Vital Records (Birth & Death certificates)
New Vital Records Law and rules went into effect for Washington State that made changes to requirements for birth and death certificates on January 1, 2021 which included increased security of personal information. Only individuals with specific relationships to the person on the record being requested can receive a certified copy. Identity and proof of relationship documentation will be required.
WASHINGTON STATE VITAL RECORDS
LIST OF ACCEPTABLE PROOFS OF IDENTITY:
English or Español
For more information, visit the Washington State Department of Health Frequently Asked Questions.
Basic Certificate Information
Certificate Data Changes
If you need to correct something on a certificate you already have or update a record with a legal name change, go to the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) How to Correct a Record webpage for detailed steps you need to follow or contact information to ask questions directly to the Olympia, WA Vital Statistics office.
No Same-Day Service
If the record summarized on the application exists in the state database, certificates are generally available 1 to 2 business days after receiving the certificate application. If there is a hold placed on a record by the office in Olympia, such as a parentage issue or an error under review, there may be a delay in processing.
Outside of Washington Life Event Record
If you are seeking a certificate of a birth or death which occurred outside Washington state, we recommend visiting the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Where to Write for Vital Records webpage for more information. Other contacts if the life event of a United States citizen took place outside of the United States:
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, or Form FS-240) is a document that certifies a child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth.
- Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA) documents were only created overseas at a U.S. embassy or U.S. consulate in the country 1975 or after, where the U.S. citizen died. If the CRDA was issued before 1975, contact the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
- Panama Canal Zone registered all civil acts of birth, death, and marriage in the Canal Zone for U.S. citizens and foreign nationals from February 26, 1904 until September 30, 1979.
ONLINE
If you would like to pay with a credit card, you will need to complete the application online. The online application process will require an email address and the ability to take an in-focus picture or copy of your proof of identity to upload. The online application offers options to:
- receive automated application status updates via text of voice message
- pick-up certified certificate(s) from the OCPHD office in Okanogan or have them mailed to the address on your application
If you are applying for a newborn birth certificate online, please be aware of the delay in record availability due to processing time between the event date and when the information becomes accessible. OCPHD will issue the newborn birth certificate as quickly as possible once the data becomes available from the state database in Olympia.
Please be aware of minimal convenience fees associated with the online application. A flat non-refundable $4.00 convenience fee and a credit card processing fee will be added to the total of the online certificate application.
POSTAL MAIL
To print a blank Vital Records application or use a fillable form, scroll to the bottom of this webpage. Be sure to include the required document(s) and correct payment amount in the envelope with the completed application. Payment with paper applications can be made by check, cashier check, or money order; made out to OCPHD. Credit card payments are only available through the online application. Application PDFs to print are located at the bottom of this webpage.
IN-PERSON
You are welcome to complete an application at the OCPHD office or bring the form with you by printing out from the list at the bottom of this webpage. Payment with paper applications can be made by cash, check, cashier check, or money order; made out to OCPHD. Credit card payments are only available through the online application. Application PDFs to print are located at the bottom of this webpage.
If you are aware of errors on a birth or death certificate record, CLICK HERE to visit the Washington Department of Health (WA DOH) webpage for detailed steps you need to follow to correct a record.
Fee Information
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- Each certificate is $25.00.
- Each record order -- regardless of the number of certificates -- will have a $1.00 handling fee.
- Paper applications are payable by cash, check, cashier check, or money order. Checks or money orders should be made out to OCPHD.
- Online applications provide the option to pay with a credit card. Minimal online processing convenience fees will be added to the base certificate amount.
- No refunds
If you have questions after reviewing the certificate application instructions, please call (509)422-7140
BIRTH Certificates
We have access to the Center for Health Statistics (Vital Records in Olympia) and can issue certified copies of birth certificates -- often used for passports, school enrollment, tribal enrollment, Social Security benefits, etc -- for individuals born in Washington State from 1921 to present.
For birth certificates involving an adoption, please go to the Washington state Department of Health: Adoptions information page.
DEATH Certificates
Toward the end of 2014, death certificate records available through the OCPHD began transitioning to digitized electronic information.
- Any deaths which occurred in Washington state toward the end of 2014 thought today can be requested here in our office at OCPHD.
- For deaths recorded before 2014, you will need to contact the Center for Health Statistics in Olympia and request certified copies.
To order records from Washington State Center for Health Statistics, click on this link :
https://doh.wa.gov/about-us/programs-and-services/disease-control-and-health-statistics/center-health-statistics
Document Center
The Document Center provides easy access to public documents. Click on one of the categories below to see related documents or use the search function.
Documents sorted by SEQ in Ascending Order within category
Birth Certificates3 documents
- Certified BIRTH Certificate Order Form (English)
- Certified BIRTH Certificate Order Form (Spanish) Formulario De Solicitud Por Correo De Actas De Nacimiento (Español)
- Okanogan Vital Records online application / Solicitud en línea de Okanogan Vital Records Online form with credit card payment / Formulario en línea con pago con tarjeta de crédito
Death Certificates3 documents
- Certified DEATH Certificate Order Form (English)
- Certified DEATH Certificate Order Form (Spanish) Formulario De Solicitud Por Correo De Actas De Defunción (Español)
- Okanogan Vital Records online application / Solicitud en línea de Okanogan Vital Records Online form with credit card payment / Formulario en línea con pago con tarjeta de crédito
VR: Support Forms & Reference10 documents
- Acceptable Proofs of ELIGIBILITY (English)
- Acceptable Proofs of ELIGIBILITY (Spanish)
- Acceptable Proofs of IDENTITY (English)
- Acceptable Proofs of IDENTITY (Spanish)
- Affidavit for Correction (English)
- Affidavit for Correction (Spanish)
- Authorized Representative form (English)
- Authorized Representative form (Spanish)
- Birth or Death Informational Record Copy (English)
- Birth or Death Informational Record Copy (Spanish)