Clark County Obituary Records

Clark County death records and obituary information are managed through Clark County Public Health in Vancouver, which issues certified death certificates for Washington State deaths from 2018 to present and Clark County deaths from 2002 through 2017. Whether you need to locate a recent death certificate, search historical death registers from the 1800s, or find obituary notices for a family member, this page covers the key sources and steps to get what you need in Clark County.

Clark County Death Certificates

Clark County Public Health is the local office that handles death certificates for this area. The office is located at 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Building 17, 3rd floor, Suite A327, Vancouver, WA 98661. Phone service is available at 564-397-8092, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In-person services run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. The office is closed on Tuesdays.

The office handles two ranges of death records. For Washington State deaths from 2018 to the present, Clark County can issue certified copies. For deaths that occurred and were filed in Clark County between 2002 and 2017, the county also has those records. Certificates for deaths prior to 2017 are only available in long form. Deaths before 2002 may require contacting the Washington State Department of Health directly.

The Clark County Public Health vital records page has full details on ordering, fees, and what documents you need to bring. If you are ordering for a family member who recently passed, the office can typically print and ship within three business days when all required documents are in order. In-person requests normally take twenty to thirty minutes.

Who Can Request Clark County Death Records

As of January 1, 2021, Washington became a closed-record state for vital records. This change came through RCW 70.58A, which limits access to certified death certificates to individuals with qualifying relationships. Not everyone can walk in and get a copy. You need to show both your identity and your connection to the person on the record.

Qualified applicants include the spouse or domestic partner of the deceased, children, siblings, parents, grandparents, and legal representatives. Government agencies and courts conducting official duties are also eligible. If you do not meet one of these criteria, you may not receive a certified copy. Orders placed by applicants who fail to qualify or provide required information within 30 days are cancelled with no refund, per RCW 70.58A.

What you need to bring:

• Valid government-issued photo ID
• Documentation proving your relationship to the deceased
• Completed order form
• Payment (see fee section below)

Funeral homes and funeral directors have a separate process. The Clark County Vital Records Online Service Portal allows authorized funeral home professionals to order death certificates electronically. Funeral directors must first register a profile and submit a new online funeral home account through the portal. Staff will confirm access within one business day.

Clark County Vital Records Portal

The Clark County Vital Records Online Portal is used by funeral homes to submit electronic death certificate orders. The image below comes from the Clark County Envision Connect portal, which serves authorized funeral home users in the county.

Funeral directors must create a profile before placing orders. Contact CntyHealthVitalRecor@clark.wa.gov or call 564-397-8092 for help with account setup.

The main Clark County Public Health vital records page is where members of the public can review the ordering process, check hours, and download order forms. The screenshot below shows the county's public-facing death certificate information page.

The page outlines who can request records, what identification is required, and current fee amounts for in-person, mail, and online orders.

Clark County Death Certificate Fees

The first certified or non-certified birth or death certificate costs $38.50. Additional copies cost $25 each. There is also a $10 order fee per transaction. These fees apply to in-person, mail, and online orders through VitalChek.

For lobby purchases, credit card payments are accepted with a processing fee of $2.00 for transactions up to $50, and $2.95 for $50.01 to $100. Mail orders must be paid by cashier's check or money order made out to Clark County Vital Records. Shipping costs for mail orders are $5 for USPS, $15 for UPS 3-day, and $40 for UPS Next Business Day.

Online and phone orders placed through VitalChek for Clark County cost $25 per certificate, plus an $11.50 VitalChek service fee, plus a $10 order fee and shipping. VitalChek adds $3.50 per order for lobby kiosk purchases as well. Orders with all required documents are printed and shipped within three business days.

VitalChek is the authorized online ordering service for the Clark County Health Department. Only qualified applicants who meet eligibility requirements under the 2021 vital records law can place orders through this service.

Note: Fee amounts can change. Confirm current costs with Clark County Public Health at 564-397-8092 or check the county website before submitting an order.

Historical Clark County Obituary Records

For older death records, several free sources exist. The Washington State Archives Digital Archives holds the Clark County Death Register for 1891 through 1907. This collection contains 537 records created by the Clark County Auditor. You can view the original register pages online at no cost. Records are open for research with no access restrictions.

These old registers typically show the name of the deceased, the date and place of death, age, cause of death, birthplace, residence, occupation, and parents' names and birthplaces. The attending physician or the person who filed the return is also noted. The collection is searchable by last name, first and last name, or the first letter of the last name.

Clark County was first organized in 1845 as Vancouver District by the Oregon Provisional Legislature and renamed after explorer William Clark in 1849. It sits in the southwestern corner of the state with Vancouver as the county seat. The Southwest Regional Archives holds the original physical death registers. For more information, contact the Washington State Archives Southwest Region Branch at (360) 753-1684 or email swbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.

The Washington State Library Vital Records LibGuide notes that the Clark County Death Register, 1891-1907, is also available on microform in the state library's genealogy collection. Researchers can submit lookup requests through the Ask-A-Librarian service, but should include a date range since the index spans several reels. The State Library also holds the Washington State Death Index covering July 1, 1907, through 2004 on microfiche and microfilm.

Before statewide registration began in 1907, counties kept death registers where each death was entered into a ledger. Some counties also maintained death returns as single sheets for each person. Not all families registered deaths during this period, so gaps may exist in the record.

Washington State Death Record Resources

The Washington State Department of Health maintains death records for the entire state from July 1, 1907, to the present. If the Clark County office cannot fulfill your request because the death falls outside their range, the state DOH is your next step. You can order through VitalChek or call 1-866-687-1464. The Center for Health Statistics mailing address is PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507.

For deaths between 1907 and 1996, the Digital Archives Death Certificates collection has scanned images of certificates for Washington State, including Clark County. This is an ongoing project with over 2.2 million records already available. The collection is free to search online.

The DOH Death Index at the Washington State Digital Archives covers 1907 through 1960 and 1965 through 2017. It includes the death certificate number, name, date, age, gender, and location of death, which can help you find the right certificate before ordering a certified copy.

Note: For Clark County records, the Southwest Region Branch of the Washington State Archives is the appropriate contact for original historical registers.

Cities in Clark County

Clark County includes several cities and communities. All death certificates for residents of these cities go through Clark County Public Health or the Washington State Department of Health depending on the year of death.

Other communities in Clark County include Battle Ground, Washougal, La Center, Ridgefield, and Woodland. Death and obituary records for all of these areas flow through Clark County Public Health or the state DOH office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border or are near Clark County. If you are unsure whether a death was registered in Clark County or an adjacent one, check the location of death on the original certificate or contact the state DOH for guidance.