest in the record.
The state DOH at doh.wa.gov/vital-records is the central authority for Washington vital records. Cowlitz County Health and Human Services operates within that state system. Certified copies issued at the county level carry the same legal weight as those ordered directly from the state DOH. Both are official certified copies of the Washington State death certificate.
Washington uses an electronic death registration system, which means most deaths in Cowlitz County are registered digitally within days of the event. This speeds up the availability of the death certificate for family members who need it for estate, insurance, or other legal matters. Contact the county health office or state DOH if you need a rush on a recent certificate.
Cities in Cowlitz County
Cowlitz County includes several cities and communities along the Columbia River and the lower Cowlitz River corridor. All death records for events in the county go through Cowlitz County Health and Human Services and the Washington State DOH.
Other communities in Cowlitz County include Kelso, Castle Rock, Kalama, Woodland, and Ryderwood. Death records for all of these areas are handled by the county health office in Longview.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Cowlitz County. Each maintains its own vital records office for local death certificate requests.