Access Lakewood Obituary Records
Lakewood obituary and death records fall under the Pierce County records system, with certified death certificates issued through the Washington State Department of Health. Deaths in Lakewood are registered with the state under Pierce County, and the DOH's Center for Health Statistics processes all certified copy requests. Historical obituary notices for Lakewood residents are available through Pierce County Library branches and the Washington State Digital Archives. Lakewood is one of the larger cities in Pierce County, and research resources are well established for the area.
Lakewood Overview
Lakewood Death Certificates
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County. Deaths that occur in Lakewood are registered through the Washington State vital records system. Certified death certificates for Lakewood residents are available through the Washington State Department of Health for deaths from July 1, 1907 to the present. To order a certified copy, you can apply by mail, call 1-866-687-1464, or order online through VitalChek.
Pierce County Vital Records is part of the state system. The county also has records available online through their public records portal at piercecountywa.gov. That site covers what Pierce County records are searchable online and links to relevant department pages. For the official certified death certificate, the state DOH is the source.
| 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 |
| Email Status | contactchs@doh.wa.gov |
| Pierce County Records | piercecountywa.gov/records |
Ordering and Searching Lakewood Death Records
The Washington State DOH vital records page is the starting point for ordering a Lakewood death certificate. It covers who can receive a certified copy, what ID is needed, and the current fees. Mail orders take 8 to 10 weeks. VitalChek online orders arrive in 3 to 7 business days.
The Pierce County vital records page on VitalChek at vitalchek.com provides a direct link for ordering Pierce County death certificates online. VitalChek is the only state-approved third-party vendor in Washington. Other sites that offer to help you apply may charge extra fees without being state-authorized.
Pierce County also maintains a public records portal at piercecountywa.gov. While not all records are online, this site points to what is searchable and links to relevant county departments that handle different record types.
Washington State Digital Archives for Lakewood
The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov holds the statewide death index from 1907 to 2020. Pierce County deaths, including Lakewood, are searchable by name and year at no cost. The archive has over two million entries. Images of actual death certificates from more than 25 years ago may also be viewable through the linked DOH death certificates collection.
For genealogy research, FamilySearch at familysearch.org has Washington death certificates from 1907 to 1960, Washington county death registers from 1881 to 1979, and a death index covering 1907 to 1960. All are free to search and help confirm deaths in the Lakewood and broader Pierce County area before you order a certified copy.
Pierce County Library and Lakewood Obituaries
The Pierce County Library System serves Lakewood and provides free access to genealogy databases at library branches. Their collection includes Ancestry Library Edition, which has newspaper archives with historical obituary notices for the Lakewood and Tacoma area. The News Tribune (Tacoma) covered Lakewood obituaries for many decades, and much of that archive is accessible through library databases.
The Pierce County Library's website at piercecountylibrary.org lists branch locations, database access instructions, and genealogy resources. Library cards are free to Pierce County residents. For in-depth research, the Washington State Historical Society in Tacoma is nearby and holds significant historical collections related to Pierce County and Lakewood-area history.
Note: Some researchers find the Washington State Historical Society's research library useful for accessing older Pierce County newspapers and local history collections not available digitally. Their Tacoma location makes it accessible for Lakewood researchers.
Pierce County Obituary Records
Lakewood is in Pierce County. All death certificate requests for Lakewood residents go through the Washington State DOH under Pierce County. For county-level resources, search tools, and office contacts, see the Pierce County obituary records page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Lakewood and share the Pierce County or neighboring county vital records systems for death certificates and obituary records.