Access Grant County Death Records
Grant County death records are handled by the Grant County Health District in Moses Lake and through the Washington State Department of Health. You can order certified death certificates online through VitalChek, request them by mail, or visit the health district in person. For historical records going back before 1907, the Washington State Digital Archives holds searchable index and image data free of charge. This page covers each source and what it holds.
Grant County Overview
Grant County Health District Vital Records
The Grant County Health District handles death certificate requests for Grant County. The office is in Moses Lake at 1038 West Ivy Ave, Suite 1, Moses Lake, WA 98837. For online orders, VitalChek processes requests through the health district at (866) 687-1464. The health district issues certified copies of death certificates for deaths that occurred in Washington State after October 2014 and holds records back to 1907 for county deaths.
Starting January 1, 2021, Washington State tightened the rules on who can get a certified death certificate. You must be able to show a specific relationship to the person on the record. Eligible requestors include the surviving spouse or domestic partner, children, parents, siblings, and legal representatives. You also need to provide valid government-issued photo identification and documentation of your relationship. Staff at the health district can tell you exactly what to bring or mail when you contact them.
The Grant County Health District vital records page shows ordering options, eligibility requirements, and certificate fees.
The county auditor's office in Ephrata at the courthouse handles property records, marriage records, and other county documents. The auditor does not process current death certificates, but may hold some historical records from before the state registration system started. For any death from 1907 onward, the health district and the state DOH are the right offices to contact. The Grant County Auditor can be reached at (509) 754-2011.
Note: The Grant County Health District also serves as a local agent for birth certificates, so one visit or call can sometimes address both types of vital records requests.Historical Grant County Death Records
Grant County was formed from Douglas County in 1909, which shapes the historical record. Death records from before 1907 may exist at the county auditor level for the area that became Grant County, but coverage is limited compared to older counties. From 1907 forward, the state system took over death registration and the records are more complete and more accessible.
The Washington State Digital Archives holds Grant County historical death records along with marriage records from 1909 to 2003. Department of Health death certificates from 1907 to 1997 are in the Digital Archives, as is the state death index from 1907 through 2020. All of this is searchable for free online. If you know the approximate year and name you are looking for, the Digital Archives is a fast and no-cost way to confirm what exists before placing a paid order.
The Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg holds physical Grant County court records and historical vital records for the period before 1968. The branch can be reached at (509) 963-2136. Physical visits or written requests to the archives can turn up records that have not yet been digitized. The full Washington State Archives system also offers guidance on how to find records across its regional branches.
The Grant County Historical Society in Ephrata holds county historical records and can assist with genealogy research requests for the Grant County area.
Search and Order Grant County Death Certificates
Grant County offers multiple ways to get a certified death certificate. The health district's online ordering portal at gchdwa.permitium.com accepts credit card payments with a service fee. This portal is specific to the Grant County Health District and is separate from the statewide VitalChek system. For online orders through the state DOH, VitalChek is also available and works for any Washington State death from 1907 to the present.
For mail requests, you can send to the Grant County Health District at 1038 West Ivy Ave, Suite 1, Moses Lake, WA 98837, or to the Washington State Department of Health vital records office. Include a completed application form, a copy of your ID, documentation of your relationship to the deceased, and a check or money order for the fee. The standard fee is $25 per certificate. Mail requests typically take two to four weeks to process. If you need the certificate quickly, the online portal or an in-person visit will be faster.
For research purposes, the Washington State Digital Archives provides free access to historical death certificates from 1907 to 1997. These are image copies and index records. They are not certified documents, so they cannot be used for legal purposes like estate administration or changing identity documents. But they work well for family history research and for locating the exact record before placing a formal certified order.
- Online (county portal): gchdwa.permitium.com
- Online (state): VitalChek at vitalchek.com
- Phone: (866) 687-1464
- Mail: Grant County Health District, 1038 West Ivy Ave, Ste 1, Moses Lake, WA 98837
- State DOH: doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records
- Historical research: digitalarchives.wa.gov (free)
Genealogy Resources in Grant County
The Grant County Historical Society in Ephrata is the main local genealogy resource in the county. Located at 742 Basin Street N, P.O. Box 1141, Ephrata, WA 98823 with a phone number of (509) 754-3334, the society holds county historical records and runs a museum. Their collections cover the county's agricultural history, the development of irrigation through the Columbia Basin Project, and the families who settled the region. Research assistance is available through the society.
The Washington State Digital Archives remains the single most useful tool for Grant County genealogy. The death index covers 1907 through 2020, which means you can do a name search across more than a century of records without paying a fee. The image database for death certificates covers 1907 to 1997. Both are free and accessible from any computer at digitalarchives.wa.gov. The archives holds records for all Washington counties, so if you are searching across county lines, it covers the whole state in one place.
Note: Grant County's 1909 formation from Douglas County means some very early records for Grant County area families may be found in Douglas County archives rather than Grant County records.Death Records and Washington Law
Washington State's vital statistics law is found in RCW 70.58A. This chapter governs how death certificates are created, who is responsible for filing them, and who has the right to access certified copies. The law requires deaths to be registered within three days of death or within three days of the body being found. A licensed physician, medical examiner, or other authorized certifier must confirm the cause and manner of death.
Grant County follows the same rules as all Washington counties under this law. The health district acts as the local registrar, collecting registrations and issuing certified copies to eligible requestors. The state DOH maintains the statewide database and serves as the central records office for the whole system. Both offices work from the same legal framework, so the eligibility rules and fees are consistent whether you contact the county or the state.
Under RCW 70.58A, records less than fifty years old are restricted to eligible requestors. Records more than fifty years old are generally accessible to the public and are available through the Washington State Digital Archives. If you are researching a recent death, you need to meet the eligibility criteria. If the death was more than fifty years ago, access is much broader and the Digital Archives may have what you need without any application process at all.
Cities in Grant County
Grant County includes the city of Moses Lake, which is the largest city in the county. Death records for Moses Lake residents go through the Grant County Health District.
Other communities in Grant County include Ephrata, Quincy, Soap Lake, Warden, Royal City, George, and Mattawa. All death records for Grant County residents are processed through the Grant County Health District and the state DOH system regardless of city of residence.
Nearby Counties
Grant County is in the center of Washington State. Each bordering county has its own health district handling death certificate requests.