Burien Death Records Lookup

Burien obituary and death records are issued through King County Vital Records, the Washington State Digital Archives, and supported by the King County Library System genealogy service. Burien is in King County, so all certified death certificates for Burien residents go through the King County Vital Statistics office in Seattle. The state digital archives supplement those records with historical death index entries going back to 1907. This page covers what to request, where to go, and what each source covers for Burien.

King County Vital Records for Burien

King County Vital Records issues death certificates for all people who died in Seattle at any time, all people who died in King County from 1944 to the present, and all people who died in Washington State from 2015 onward. Since Burien is in King County, this office covers Burien deaths from 1944 forward. The office address is 201 S. Jackson Street, Suite 220, Seattle, WA 98104. Phone is 888-273-4623. In-person hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. On the first Wednesday of every month, the office opens at 9 am instead of 8:30 am.

The requester must be a qualified applicant. This includes spouses or domestic partners, parents, stepparents, legal guardians, children, stepchildren, siblings, grandparents, great-grandparents, legal representatives, authorized representatives, government agencies, and courts for official duties. Requesters must show a government-issued photo ID that has not been expired more than 60 days, plus one document proving their relationship to the deceased. Certificates cost $25 each.

Online and phone orders through VitalChek add a $6 agency fee and $11.50 handling fee on top of the $25 certificate fee. Standard shipping is included. Rush delivery via UPS costs $18.50 extra. USPS Priority Mail is $9.90 extra. VitalChek processes most orders within 4 to 5 business days. VitalChek is the only contracted and approved third-party vendor for Washington State vital records. In-person kiosk orders at the lobby cost $28.50 and are usually issued within 10 to 15 minutes.

The King County death certificate ordering page outlines the full process for Burien residents, including who qualifies to order, what documentation to bring, and all available ordering methods.

In-person kiosk orders at King County Vital Records are issued within 10 to 15 minutes and cost $28.50 per certificate for Burien residents.

Digital Archives and Burien Death Records

The Washington State Digital Archives hosts the Department of Health Death Index covering July 1, 1907 through 1960 and 1965 through 2017, which includes all Burien deaths recorded during those periods. The index is free to search online. Each entry provides the decedent's name, date of death, place of death, age at death, gender, and certificate number. That number lets you order the full death certificate from the Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics at (360) 236-4313 or (360) 236-4312.

The 1907 to 1960 portion was indexed by FamilySearch volunteers. It is a key tool for genealogical research on Burien families, particularly for deaths that occurred before King County Vital Records began its current coverage in 1944. The index is open with no access restrictions. If you believe a record is in error, contact the DOH Center for Health Statistics for instructions on filing a correction.

The King County Archives also holds death registers, coroner's records, death certificates, and burial permits for King County, including Burien. These supplemental records sometimes fill in gaps when the main death index does not have an entry you expect to find.

Note: The Washington State Library maintains the Washington State Death Index for 1907-2004 on microfiche and microfilm. Researchers can submit lookup requests through the Ask-A-Librarian service on the state library website.

Burien Library and Genealogy Resources

The King County Library System (KCLS) genealogy reference service helps researchers find obituaries for people who died in King County, including Burien. Patrons submit requests using the email reference form and must provide the full name, exact date of death, and place of death. Staff search KCLS publications for the specified community and respond within 14 working days. KCLS will search the date of death plus ten days for most requests. General research without specific details is beyond the scope of the service.

KCLS libraries throughout King County provide access to Ancestry Library Edition, which can be used on-site without a home subscription. The Auburn Library and Bellevue Library both have scheduled genealogy help sessions and host collections donated by local genealogical societies. These collections include obituary extracts, cemetery records, and family history materials specifically relevant to south King County, the area that includes Burien.

The Washington State Library publishes a research handout, "How to Find Washington State Death Records," which guides researchers through the full range of sources for King County deaths. It highlights the King County Archives as holding multiple types of death-related records and directs researchers to the Washington State Digital Archives for free digitized access. The handout is available on the Washington State Library website.

How to Order Burien Death Certificates

For Burien deaths from 1944 to the present, order from King County Vital Records. For deaths statewide from July 1, 1907 to present, order from the Washington State Department of Health at doh.wa.gov. You will need the full name of the deceased, the month and year of death, and the city or county of death.

• In person at King County: 201 S. Jackson St, Suite 220, Seattle. Certificates issued in 10 to 15 minutes. $28.50 at kiosk.
• VitalChek online or phone: 888-273-4623. $25 plus $17.50 in fees. Ready in 4 to 5 business days.
• Mail to King County: Download form, include $4 mail fee, allow 2 to 3 weeks.
• DOH mail: $25, takes 8 to 10 weeks. Phone: 1-866-687-1464.
• DOH online/phone: $40.50 through VitalChek, ready in 3 to 7 business days.

For order status, contact the DOH Center for Health Statistics at (360) 236-4300 or contactchs@doh.wa.gov. The DOH death record page has current forms, fee schedules, and a list of required documents.

King County Death Records

Burien is in King County. All death certificates for Burien residents are issued through the King County Vital Records office in Seattle. For more about King County's death record resources, historical archives, and vital statistics services, visit the county page.

View King County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Burien have obituary record pages with local death record information.