Find Obituaries in Asotin County

Asotin County obituary and death records are available through the Asotin County Health District, the Washington State Department of Health, and several online genealogy archives that hold historical records going back to the 1800s. This small southeastern Washington county borders Idaho along the Snake River, and its records system reflects both local and state-level management of death certificates and burial documentation. If you need to find a death notice, order a certified copy, or trace a family history, this guide covers each path you can take.

Asotin County Health District

The Asotin County Health District is the primary local office for obtaining death certificates for events that occurred in Asotin County. The district is located at 102 1st Street in the town of Asotin, and you can reach staff by phone at 509-243-3344. The office issues certified copies, noncertified informational copies, and fetal death certificates. All orders must be placed through VitalChek, but you have the option to pick up certificates in person rather than waiting for mail delivery.

Pick-up service is available Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Death certificates for deaths occurring from 2018 to the present can be ordered for pick-up. You still submit your documents and payment online through VitalChek, and the certificate is typically ready within two business days. You will get a notification when it is ready. Bring photo identification when you come to pick it up. Any certificates not picked up within five business days will be mailed by USPS.

The Asotin County Health District vital records page explains the full ordering process and fee schedule. If the death occurred less than one year ago, the funeral home may also be able to help you obtain copies quickly.

The VitalChek service listing for Asotin County Public Health District shows the full range of records available from this office, including certified and noncertified death certificate copies.

The VitalChek page for Asotin County Public Health District lets you place online orders for certified death certificates with expedited delivery options.

Asotin County Coroner and Death Registration

When someone dies in Asotin County, the death certificate is signed either by the attending physician or by the Coroner's Office. The coroner for Asotin County is Lisa Webber. After the physician or coroner signs the certificate, the funeral home registers it with the Asotin County Health District. The original certificate is then filed with the Department of Vital Statistics in Olympia.

Certified copies of the death certificate are often needed to settle an estate. The funeral home typically obtains copies at the time of registration and can provide them to the family. If you need copies after that initial period, the process depends on how long ago the death occurred. For deaths within the past 30 days, contact the Asotin County Health Department directly. After 30 days, requests should go to the Washington State Department of Health.

The Asotin County Coroner's Office page explains the death registration process and provides contact information for both the coroner and the health district.

The Asotin County Coroner's Office page shown here details how death certificates are processed and where to direct requests at different stages after a death.

The coroner's page is a useful first stop if you are unsure where to start when requesting Asotin County death records.

State-Level Asotin County Death Records

The Washington State Department of Health serves as the statewide authority for death records. If the death occurred more than 30 days ago and the local health district can no longer help, your request goes to the state. The Center for Health Statistics is located at Town Center 2, 111 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501, by appointment only. You can also contact the office by email at contactchs@doh.wa.gov or by phone at 360-236-4300.

The Washington DOH vital records ordering page outlines all three methods: online through VitalChek at 1-866-687-1464, by mail, and in person at a local health department. Online orders start at $40.50, and mail orders start at $25 with an 8 to 10 week processing window. Local office orders are typically ready the same day with a possible extra fee.

Death certificates come in two forms. Long form certificates include the cause and manner of death, the social security number, and other details used to close accounts or claim insurance. Short form certificates show the basic facts. Noncertified informational copies are available for genealogical use. The required information to order a record includes the deceased person's full name, date of death or approximate date, and the city or county of death.

Note: Under RCW 70.58A, Washington's 2021 vital records law restricts certified copy issuance to qualifying individuals. Proof of identity and a qualifying relationship to the deceased are required for certified copies.

The Asotin County Health District birth and death certificates page provides additional guidance on ordering fees, delivery options, and eligibility requirements for local certificate requests.

The ac-hd.org vital records page is the official site for the Asotin County Health District and lists current fees, delivery options, and instructions for ordering death certificates.

Asotin County Historical Obituary Records

Asotin County was created in 1883 from Garfield County. The County Auditor began keeping death records on November 19, 1898, and maintained them through April 30, 1907. Those records are now available at the Washington State Archives as the Register of Deaths for Asotin County, indexed and with images. If you are researching a death from that pre-state-registration era, the county auditor records are your primary source.

After state registration began on July 1, 1907, all Asotin County death certificates were filed with the Department of Health in Olympia. The Washington State Digital Archives Death Certificate Index covers deaths from 1907 through 1960 and from 1965 through 2017. The index has 2,324,901 records statewide and includes Asotin County deaths throughout that period. Images of actual death certificates are available for deaths up to 25 years ago.

FamilySearch holds Washington County Death Registers from 1881 through 1979 as an indexed and image collection, along with Washington Death Certificates from 1907 through 1960. The County Courthouse is located at 135 2nd Street in Asotin. The County Clerk handles divorce, probate, and court records, which can also contain death-related information in estate files and estate inventories.

The Washington State Library's vital records research guide also explains how to search the statewide death index and submit lookup requests. The library holds the Washington State Death Index on microfiche and microfilm from July 1907 through 2004. Researchers can submit queries through the Ask-A-Librarian service with a date range for assistance finding specific records.

Cities in Asotin County

Asotin County is a small, largely rural county. Its communities include Clarkston, Asotin, and Anatone. No cities in the county currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Asotin County is in the far southeastern corner of Washington, bordering Idaho and Oregon. These nearby counties also maintain their own vital records systems.