Tacoma Death Records and Obituaries
Tacoma obituary and death records are available through the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Vital Records Office and the Washington State Department of Health. Tacoma is the county seat of Pierce County and one of the largest cities in Washington. Death certificates for events in the city have been kept since the state began official registration on July 1, 1907, and the Washington State Archives holds Pierce County death records going back to 1892. Tacoma also has a well-developed library system with newspaper archives that contain obituary notices going back over a century.
Tacoma Quick Facts
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Vital Records
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Vital Records Office is the main local source for Tacoma death certificates. The office is located at 3629 South D Street, Tacoma, WA 98418, phone 253-798-6410. In-person requests are processed same-day when the record is on file. Mail requests typically take one to two weeks. Death certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $20 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
For online orders, you can go through VitalChek for Pierce County. VitalChek allows you to place an expedited order from home. The state also accepts requests through its own system, and the Tacoma-Pierce County office coordinates closely with the state to ensure all registered death records are accessible. If you need a copy and are not sure whether to contact the county or state, the local office can direct you.
The office handles records for all events in Pierce County, including surrounding communities like Spanaway, University Place, and South Hill. Tacoma residents can also obtain noncertified informational copies through this office. These copies are available to anyone and carry the same data as a certified copy, but they include a watermark indicating they are not valid for legal purposes.
Additional death-related records for Tacoma are available through the Pierce County online records portal, which lists document types available without a formal in-person or mail request.
The Washington DOH vital records page at doh.wa.gov gives Tacoma residents an overview of how to order certified death certificates from the state, including fees, eligibility rules, and processing options.
The state page explains the three document types available for Washington death records and the difference between a certified copy and a noncertified informational copy for Tacoma requests.
Washington Digital Archives: Pierce County Death Records
The Pierce County Auditor Death Records, 1892 to 1907 collection at the Washington State Archives Digital Archives is one of the earliest death record collections in the state for the Tacoma area. This database includes indexing and images for death returns and certificates for individuals who died in Pierce County during that period. It also includes Transportation of Corpse Certificates. The collection contains 7,918 records and is open for research.
The broader Washington State Death Index, which covers July 1, 1907 through 1960 and 1965 through 2017, is also searchable through the Digital Archives. This index contains over 2.3 million records statewide and includes the full Pierce County and Tacoma portion. Searches are free and open to anyone. For deaths within the last 25 years, only the index entry is available publicly, and a formal copy must be ordered.
If you are researching a death that occurred between 1960 and 1965, there is a gap in the statewide index. Records from those years may require a direct request to the DOH or the Pierce County Auditor's historical records office. The Puget Sound Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives at (425) 564-3940 can help with physical records in that range.
Historical Tacoma Obituary Records
Newspaper obituaries are a major source for Tacoma death research. The city has been served by local papers since the 1880s, and many of these publications have been digitized. The Tacoma Public Library holds an extensive archive of local newspaper collections and can help researchers locate obituary notices from any decade. The library also holds microfilm for papers not yet digitized, including older editions of the Tacoma News Tribune and earlier publications.
The Washington State Library in Olympia holds microfilm of Pierce County death registers in its genealogy collection. These complement the records available through the Digital Archives and may contain information not captured in the digitized indexes. The State Library Vital Records LibGuide explains how to access these microfilm collections and what is available in each.
Tacoma Public Library Genealogy Resources
The Tacoma Public Library offers strong genealogy and local history resources. The Northwest Room at the main branch holds an extensive collection of local records, including city directories, funeral home records, cemetery indexes, and newspaper archives. Staff there specialize in local history research and can help you track down obituaries and death notices for Tacoma residents going back many generations.
The library provides free access to Ancestry Library Edition, HeritageQuest Online, and newspaper databases including ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Many Tacoma-area obituaries published in the 20th century are indexed in these platforms. The library also holds Tacoma city directories from the early 1900s onward, which can be useful for identifying where a person lived and confirming their identity before ordering official records.
Note: Remote access to library genealogy databases may be available for Tacoma Public Library cardholders. Check the library website for current remote access availability.
How to Order Tacoma Death Certificates
You can order a certified Tacoma death certificate from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Vital Records Office or from the Washington State Department of Health. The county office at 3629 South D Street, Tacoma, WA 98418 handles in-person and local requests. The state handles mail and online requests through the Center for Health Statistics.
State mail orders cost $25 per copy and are sent to Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507. Online orders through VitalChek cost $40.50 per certified copy. Under RCW 70.58A, only eligible individuals can receive certified copies. Noncertified informational copies are open to anyone and cost the same but carry a watermark indicating they are not valid for legal use.
- Pierce County office: $25 first copy, $20 each additional
- State DOH mail: $25 per certified copy
- VitalChek online: $40.50 per certified copy
- In-person at county office: same-day when record is available
- Valid government-issued photo ID required with all requests
The Tacoma Public Library at tacomalibrary.org provides local history and genealogy resources that Tacoma residents can use to find obituaries, death notices, and historical death records beyond what is available through the government offices.
The library's Northwest Room holds one of the most complete collections of Tacoma-area death and obituary records available outside of official government offices.
Pierce County Obituary Records
Tacoma is the county seat of Pierce County. All death certificates, historical records, and vital records services for Tacoma flow through the Pierce County system. For more on county resources, additional offices, and genealogy tools covering all of Pierce County, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Tacoma also have obituary and death record resources available through county and state offices.