Olympia Death Records and Obituaries

Olympia obituary and death records are managed through the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Vital Records office, along with the Washington State Department of Health. As the state capital, Olympia sits at the center of Washington's government infrastructure, which makes its death records some of the best-maintained in the state. You can order certified death certificates from the county health office or the state, search historical death indexes through the Washington Digital Archives for free, and find obituary notices through Timberland Regional Library. This page covers all the main sources for Olympia death records and explains how to use each one.

Thurston County Vital Records Office

The Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Vital Records office is the main local source for Olympia death certificates. The office is located at 412 Lilly Road NE, Olympia, WA 98506. You can reach them by phone at 360-867-2618 or by email at vital_records@co.thurston.wa.us. Walk-in requests can be processed the same day when the record is on file. Mail requests take about two to three weeks. The fee is $25 per copy for the first certificate, and $10 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

Thurston County can pull Washington state death records from January 1, 2008, to the present. For deaths before 2008, you need to contact the Washington State Department of Health directly. That cutoff is important to know before you make the trip or send in a mail request. If you are not sure which source has what you need, call the office first and ask.

On January 1, 2021, a new vital records law changed who can receive certified Olympia death certificates. Only individuals with a direct and tangible interest in the record are eligible. That includes immediate family members, legal representatives, and others who can show a legitimate need. Anyone can still request a noncertified informational copy. That copy carries the same data but includes a watermark stating it is not valid for legal purposes.

Death certificates for Olympia events are generated by the funeral home, then signed by either a physician or the Thurston County Coroner's Office. The funeral home registers them with both the county health department and the Washington State Department of Health Vital Records. You can also order certified copies directly through the funeral home if you are in the early stages of settling an estate.

The Thurston County Coroner's office is located at 412 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506, and can be reached at (360) 867-2500. This office handles deaths that require investigation and produces the death certificate in those cases, then registers it through the standard vital records system.

The Washington DOH vital records page at doh.wa.gov gives Olympia residents a full overview of how to request certified death certificates from the state, including fees, eligibility requirements, and available processing methods.

The state page outlines the difference between certified and noncertified informational copies and explains which one you need depending on your intended use for the Olympia death record.

Washington Digital Archives: Olympia Death Records

The Washington State Archives Digital Archives holds the Department of Health Death Index for the entire state, including Olympia. Coverage runs from July 1, 1907, through 1960 and picks back up from 1965 through 2017. The index contains over 2.3 million statewide records and is open to anyone at no cost. You can search by name and filter results to find Olympia-area deaths. For deaths within the past 25 years, only the index entry is available publicly. Ordering the full certificate requires going through the county or state health office.

Records from 1961 to 1964 are not part of the online digital index. If you need a death record from that gap period, you will need to check microfilm at the State Archives in Olympia or submit a formal request to the Department of Health. The archives are based in Olympia, which gives local researchers the advantage of being close to the physical collections.

The Digital Archives also hold Thurston County Auditor death records from the period before state registration began in 1907. These older county-level records can be important for genealogy work involving Olympia families with roots going back to the territorial period.

Note: The Washington State Archives main office is located in Olympia at 1129 Washington St SE, making it one of the few cities in the state where you can visit the physical archive in person.

Historical Olympia Obituary Records

Olympia has been the state capital since Washington achieved statehood in 1889, and its newspapers have been in continuous publication for well over a century. Historical obituaries for Olympia residents can be found in archives of the Olympian and earlier local papers. Many of these publications have been preserved on microfilm and are available through library collections in the area. The Washington State Library holds a substantial collection of Washington newspaper microfilm, including Olympia-area titles, that researchers can access.

The Washington State Library, which is also located in Olympia, holds microfilm copies of Thurston County death registers in its genealogy collection. These registers complement the digital records available through the Archives and may contain notes or details not captured in the indexes. The State Library Vital Records LibGuide explains what is available on microfilm and how to request specific lookup assistance through their Ask-A-Librarian service.

For deaths before July 1, 1907, the Thurston County Auditor was responsible for collecting death records. Most counties kept death registers where each death was entered into a ledger. These registers have been microfilmed and are available at both the Washington State Library and through the Washington State Digital Archives online. If you are researching a pre-1907 Olympia death, those two sources are your best starting point.

Timberland Regional Library Obituary Resources

The Timberland Regional Library system serves Olympia residents and provides access to local history and genealogy resources. The Olympia Library branch holds newspaper archives, obituary indexes, and reference materials covering decades of local death records. Library staff can help researchers locate death notices and obituary clippings from past issues of Olympia-area newspapers. The library system also offers free access to genealogy databases including Ancestry Library Edition for cardholders.

The library provides access to ProQuest Historical Newspapers and other digitized newspaper databases that include Olympia and Thurston County coverage. These resources are especially useful for finding obituary notices that were published outside the formal death registration system. Many families placed obituaries in local papers before or in addition to filing official death certificates, so newspaper archives can fill gaps in the official record.

Timberland Regional Library also maintains local history collections including city directories, funeral home records, and cemetery listings for the Olympia area. These can help confirm the identity of a deceased person and narrow down the timeline before ordering official documents.

Timberland Regional Library at trl.org provides Olympia residents with genealogy databases, local newspaper archives, and obituary resources that go beyond what is available through government vital records offices.

Library cardholders can access online genealogy databases from home, making it possible to search Olympia obituary records without visiting the branch in person.

How to Order Olympia Death Certificates

Certified Olympia death certificates can be ordered from the Thurston County health office or the Washington State Department of Health. Both sources work from the same registration system. The county is better for recent records (2008 to present) and for same-day in-person service. The state covers the full historical range back to 1907.

State mail orders go to Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507. The cost is $25 per certified copy. The state also accepts online orders through VitalChek at $40.50 per copy, with faster processing. Phone orders are accepted at 1-866-687-1464. Under RCW 70.58A, only eligible individuals can obtain certified copies. Noncertified informational copies are open to anyone at the same fee but carry a watermark that makes them invalid for legal proceedings.

• Thurston County office: $25 first copy, $10 each additional
• State DOH mail: $25 per certified copy
• VitalChek online or phone: $40.50 per certified copy
• Walk-in at county office: same-day service when record is available
• Valid government-issued photo ID required with all requests

Mail orders to the state typically ship within eight to ten weeks after payment is processed. If you need a record sooner, use VitalChek for expedited processing or visit the Thurston County office in person. The county office is open standard business hours and can pull records that have been registered since 2008 without a wait.

Thurston County Obituary Records

Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and all death certificates and vital records for the city flow through the Thurston County system. For additional county resources, more detail on the health department, and information covering all of Thurston County, visit the county page.

View Thurston County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Olympia also have obituary and death record resources available through county and state offices.