Benton County Death Records

Benton County obituary and death records are held at the local health district, the Washington State Digital Archives, and several genealogy collections covering deaths from 1905 to the present. Whether you need a certified copy for legal use, want to confirm a death date for an estate matter, or are tracing a family line that lived in the Tri-Cities area, this guide covers each source, how to search it, what you will find, and what it costs. The records span early county history through modern filings, and many of the older indexes are free to search online.

Benton-Franklin Health District Vital Records

The Benton-Franklin Health District is the local office where you get death certificates for deaths that took place in Benton County. The district serves both Benton and Franklin counties from its main office in Kennewick. Staff there can issue certified copies and noncertified informational copies. To order in person, you fill out an application, show a valid government ID, and provide any proof of relationship the law requires.

The health district issues both long form and short form death certificates. A long form copy includes cause of death and the Social Security number of the deceased, which is often needed to close bank accounts or claim life insurance. A short form shows basic facts like name and date of death. Noncertified informational copies can be used for genealogy but cannot be used for any legal purpose. You can also order online through VitalChek, which the district uses as its authorized expedited ordering service.

The wa211 service listing shown here covers the Benton-Franklin Health District and explains the services available for Benton County vital records.

This resource connects residents with the correct office for death certificates and other vital records in Benton County, Washington.

Note: The Benton-Franklin Health District serves both Benton and Franklin counties from the same Kennewick location.

Washington State Digital Archives Death Index

The Washington State Digital Archives Death Certificate Index covers deaths statewide from 1907 through 1960 and from 1965 through 2017. That means Benton County deaths across most of the 20th century are included. The index holds more than 2.3 million records and is free to search. You do not need to create an account to run a name search.

The 1907 to 1960 portion was transcribed by volunteers through the FamilySearch Indexing Project. Those entries tend to be more detailed than later ones and often include cause of death, names of surviving relatives, and place of burial. The 1965 to 2017 extract came directly from the Department of Health, so it covers key facts like name, date, and county but may have less family detail. For Benton County research going back to mid-century, this free index is one of the fastest places to start.

Images of actual death certificates are available for deaths that occurred more than 25 years ago. If you find a record and need a certified copy, contact the Washington Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, at (360) 236-4313 or (360) 236-4312. That office handles certified copies from July 1, 1907, through three months before the current date.

Benton County Historical Death Records

Benton County was created in 1905 from parts of Yakima and Klickitat counties. The County Auditor kept birth and death records from 1905 through 1907, when the state took over registration. Those early county auditor records are now part of the Washington State Archives. FamilySearch holds the Washington County Death Registers from 1881 through 1979 as an indexed and image collection, and Washington Death Certificates from 1907 through 1960 are also indexed there and free to search with a FamilySearch account.

A specialized collection worth knowing about is the five-volume set titled Records of Yakima County, Washington, 1869-1907, and Benton County, Washington, 1905-1907. Volume two in that set covers death records and can be useful for early Benton County research before state-level registration began. The Washington State Archives also holds the Benton County Auditor Dental Certificates from 1905 through 1983 and Professional License Records from 1992 through 2023, which can help with genealogical background research. The FamilySearch Benton County Washington Genealogy wiki walks through all of these collections and explains where to find each one.

For Benton County deaths between 1961 and 1964, the digital archives index does not cover those years. Records from that period are available on microfilm at the Washington State Archives in Olympia.

Ordering Benton County Death Certificates

There are three ways to order a death certificate for a Benton County death: in person at the Benton-Franklin Health District, by mail through the Washington State Department of Health, or online through VitalChek. The Washington State Department of Health vital records ordering page explains all three methods and lists required documents.

The fee at the local health district is $25 per copy. An additional charge applies for same-day service or FedEx delivery. For VitalChek online or phone orders, the fee starts at $40.50 per certificate. There may also be an optional $3.00 identity authentication fee. VitalChek is the only state-contracted third-party vendor. Any other company that claims it can get your records will charge fees on top of what the state collects. By mail, you send your application and a check or money order to the Washington Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507-9709. Mail orders take 8 to 10 weeks after the office receives payment.

Washington vital records law under RCW 70.58A governs who can order certified copies. A 2021 law change made Washington a closed-record state. Only people with a qualifying relationship to the deceased can receive certified copies. Those who qualify include a spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, legal guardian, legal representative, or someone with a court order. Noncertified informational copies, which are not valid for legal use, are available more broadly and are fine for genealogy.

You can also order through the Benton-Franklin Health District VitalChek page for expedited online ordering. The consumer resource line at 206-464-6684 or 800-551-4636 is open weekdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM for order questions.

Genealogy Resources for Benton County Deaths

Researchers tracing Benton County family history have several good options beyond the main state indexes. The Washington State Library vital records LibGuide covers the full range of sources statewide and explains how to submit a lookup request through the Ask-A-Librarian service. The State Library holds a Washington State Death Index on microfiche and microfilm from July 1, 1907, through 2004. If you know a rough date and name, this can be a useful cross-check against the digital archives.

For deaths before 1907, the County Auditor records are your best source. The Central Regional Archives in Ellensburg holds original records for eastern Washington counties including Benton. The Washington State Digital Archives has digitized portions of these early records and made them searchable at no cost.

FamilySearch has Washington County Death Registers from 1881 through 1979 as an indexed and image collection. Washington Death Certificates from 1907 through 1960 are also available as an index on FamilySearch. These collections cover Benton County and are free to access with a FamilySearch account. Local newspapers in Kennewick and Richland have published death notices and obituaries since the early 20th century, and some of those notices have been extracted and posted to genealogy sites.

The Washington State DOH death records page explains the types of certified copies available and the steps to order them, which is useful if you are new to requesting official records for Benton County.

Cities in Benton County

Benton County's largest communities include Kennewick, Richland, and West Richland, which together form the heart of the Tri-Cities area. Prosser serves as the county seat. None of these cities currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Benton County borders several other Washington counties, each with its own vital records system.