Yakima County Death Records

Yakima County death records are issued by the Yakima Health District, which serves both Yakima and neighboring counties from its office in Union Gap. If you need to find a death record or order a certified death certificate for someone who died in Yakima County, the health district is your primary contact. You can reach them by phone, visit in person, or order through VitalChek online. Historical death records going back to 1891 are also searchable for free through the Washington State Digital Archives. Yakima County is the second-largest county by population in eastern Washington, with Yakima serving as the county seat.

Yakima Health District - Vital Records

The Yakima Health District is the office that handles death certificates for Yakima County. Their vital records department is at 1210 Ahtanum Ridge Drive in Union Gap, just south of the city of Yakima. The office covers deaths in Yakima County and also issues death certificates for Benton and Franklin Counties as part of a shared health district arrangement. So if a death occurred in one of those three counties, this office may be the right place to call.

The main office number is 509-575-4040. For vital records specifically, call 509-249-6538. You can also reach them by fax at 509-381-3548 or email at yhd@co.yakima.wa.us. Funeral homes that need to submit requests electronically can email YHDVitalRecords@co.yakima.wa.us with a W-9 attached. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Tuesdays the office opens one hour later, at 9:30 a.m. Plan your visit around these hours since walk-in service is not available after 4:30 p.m.

The Yakima Health District's vital records page shows current certificate fees, office hours, contact information, and how to order a certified death certificate in Yakima County.

Note: Cash and check are the only payment options at the office counter. Credit and debit cards are accepted but come with an additional service fee. Bring cash or a check if you want to avoid that extra charge.

Historical Death Records in Yakima County

Yakima County has a solid set of early death records available through the Washington State Digital Archives. Two separate auditor record sets are available online for free: the Yakima County Auditor death records from 1891 to 1907 and the Yakima County Auditor death returns from 1896 to 1907. These are separate collections and together give you broad coverage of deaths in the county before the state began centralizing registration. The Digital Archives also holds Department of Health death certificates from 1907 through 1997 and a death index covering 1907 to 1960 and 1965 to 2020. All of it is searchable without paying a fee.

The Yakima County Auditor at yakimacounty.us/auditor is located at 128 N 2nd Street, Room 117, Yakima, WA 98901 and can be reached at (509) 574-1400. While the auditor primarily deals with property records and marriage licenses in the current era, their historical records and connections to the county archives may be useful when the auditor's historical death records are not yet digitized. Staff hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you are looking for marriage records in conjunction with a death inquiry, the auditor has certified copies of marriage certificates going back to 1907 for $5 each.

The Yakima County Auditor handles property and marriage records and has historical records that can complement a death records search, especially for estate and probate research.

Ordering Yakima County Death Certificates

The Yakima Health District accepts requests for certified death certificates by phone, in person, and through VitalChek online. Death certificates cost $20 to $25 per copy depending on the specifics of your order. VitalChek adds a small transaction fee on top of the standard cost. Online orders through VitalChek are processed and delivered by mail. This is a good option if you live outside the Yakima Valley or can't make the trip to Union Gap during office hours.

In-person requests at 1210 Ahtanum Ridge Drive in Union Gap are processed during office hours. Remember that Tuesday hours start at 9:30 a.m. rather than 8:30 a.m. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and documentation showing your relationship to the deceased. Since Washington is a closed record state under RCW 70.58A, only qualified applicants can receive certified copies. Pay by cash or check to avoid the service fee that applies to card payments.

For mail requests, contact the vital records line at 509-249-6538 to confirm the current form and mailing instructions. Include your ID copy, your eligibility documentation, and payment with your written request. For deaths outside the range of what the health district holds, the Washington State Department of Health is the statewide source for certified copies covering all Washington deaths from 1907 to the present.

Genealogy Resources in Yakima County

The Yakima Valley Genealogical Society provides research support and maintains a library collection focused on Yakima County and the surrounding Yakima Valley. They offer research assistance and hold local genealogical publications that can be hard to find elsewhere. If you are researching family history in the valley, their resources cover not just death records but also births, marriages, census records, and local directories that help you build out a family picture over time.

The Yakima Valley Genealogical Society holds a research library and provides assistance for family history work in Yakima County and the surrounding region.

The Yakima Valley Museum (formerly the Yakima Valley Historical Society) has a library and archives that includes local history materials tied to the valley's agricultural past, Native American heritage in the region, and early settler records. Research visits can be arranged, and the collection may hold newspaper obituaries, family documents, and photographs that supplement official death records. Their website at yakimavalleymuseum.org has current hours and contact information for research inquiries.

For free digital access, the Washington State Digital Archives remains the strongest tool for Yakima County research. It holds two distinct sets of early county auditor death records, plus the statewide DOH collection through 1997. Start there before paying for a copy or making a trip, especially if you are working with pre-1907 deaths.

Note: The Yakima Health District shares jurisdiction with Benton and Franklin Counties, so if a relative died near the county line, it's worth confirming which county's records hold that death.

Washington Death Records Law

Washington's vital records law, found at RCW 70.58A, is the legal framework behind every death certificate in the state. The law outlines who must report a death, what information goes on the certificate, how long records are kept, and who can access them. The Yakima Health District operates under these rules when it registers deaths and issues certified copies in Yakima County.

The most significant change in recent years came on January 1, 2021, when Washington became a closed record state. Before that date, death certificates were treated as public records and available to many people. After that date, the law restricts certified copies to a defined list of qualified applicants. These include the registrant's spouse or domestic partner, parents, adult children and siblings, grandparents, legal guardian, attorney of record, and certain government agencies. You must show a valid photo ID and documentation of your relationship or legal authority when you make a request. Anyone who does not meet these qualifications may still request an informational copy, which is stamped to show it is not valid for legal purposes.

The $20 to $25 fee at the Yakima Health District is set in line with what Washington law permits local registrars to charge. This fee applies whether you order in person, by mail, or through VitalChek. There is no discount for multiple copies ordered at the same time, though some offices waive fees in specific circumstances such as when a copy is needed for a veterans' benefit claim. Ask the vital records staff about any applicable waivers when you call.

Cities in Yakima County

All deaths in Yakima County are registered through the Yakima Health District. The city of Yakima is the county seat and largest city in the county.

Other communities in Yakima County include Selah, Union Gap, Sunnyside, Grandview, and Wapato. Deaths anywhere in the county are registered with the Yakima Health District in Union Gap.

Nearby Counties

Yakima County borders several counties in central and south-central Washington. If you are unsure which county holds a record, verify the location where the person lived or passed away.