Kent Obituary Records
Kent obituary and death records fall under the King County records system, with certified death certificates issued by the Washington State Department of Health. If you need to find an obituary or get a death certificate for a Kent resident, this page covers where to look. The South King County Genealogical Society has collected Kent-area obituary extracts that are useful for genealogy research. The Washington State Digital Archives and King County's own death record collections also cover Kent deaths going back more than a century.
Kent Overview
Kent Death Certificates
Deaths in Kent are registered with the Washington State Department of Health under King County. Certified copies of Kent death certificates are available for deaths occurring from July 1, 1907 to the present. You can order by mail, through VitalChek online, or by calling the toll-free line at 1-866-687-1464.
King County Public Health also handles local death registration and the medical examiner process for the county. All of Kent falls within King County's jurisdiction. For information on King County death-related services, visit kingcounty.gov/death. That page covers death certificate ordering, the medical examiner, and related county resources.
| State Agency | Washington DOH, Center for Health Statistics |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507 |
| Phone | 360-236-4300 or 1-866-687-1464 |
| contactchs@doh.wa.gov | |
| King County Deaths | kingcounty.gov/death |
South King County Genealogical Society Obituary Extracts
The South King County Genealogical Society (SKCGS) has done significant work collecting and indexing obituary extracts for the Kent area. Their resources page includes obituary extracts pulled from local newspapers, which can be a fast way to confirm a death and find the source publication for more detail.
The SKCGS obituary extract collection is at skcgs.org/resources/records/obituaries/extracts. These extracts cover Kent and surrounding south King County communities and are free to browse. The society also holds other genealogy records and resources relevant to the area.
King County's death page at kingcounty.gov/death links to county-level death certificate ordering and the medical examiner office. It is a useful complement to the state DOH site for Kent-area requests.
The Washington State Genealogical Society at wasgs.org provides additional research guidance and resource links for King County, including pointers to obituary collections and archived newspaper indexes relevant to Kent.
Washington Digital Archives and Kent Death Records
The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov holds the statewide death index from 1907 to 2020. All King County deaths, including Kent, are in this collection. It is free to search by name and year. Actual death certificate images for deaths more than 25 years ago may also be accessible through the DOH death certificates collection in the archives.
King County Archives also holds death registers, coroner records, and burial permits that complement the state collection. These records can be valuable for pre-1950 research on Kent deaths. Contact King County Archives through the county website for access details.
King County Library Resources for Kent Obituaries
The King County Library System has branches in Kent including the Kent Regional Library at 212 2nd Ave N. KCLS provides free access to genealogy databases including Ancestry Library Edition, which holds newspaper archives covering Kent obituary notices going back many decades. The Seattle Times, Kent Reporter, and other regional papers are represented in these digitized collections.
KCLS cardholders can access the genealogy resources in-branch or remotely. For guidance on what databases are available and how to access them, visit a branch or check kcls.org/genealogy. The Seattle Public Library also serves researchers with an extensive genealogy collection and free access to major databases at their Central Library location.
Death Record Access Under Washington Law
Washington's vital records statute under RCW 70.58A governs access to death certificates for Kent and all other Washington communities. The law was significantly updated in January 2021 with new ID requirements and clearer eligibility rules. If you are requesting a Kent death certificate, you need to understand which type of copy you qualify for before you submit your application.
Certified copies carry legal weight. They can be used for estate settlement, life insurance claims, Social Security death notification, and other official processes. The people who can request a certified copy include the spouse or domestic partner of the deceased, their parent, child, grandchild, sibling, grandparent, legal representative, or authorized agent. Government agencies with official need also qualify. Everyone else can get an informational copy, which is good for personal records and genealogy but says "not a legal document" across the front.
Online orders through VitalChek cost $40.50. Mail orders to the state DOH cost $25 per copy. Processing time for mail orders is 8 to 10 weeks. VitalChek expedited orders ship in 3 to 7 business days. King County has its own death-related resources at kingcounty.gov/death that supplement the state DOH for county-specific information.
King County Obituary Records
Kent is in King County. Death certificates and vital records for Kent residents are processed through King County and the Washington State DOH. See the King County obituary records page for county-level resources and search tools.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Kent use the same King County and Washington State records systems for death certificates and obituary research.