Bellingham Death Records
Bellingham obituary and death records are held by Whatcom County Health and Community Services, the Washington State Digital Archives, and the Washington State Archives Northwest Region. Bellingham is the county seat of Whatcom County, and all certified death certificates for Bellingham residents are issued through the county health office. The state archives also hold historical Whatcom County death records going back to 1891. This page covers how to find and order records from each of these sources.
Bellingham Overview
Whatcom County Health and Death Certificates
Whatcom County Health and Community Services issues certified death certificates for Bellingham and all of Whatcom County. The office is at 509 Girard Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. The county only issues Washington State death certificates from 1989 to the present. It does not issue death certificates from other states. Certificates cost $25 per copy, whether long form or short form.
Per Chapter 70.58A RCW and Chapter 246-491 WAC, all applicants must be a qualified applicant and must provide valid photo identification and proof of eligibility. Online orders can be placed at whatcomcounty.us. Mail or in-person submissions must include a check or money order payable to WCHCS. No refunds are issued once an order is submitted.
| Office | Whatcom County Health and Community Services |
|---|---|
| Address | 509 Girard Street Bellingham, WA 98225 |
| Records Available | Whatcom County deaths from 1989 to present |
| Fee | $25 per certified copy (long or short form) |
| Online Orders | Available at whatcomcounty.us |
The Whatcom County Courthouse at 311 Grand Street, Bellingham, WA 98225, phone (360) 676-6777, holds marriages from 1870, land records from 1854, probate records from 1872, and court records from 1883. The Clerk of the Superior Court holds divorce records. These related records can help establish family timelines when obituary records are incomplete.
The Interment.net transcription of Bellingham's Bayview Cemetery provides a searchable database of over 25,000 burial records with death dates from 1888 to 2022.
Each Bayview Cemetery record shows the surname, given name, burial date, plot section, lot number, grave number, and burial type. This is the official city cemetery burial database transcribed into a searchable format.
Washington State Archives Northwest Region
The Washington State Archives Northwest Region at 808 25th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9123, phone (360) 650-3125, holds original Whatcom County birth and death records for January 1891 to July 1907. It also holds marriage records beginning in 1870. If you need records from those early years of Whatcom County, this branch is the right place to start. Staff can assist researchers with accessing original register pages and related records.
After July 1, 1907, all birth and death records moved to the state office in Olympia. The State Office holds birth and death records from July 1, 1907 to present and marriage and divorce records from January 1968 to present. The Whatcom County Health Department holds births for the entire state of Washington from 1925 to present and deaths for all of Whatcom County from 1989 to present. These two distinct date ranges mean you may need to contact different offices depending on when the death occurred.
The Washington State Digital Archives hosts Whatcom County Death Records, 1891-1907, the Bellingham City Clerk Register of Deaths, 1904-1915, and the Department of Health Death Certificates from July 1, 1907 through 1997. All are free to search online. The death index also covers 1965 through 2020 with both index entries and images for most records.
The WaGenWeb Whatcom County vital records page lists all major repositories for Bellingham and Whatcom County death records, including the state archives, county health office, and courthouse records.
This guide is a useful starting point for Bellingham genealogy research because it maps out which office holds records for each time period.
Bellingham Genealogy and Obituary Research
The Whatcom Genealogical Society offers "Cemetery Records of Whatcom County, Washington" as a PDF digital download for $28. The book was compiled using death certificates from the Whatcom County Health Department, auditor records at the Whatcom County Courthouse, funeral home records, obituaries from Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, and other regional newspapers, all known cemetery records, and information from any authentic source available at the time. The society can be reached through its website, which lists other publications including "Civil War Veterans Buried in Whatcom County" and Whatcom County census transcripts for 1871, 1885, 1887, 1889, and 1904.
Bayview Cemetery is a key resource for Bellingham obituary research. Interment.net compiled burial records covering 25,748 individuals with death dates from 1888 to 2022. Each record shows name, burial date, plot section, lot number, grave number, and burial type. The Bellingham City Clerk, Register of Deaths, 1904-1915 is also available at the Washington State Archives with index and images, and covers deaths registered in the city during Bellingham's early growth period.
FamilySearch holds Washington, County Death Registers, 1881-1979, covering Whatcom County as index and images. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Fatal Accident Cards, 1915-1928 and Lynden City Clerk Burial Transit Permits, 1935-1971 are additional specialized collections at the state archives for researchers tracing Bellingham-area deaths.
Note: The Whatcom County Genealogical Society publications are available as digital downloads from their website, which makes them accessible to researchers outside the Bellingham area.
Ordering Bellingham Death Certificates
For Bellingham deaths from 1989 to the present, contact Whatcom County Health and Community Services at 509 Girard Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mail or bring your order form in person. Include check or money order payable to WCHCS along with a copy of valid photo ID and any required proof of relationship. The fee is $25 per copy.
For Bellingham deaths from July 1, 1907 through 1988, contact the Washington State Department of Health. Orders can be placed at doh.wa.gov, by phone at 1-866-687-1464, or by mail. Fees start at $25 for mail orders and $40.50 for online and phone orders. Mail orders take 8 to 10 weeks. For order status, contact contactchs@doh.wa.gov or call (360) 236-4300.
For historical records before July 1, 1907, the Washington State Archives Northwest Region in Bellingham at (360) 650-3125 holds original registers and can assist with research requests. The DOH death record page explains what information you need to provide: full name of the deceased, date of death, and city or county of death.
Whatcom County Death Records
Bellingham is the county seat of Whatcom County. All death certificates for Bellingham residents are issued through Whatcom County Health and Community Services. For more on Whatcom County's death record resources, including historical archives and genealogy collections, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Bellingham have obituary record pages with local death record details.