All persons who died in Clark County from 2002 - Present

All Washington State deaths that were filed electronically (starting in 2017)

For any other deaths that occurred in Washington from 1907-2001, visit the Washington State Center for Health Statistics website or call them at 360-236-4300 or toll-free, 800-525-0127.

To purchase a death certificate, you must:

• Be a qualified applicant and prove your relationship by submitting proof documentation.
• Provide identity documentation.
• Provide required information.
• Pay the fee. Fees start at $25.

Be a qualified applicant and prove your relationship by submitting proof documentation.

What is a qualified applicant?

• A qualified applicant is a person who is eligible to receive a certificate.

Who are the qualified applicants for a death certificate?

• Qualified applicants for a death certificate are: spouse/domestic partner, child, parent, step-parent, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, great grandparent, legal guardian immediately prior to death, legal representative, authorized representative, next of kin (only if no one else from this list is living), funeral director or funeral establishment that is named on the record (up to 12 months from the date of death), or government agency or the courts (only for official duties).

Provide identity documentation.

What is proof of eligibility documentation? Proof of eligibility documentation are documents that link you to the requested death certificate.

• If you are listed on the record and your identity documentation sufficiently links you to the record, your proof of eligibility requirement is met.
• If you are not listed on the record or your identity documentation doesn't sufficiently link you to the record, you must provide additional documentation to prove eligibility.

What documents will Clark County Vital Records accept to prove eligibility?

Clark County Vital Records will accept the following documents to prove eligibility:

• Copies of vital records such as certifications of birth, death, marriage, and divorce from this or another jurisdiction that link you to the requested record
• Copies of certified court orders from a court of competent jurisdiction linking you to the record (i.e. legal guardian)
• Document or letter from a government agency or courts stating the certification will be used in.

What identity documentation will Clark County Vital Records accept?

Clark County Vital Records will accept a copy of:

• One government issued identity document (must contain photo, full name, and date of birth) that is current or expired less than 60 days; or
• If you do not have a government issued identity document, then at least two alternate documents from the alternate list.
• The alternate documents must contain matching first and last names and addresses, or in combination contains full name, date of birth, and photograph. the conduct of official duties (for government and court officials only)

Provide required information.

The following information is required as it appears on the death certificate:

• First and last name of the decedent
• Approximate date of death
• City or county where the death occurred

Pay the fee, which starts at $25.

• Death certificates are $25.00 each.
• Order fee is $10.00 each.

Important note: No refunds will be given if a record could not be located or the documentation you provided did not prove you were eligible to receive a death certificate.

Additional fees and payment information

Purchase in our lobby, while you wait:

• VitalChek has an additional fee of $3.50 per order.
• Credit cards are accepted in the lobby. See the credit card section below for additional information.

Orders submitted by mail with payment by check or money order:

• In addition to the cost of the certificate(s), an additional fee of $10.00 per order applies when an order is submitted by mail and payment is made by check or money order.
• Checks and money orders should be made payable to: Clark County Vital Records.

Payment by credit card:

• Credit cards are accepted online, by telephone and in-person in our lobby. A bank card processing fee will be applied to all transactions.
  • $0 - $50 =  $2.00
  • $50.01 - $100 = $2.95
  • Each additional $100 = $2.00

Credit card orders are processed through one of two third-party vendors VitalChek or Point and Pay. Point and Pay is used for lobby purchases only. In addition to the cost of the certificate(s), VitalChek has an additional fee of $11.50 per order.

Our lobby is open for in-person services on the following days and times:

8 am to 4 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
9 am to 4 pm Wednesday

Appointments recommended noon to 4 pm.

Death certificate application (English) (Spanish)

Print out the form, write in your information, and mail it, along with your payment, to the address provided on the form.

In addition to the cost of the certificate(s), an additional fee of $10.00 per order applies when an order is submitted by mail and payment is made by check or money order.

Checks and money orders should be made payable to: Clark County Vital Records.

You can expect your death certificate order in approximately 2-3 weeks when choosing the mail-in method.

Applies to all orders placed online, by fax, and by telephone. Applies to mail orders when paying by credit card.

Clark County Vital Records accepts credit cards processed through VitalChek Network, Inc., an independent company that we have partnered with to provide you this service. An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service.

What to expect on your credit card bill using VitalChek services:

• The base fee for birth and death certificates is $25.00 each.
• A fee of $11.50 is added per order (for any quantity of records in the order) For example: One certificate at $25 + the $11.50 priority handling fee = $36.50 total charged to your credit card. Two certificates at $50 + the $11.50 priority handling fee = $61.50 total charged to your credit card.

Note: the examples above assume standard shipping (with no additional fee for shipping.)

• Rush delivery is available via United Parcel Service (UPS) for an additional fee of $18.50.
  • UPS rush delivery requires a signature when delivered.
  • UPS will not deliver to PO boxes.

Below is more detailed information about how to place an order online, by telephone, and by mail when paying by credit card.

Online orders

Online orders can be made using VitalChek

Phone orders

• Call 1-888-273-4623, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
• To order over the telephone, a credit card is required.
• All telephone orders are processed within 15- 20 business days and then sent by regular mail, unless you select rush delivery.
• Rush delivery is available via UPS for an additional fee of $18.50.
  • UPS rush delivery requires a signature when delivered.
  • UPS will not deliver to PO boxes.

NOTE: Because payment is involved, orders cannot be submitted by email.

Please be aware

The Washington State Dept. of Health has received an increased number of calls about third party vendors selling birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates. These companies charge customers high fees to "process" or "help apply" for certificates issued from the Department of Health.  VitalChek, at www.vitalchek.com  is our only contracted vendor. If you have ordered through one of these third party companies and would like to file a consumer complaint, visit the Washington State Attorney General Consumer Protection Division.

For the fastest service, without high fees, we encourage customers to order certified copies only from our office, Clark County Vital Records per instructions on this page, Washington State Dept. of Health, your local Washington state county health department or through our contracted vendor, VitalChek, at www.vitalchek.com

Use the funeral home ordering portal. Visit our Funeral Home page for additional information.

Ordering by mail: Birth or death certificate orders received through the mail take approximately two weeks, this does not include US Post Office delivery times.

If you come in person: Orders requested in person at the Vital Records office normally takes less than twenty minutes unless there are some inconsistencies with your request.

If you order by credit card: Orders requested over the telephone or through the website for regular delivery using a credit card will be processed within 14 business days. Expediated Delivery request are processed the same day or the following business day. When placing these orders there is an additional handling fee of $11.50. Delivery options are regular mail (no additional fee) or UPS overnight $18.50.

If you are a Clark County resident and your order was returned to us in the mail, we will not be responsible for sending it out a second time. Your certificates will be available for pickup in our office located at 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Bldg. 17, 4th Floor, Suite 419. We will notify you via phone and email that your order has been returned to us and you will have one week to pick up your certificates. If you do not pick them up, they will be voided with no refund, and you will have to place a new order. If you would like to have them sent out a second time, this would be at your expense.  We cannot guarantee delivery at any time.  If your order is returned again, it will be voided with no refund, and you will have to place a new order.

If you are a non-Clark County resident and your order was returned to us in the mail, we will send it out a second time via USPS as a courtesy. We will notify you via phone and email that your order has been returned to us and to verify the correct mailing address. If we are unable to contact you, your certificates will be held for one week and then voided without a refund and you will have to place a new order. If you would like to have them sent out a second time, other than USPS, this would be at your expense.  We cannot guarantee delivery at any time.  If your order is returned again, it will be voided with no refund, and you will have to place a new order.