Franklin County Obituary Records

Franklin County obituary and death records are available through the Benton-Franklin Health District and the Washington State Archives. If you need to find a death notice or obtain a certified death certificate for someone who passed away in Franklin County, this page outlines where to search, which offices to contact, and what the process looks like. Whether you are doing genealogy research or need a legal copy of a certificate, multiple sources are available to help you locate Franklin County death records going back more than a century.

Benton-Franklin Health District

The Benton-Franklin Health District is the primary office for obtaining certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Franklin County. The district covers both Benton and Franklin counties and issues certified copies of death records for events in either county. If you need a Franklin County death certificate, this is the first place to contact. The office is in Kennewick, which is close to Pasco, the Franklin County seat.

On January 1, 2021, Washington State updated its vital records laws. Under these rules, only qualified applicants with a direct and tangible interest can receive a certified copy. That means you need to show proof of identity and proof of your relationship to the person on the record. The eligible list includes the registrant if they are 18 or older, parents, spouse, domestic partner, children, siblings, grandparents, legal guardians, and legal representatives. A court order can also grant access to others with a documented legal interest.

You can also order Franklin County death certificates online through VitalChek, the authorized online ordering service for the district. VitalChek handles both long form and short form certified death certificates. A long form certified copy is what most people need for legal purposes like claiming insurance, notifying Social Security, or settling an estate. Short form copies are also certified but do not include cause of death information.

The Washington State Digital Archives maintains a screenshot of vital records materials gathered for Franklin County. The image below comes from the Digital Archives death certificate collection, which covers deaths statewide from 1907 through 1996.

The Washington State Archives Digital Archives holds death certificate records that include Franklin County entries going back to July 1907.

Certificates in this collection often show the place of death, name of the deceased, date of death, age, occupation, birthplace, cause of death, and burial information. Browsing this collection is free and does not require an account.

A second set of Franklin County death certificate images is also available. The Washington State Archives TitleInfo/802 collection provides additional indexed records that complement the main death certificate series.

This second collection is worth checking if you do not find the record you need in the primary set. Together, the two collections cover a wide span of Franklin County deaths.

Washington State Department of Health

If the Benton-Franklin Health District no longer has the record you need, the Washington State Department of Health is the next stop. The Center for Health Statistics at the Washington DOH maintains death records from July 1, 1907, to the present for all counties in the state, including Franklin County. You can reach them by phone at 1-866-687-1464 or apply online.

Mail orders take longer, usually 8 to 10 weeks, and the nonrefundable fee starts at $25. Online and phone orders go through VitalChek and start at $40.50 per certificate. The CDC also confirms state vital records contact details on their Where to Write for Vital Records page, listing the state office phone number as (360) 236-4300.

Note: For Franklin County deaths occurring within the last few months, the Benton-Franklin Health District handles those requests. Deaths older than three months are usually available from both the local district and the state office.

Franklin County Death Records in Archives

For older Franklin County deaths, the Washington State Digital Archives has free online access to several collections. The Department of Health Death Index covers deaths from 1907 to 1960 and from 1965 to 2017 for the entire state, including Franklin County. The index has over 2.3 million entries. Most entries show the name, date of death, gender, county of death, age, and death certificate number. Once you have the certificate number, you can order a copy or look for the full image in the death certificate collection.

Franklin County was created in 1883 from Whitman County. For deaths before July 1, 1907, Washington State records were kept at the county level. The Washington State Library provides guidance on locating these older records through its Vital Records in Washington State LibGuide. The library holds microfilm copies of early county death registers in its genealogy collection, and patrons can submit specific lookup requests through the Ask-A-Librarian service.

For deaths before 1907 in Franklin County, you may need to contact the County Auditor or search the State Archives directly.

Washington Vital Records Law

Washington vital records are governed by Chapter 70.58A RCW. This chapter covers everything from how deaths are reported to who can get a certified copy. RCW 70.58A.200 lays out the requirements for reporting deaths and filing death certificates. RCW 70.58A.520 and RCW 70.58A.530 govern how certified copies can be issued and who is eligible to receive them.

Washington became a closed-record state on January 1, 2021. Before that date, certified death certificates were more widely available. Now, only qualified applicants can get a certified copy. The law defines direct and tangible interest to include close family members, legal representatives, and others with documented need. If you are not sure whether you qualify, contact the Benton-Franklin Health District or the state DOH before submitting an application.

Under RCW 70.58A.510, death certificates can be transferred from the Washington Department of Health to the State Archives. Once transferred, the DOH still issues certified copies, but the records are held by the Archives. This is why older Franklin County death records appear in the Digital Archives collections online.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County includes several communities. Death records for all Franklin County residents are handled through the Benton-Franklin Health District regardless of which city the person lived in.

Other communities in Franklin County include Connell, Mesa, Kahlotus, and Washucna. All death certificate requests for these areas go through the Benton-Franklin Health District at 7102 W. Okanogan Place in Kennewick.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County borders several other Washington counties. If you are not sure which county handles a particular death record, check the county where the death occurred.