Washington Vital Records 

In Washington, vital records are typically considered public documents. As a result, they are accessible to the general public upon request. Following an amendment effective January 1, 2021, according to the Revised Code of Washington Chapter 42.56.365, all vital records will no longer be subject to the Washington Public Records Act. This amendment grants any member of the public the right to inspect and copy these records. That is any vital record that is categorized as informative vital records.   

On the other hand, some information included in vital records may only be disclosed to persons approved by the Washington State Department of Health. This specifically includes the certified vital records. These are personal and private; thus, they can only be issued out by the owners or upon request by courts.  

Vital records in Washington include the following; 

  • Birth Records. 
  • Adoption Records. 
  • Marriage Records. 
  • Divorce Records. 
  • Death Records. 

The accessibility of these vital records in Washington differs on the type, nature, and purpose of the records.  

How To Obtain Copies Of Vital Records 

In Washington, interested individuals seeking copies of vital records do not necessarily have to produce any legal documentation or identification. However, some vital records are subjects of privacy in the state. Consequently, only those mentioned on the record, families, or anybody with a court order have access to these records.  

On the other hand, if the interested party wants these records for research purposes or statistical studies, they must submit a request letter to the Washington DOH.  

Some third-party aggregation sites also handle and publish publicly accessible vital data. The data from these sites are easily accessible and fast. However, requestors must know that the government does not contract these third-party websites. In addition, they must be aware that the data available on the records from these sites may differ from those in the Department’s record.   

Those wishing to do an online search for Washington vital data must submit the following information: 

  • Registrant(s)’ name(s) on the record. 
  • The date of the important event. 
  • The location of the event, whether it was in a city or a county. 

Furthermore, the DOH has received an upsurge in inquiries concerning third-party merchants selling birth, death, marriage, and divorce documents. These sites tend to charge the requestors an exorbitant fee to “process” or “assist in the application” for certifications available for the DOH. As a result, the DOH calls upon those who placed an order through one of these third-party companies and would like to file a consumer complaint to visit the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General. 

Washington Marriage Records  

Marriage records are all data involving the simple stages of a successful marriage occurrence, indicating where the marriage was conducted, the individuals involved, the time, and any other day occurrence arising from the ceremony or marriage. All these data available on the marriage records are public information in this state.   

The Washington State DOH keeps and distributes data of all weddings that have taken place in the state since 1968. The Washington State Library indexes and makes these public marriage records available for access to the public. The interested parties must fill out a marriage certificate application to get copies of these documents in person or by mail to acquire these records. Interested individuals must address these Requests for in-person meetings to: 

Health Department of the State of Washington 

The National Center for Health Statistics  

1st Town Center 

SE 101 Israel Road 

98501 Tumwater, WA 

Washington Divorce Records  

Divorce records sound like private information, right? This is not the case in Washington. This is because any public member may generally acquire information about any divorce that takes place in the state. However, some Washington divorce documents include information deemed secret under state law, thus, inaccessible to unauthorized individuals. This data comprises, for example, 

  • Orders for retirement plans 
  • vital statistics forms  
  • Notices of Planned Relocation 
  • Reports on family law and guardianship, in particular. 
  • Sealed financial source records, such as tax returns and credit card bills. 
  • Anyone interested in accessing the Washington Divorce papers may visit the DOH to request any divorce record dating back from 1968. However, requestors must first fill out and submit a divorce certificate application.  

Nonetheless, these individuals may also contact the clerk’s office at the court where the divorce was filed to receive copies of divorce records. On the other hand, they may also utilize any third-party website issuing these records and requesting copies. Requestors who use this approach must supply any relevant information to the online vendor that will aid in the search for the appropriate documents, such as the location of the divorce and the names of the parties involved.  

Washington’s Birth Records  

Washington laws mandate that Birth records automatically be sealed until they reach 100 years. Nonetheless, they make these records public and are available at the Washington State’s Archives.  The adult registrant, the registrant’s parents, close relatives, guardians, and legal representatives have access to a sealed birth record.  

Even though the public can access some information, some information is only disclosed upon approval or court order. Birth records entail all the information about the individuals born in Washington. This includes information about; 

  • Time and location of birth. 
  • The parent(s) names. 
  • Name of the baby,  
  • Sex and gender. 
  • Weight of the baby. 
  • Way of child delivery.  
  • Any event that occurs as a result of the birth process.  

In Washington, birth records are into two categories; pre-1907 and post-1907. The counties where the birth occurred keep and issue the birth records before 1907. On the other hand, the DOH keeps and issues after 1907. Those interested in ordering new birth certificates may do so online via a third-party website or by contacting the DOH.  

Individuals may obtain these documents in person by submitting a completed birth certificate request form to: 

Department of Health and Human Services 

9709 P.O. Box 

Olympia, Washington 

98507-9709 

Washington Death Records 

The majority of Washington death records are available to the public. Some death records, however, have a component that is kept private. Unless the record is acquired with a court order approving the publication of this information, the information in this section is normally inaccessible. In Washington, public death records are divided into pre-1907 deaths and post-1907 deaths. 

Washington State has an online database of all death records dating back to 1907. Thus, those interested in performing a death certificate search online may do so via a third-party website. To acquire these records from the DOH, requestors must submit a death certificate order form or a death certificate request form at the state’s DOH. The cost of obtaining copies of all vital documents is approximately $20 per certificate requested. However, depending on the request method used, interested individuals who order a death record search by name using a means other than in-person may be charged an extra service cost.  

Washington Adoption Records 

Adoption records are automatically sealed in Washington, meaning they are not accessible to the general public. Furthermore, original copies can only be accessed by an adult adoptee, a birth parent who is a registrant on the record, or parties who can obtain a court order showing good cause why the record should be unsealed. For example, interested parties must fill out an adoptee request for original birth certificates from a sealed adoption file to obtain an original (pre-adoption) non-certified copy of a birth certificate from the state DOH. However, the interested individuals may not be able to acquire a copy of the birth record if the biological parent on the record has filed an affidavit of non-disclosure.  

Birth parents who want copies of their adopted child’s birth certificate must also fill out a birth parent request to receive the original birth certificate from a sealed adoption file. They should mail these forms along with all applicable fees to the following address: 

CHS/Department of Health 

Adoptions (attn.) 

9709 P.O. Box 

98507-9709 Olympia, WA 

A copy of an adoptee’s birth certificate costs $20. Furthermore, parties who wish to make birth parent requests for birth certificates must pay a $15 non-refundable fee to open a sealed file. Cashier’s checks or money orders made payable to the Department of Health should be used for all payments. 

How To Make Corrections On Vital Records 

The Citizens in Washington can now make changes in their vital records. That ranges from names, location, or any other information available on these vital records. Due to personnel constraints, the Department has an eight (8) month processing turnaround time. The date your check or money order is cashed would signify the verification of receipt if you submitted a product or processing charge. It also allows you to estimate the time it will take to complete your corrections request. 

Individuals may utilize the Affidavit for Correction form and the accompanying documentation for most corrections. To make corrections on vital records in Washington, you have to supply the following information to the DOH, Attn: Corrections: 

  • The originally issued certificate. 
  • A $25 check or money order. 
  • Copy of the requestor’s identity. 
  • A Completed Affidavit for Correction. 
  • Necessary proof or evidence to back up your claims. 

However, individuals must note that the Department only makes changes to vital records within the state. Meaning that they cannot make changes to vital records from another state. But this rule does not apply to adoptions, paternity actions, gender transformation, and surrogacy records.