Spokane Valley Obituary Records
Spokane Valley obituary and death records are part of the Spokane County vital records system. Death certificates for events that occurred in Spokane Valley are filed with the Spokane Regional Health District and the Washington State Department of Health. If you are searching for older records, the Washington State Digital Archives holds Spokane County death records going back to 1888, making it possible to trace deaths in this area well before the state began keeping official records in 1907. This page covers the key offices, digital databases, and library resources available to Spokane Valley residents.
Spokane Valley Quick Facts
Spokane County Vital Records for Spokane Valley
Death certificates for Spokane Valley are issued through the Spokane Regional Health District, which serves the entire Spokane County area. Spokane Valley residents can request certified death certificates through the health district's in-person office or order from the state. The health district may offer same-day service for a fee when a record is on file. For records that are not immediately available locally, ordering through the state is the standard approach.
Spokane Valley is an incorporated city that incorporated in 2003. All death events that occurred in the area are recorded within the Spokane County system, regardless of when the incorporation happened. The county health district tracks these records and coordinates with the state for registration and certification. If a death occurred before 2003 in what is now Spokane Valley, the record is still held under the Spokane County system and can be ordered the same way.
The Washington State Department of Health maintains all Washington death records from July 1, 1907, to the present. For Spokane Valley deaths in that range, orders can be placed at doh.wa.gov by mail or online through VitalChek. Mail orders cost $25 per certified copy. Online orders through VitalChek cost $40.50 per copy.
The Washington State DOH vital records page at doh.wa.gov shows Spokane Valley residents the available certificate types, fees, and how to place an order.
The page is updated regularly with current fee information and processing time estimates for Spokane Valley death certificate requests.
Washington Digital Archives: Spokane County Records
The Washington State Archives Digital Archives is a key resource for Spokane Valley death record research. The Death Index spans July 1, 1907 through 1960 and 1965 through 2017, with over 2.3 million records statewide. The Spokane County portion of this index is well-documented. Researchers can search by name, year, and county at no charge. The Digital Archives also holds the Spokane County Auditor Death Returns from 1888 to 1907 and the Death Register from 1891 to 1907, both with index entries and images.
These pre-1907 records are especially useful for tracing Spokane Valley families during the early settlement period. The Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch holds additional physical records not yet digitized. You can reach that office at (425) 564-3940 for inquiries about accessing materials that have not been made available online.
For records between 1960 and 1965, there is a gap in the Digital Archives index. Deaths during those years may require a direct request to the state Department of Health or the Spokane County Auditor's historical records office.
Historical Death Records for Spokane Valley
Spokane Valley was historically part of the unincorporated Spokane County area before it became a city in 2003. Death records for residents of the area before incorporation are filed under Spokane County. The county auditor held birth and death records from 1890 to 1907, and these documents are now available through the Digital Archives. The FamilySearch Spokane County Genealogy wiki lists all major collections available for the county, including the auditor records, state death certificates, and library indexes.
Newspaper obituaries from the Spokane area, including coverage of Spokane Valley communities, are indexed by the Spokane Public Library. The Spokesman-Review has been the main regional paper for over a century, and library staff can assist researchers in locating historical obituaries. The Spokane County Library District serves Spokane Valley directly and provides access to many of the same genealogy databases available at the city library.
Spokane County Library District Resources
The Spokane County Library District serves Spokane Valley residents and provides access to local history and genealogy resources. The Spokane Valley Library branch offers reference services to help you locate death notices and obituaries for Spokane Valley residents. With a library card, you can access genealogy databases including Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest during library hours.
Newspaper archives available through the library cover the Spokane area from the early 1900s onward. These archives are searchable digitally in many cases, which makes it much faster to find a specific obituary than searching microfilm by hand. Library staff can point you to the right database depending on the year and publication you are looking for.
The Washington State Library's Vital Records LibGuide also has guidance specific to Spokane County records, including information on the gap years and how to locate records that are not covered by the Digital Archives index.
How to Order Spokane Valley Death Certificates
To order a certified death certificate for a Spokane Valley resident, the primary route is through the Washington State Department of Health. Orders go to the Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507 for mail requests. Online orders go through VitalChek. You can also order in person at the Spokane Regional Health District.
The fee is $25 per copy for mail orders and $40.50 for online orders through VitalChek. Under RCW 70.58A, certified copies are restricted to eligible parties including immediate family members and legal representatives. Noncertified informational copies are available to the general public and carry the same data without the certified seal.
- VitalChek online: $40.50 per certified copy
- DOH mail: $25 per certified copy
- In-person at Spokane Regional Health District: same-day service may be available
- Valid government-issued photo ID required
- Informational copies available to all requesters without eligibility proof
The Spokane County Library District at scld.org provides Spokane Valley residents with access to genealogy databases and newspaper archives useful for obituary research.
The library's online catalog and database portal let Spokane Valley residents search for death notices and historical records from home with a valid library card.
Spokane County Obituary Records
Spokane Valley is part of Spokane County. All death certificates and vital records for the city are managed through Spokane County offices. For more on county-level death record resources, including the county archives and genealogy tools, visit the Spokane County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Spokane Valley also have death record resources available through county and state offices.