Search Spanaway Obituary Records
Spanaway obituary and death records are managed through Pierce County, Washington. Spanaway is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, and all death certificates for events that occurred here are filed with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Vital Records Office. The Washington State Department of Health also maintains these records at the state level. Whether you need a certified copy for legal purposes or are searching for an obituary for family history research, this page covers the resources available to Spanaway residents and researchers.
Spanaway Quick Facts
Pierce County Vital Records for Spanaway
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Vital Records Office handles death certificate requests for all Pierce County communities, including Spanaway. The office is located at 3629 South D Street, Tacoma, WA 98418, phone 253-798-6410. In-person requests may be fulfilled same-day when the record is on file. The office is open during standard business hours Monday through Friday.
Death certificates cost $25 for the first certified copy and $20 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Processing time for mail requests is typically one to two weeks. If you need a copy quickly, going to the office in person or placing an online order through VitalChek will get it to you faster. The Pierce County VitalChek page allows you to submit an expedited request from home.
Spanaway is an unincorporated community, so it does not have its own city government or vital records office. All services are provided directly through Pierce County. The Pierce County health department can also help if you are unsure whether a record you need is held at the county or state level.
The death record ordering page at doh.wa.gov walks Spanaway residents through the steps for requesting a certified death certificate from the Washington State Center for Health Statistics.
The page covers what documents you need to submit, who qualifies for a certified copy under Washington law, and how to pay the filing fee.
Washington Digital Archives and Spanaway Records
The Washington State Archives Digital Archives holds the statewide Death Index, which includes all Pierce County communities including Spanaway. The index covers July 1, 1907 through 1960 and 1965 through 2017. With over 2.3 million records, this is the most comprehensive free death record database for Washington State. Searches are open to anyone and require no account registration.
The Digital Archives also holds Pierce County Auditor Death Records from 1892 to 1907. This collection includes death returns and transportation of corpse certificates from before the state took over vital records registration. It contains 7,918 records and is indexed with images available. If you are researching a Spanaway family from the late 1800s or early 1900s, this collection is valuable. The Puget Sound Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives at (425) 564-3940 can assist with records not yet digitized.
Historical Spanaway Obituary Sources
For older Spanaway records, the Pierce County Auditor holds historical documents going back into the late 1800s. Many of these have been digitized and are available through the Washington State Digital Archives. Newspaper obituaries published in Tacoma-area papers often covered deaths in surrounding communities including Spanaway. The Pierce County Library System provides access to digitized newspaper archives that can be useful for tracking down older death notices.
The Washington State Library in Olympia also holds microfilm copies of Pierce County death registers and local newspaper collections in its genealogy section. Researchers who cannot visit in person can use the State Library Vital Records LibGuide online to understand what collections are available and how to request materials remotely.
FamilySearch and Ancestry Library Edition also contain indexed death records for Pierce County that may include Spanaway entries. These are secondary sources and should be verified against official records, but they can help narrow a search before contacting a county office directly.
Pierce County Library Resources for Spanaway
The Pierce County Library System serves Spanaway and provides access to genealogy resources, local history collections, and newspaper archives. The Spanaway branch and nearby branches offer reference services to help researchers find death notices and obituaries for community residents. Library staff can guide you to the right database depending on the time period and publication you are searching.
With a library card, Pierce County Library cardholders can access Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online for free during library hours. These platforms include digitized death records, newspaper collections, and family history databases that cover the Pierce County area. The library also holds physical microfilm collections for older local newspapers that have not been fully digitized.
Note: Remote access to some genealogy databases is available from home for Pierce County Library cardholders. Check the library's website for details on which databases are available remotely.
Ordering Spanaway Death Certificates
To order a certified death certificate for a Spanaway resident, you can go through the Pierce County Vital Records Office or the Washington State Department of Health. The county office at 3629 South D Street, Tacoma, handles requests for Pierce County events. The state handles all Washington deaths from 1907 onward. Both produce certified copies, and both require proof of eligibility under RCW 70.58A.
State orders can be placed online through VitalChek at $40.50 per copy or by mail at $25 per copy. The mailing address is Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507. The DOH death records page has complete instructions for submitting a mail or online request.
- Pierce County office: $25 first copy, $20 each additional
- State DOH mail: $25 per copy
- VitalChek online: $40.50 per copy
- Valid photo ID required with all requests
- Noncertified informational copies available to any requester
- Certified copies restricted to eligible family and legal representatives
The main Washington DOH vital records page at doh.wa.gov outlines all record types available and helps Spanaway residents determine whether to contact the county or the state for their specific request.
The page also covers how to order corrections to existing records and what to do if a Spanaway death record contains an error or missing information.
Pierce County Obituary Records
Spanaway is part of Pierce County, and all death records for the community run through the county health department and the state vital records system. Visit the Pierce County page for more information on county-level resources, archival records, and genealogy tools.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities also use Pierce County or neighboring county offices for death record and obituary requests.