Okanogan County Obituary Records

Okanogan County obituary and death records go back to the county's formation in 1888 and are available through the local health district, the Washington State Digital Archives, the county auditor's office, and a range of genealogy collections. Whether you need a certified death certificate for a legal matter, want to search the statewide death index for an Okanogan County ancestor, or are tracing a family that settled in the Okanogan or Omak area, this page explains what each office holds, how to search for free, and how to order official copies.

Okanogan County Vital Records Office

Certified death certificates for events occurring in Okanogan County are available through the Okanogan County Health District and the Washington State Department of Health. For recent vital records, requests should go to the Okanogan County Health District or the Okanogan County Auditor's Office at 149 3rd Avenue North, Okanogan, WA 98840. The local health district may offer same-day service for walk-in customers for recent records. Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Death certificates follow the same fee structure.

The Okanogan County public records guide provides contact information for the health district and auditor's office, along with fee details and processing times for death certificate requests. Marriage licenses in Okanogan County are issued by the Auditor's Office. Divorce decrees are filed with the Okanogan County Superior Court Clerk. Washington vital records law under RCW 70.58 restricts access to birth and death certificates to eligible persons including the registrant, immediate family members, legal representatives, or those with a direct tangible interest.

The public records portal shown here lists the Okanogan County offices that handle death certificates, marriage licenses, and other vital records.

This resource covers the key Okanogan County offices and their contact details for vital records requests, including death certificate orders.

Washington State Digital Archives Death Index

The Washington State Digital Archives Death Certificate Index covers Okanogan County deaths from 1907 through 1960 and 1965 through 2017 as part of a statewide collection of over 2.3 million records. The index is free and open to anyone. Narda McNally from Okanogan, Washington, volunteered to transcribe the 1907 through 1929 death index entries for the county, which contributed directly to the detail and accuracy of those early records.

Most 1907 to 1960 entries include the decedent's name, date of death, age, county of death, and death certificate number. Many also show cause of death and residence. The 1965 to 2017 data was supplied by the Department of Health and has somewhat less detail but still covers the basics needed to confirm a death and order a certified copy. Images of actual death certificates up to 25 years old are available in the linked Department of Health Death Certificates collection on the same site. If you find an error in a record, contact the Washington Department of Health Center for Health Statistics at (360) 236-4313 or (360) 236-4312.

The Washington State Archives Digital Archives also holds the Okanogan County Auditor Miscellaneous Recordings collection from 1993 to the present, at TitleInfo/1777. That collection includes 37,757 records covering document types such as death certificates, birth certificates, name changes, wills, and trusts. It is open for research. The Okanogan County Auditor transfers recently recorded documents periodically, so the current year may not yet be complete. For best results, search by name of the grantor or grantee, or by year.

Historical Okanogan County Death Records

Okanogan County was created in 1888 from part of Stevens County and the county seat is Okanogan. The County Auditor has birth and death records from 1891 through 1908, marriage and land records from 1891, and patents from 1892. The FamilySearch Okanogan County genealogy page notes that there is no known history of courthouse disasters in Okanogan County, which means the historical record set is largely intact. The County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records from 1896. Probate records often mention death dates and heirs and can provide context when obituary records are missing.

The Washington State Archives Digital Archives holds the Okanogan County Auditor Death Records from 1891 through 1908 as an indexed and image collection. Those are the pre-state-registration records that predate the 1907 start of statewide recording. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Fatal Accident Cards from 1915 through 1928 may also document workplace deaths in Okanogan County. FamilySearch lists this collection as an additional research tool for the county's death history.

The Washington State Library vital records LibGuide lists the Register of Deaths for Okanogan County on microfilm (GEN MICRO 979.728 DEATH 1891-1908), covering 1891 through 1908. This microfilm is available for in-person use at the Washington State Library in Olympia. The guide also lists the Washington State obituary indexes and cemetery listings available at the Washington State Library as additional tools for Okanogan County research.

Note: The Central Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives in Ellensburg handles original Okanogan County pre-1907 records and can be reached at (509) 963-2136 or cebrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.

Ordering Okanogan County Death Certificates

Certified Okanogan County death certificates can be ordered in person at the local health district, by mail through the Washington State Department of Health, or online or by phone through VitalChek. The Washington State Department of Health death records ordering page describes all three methods and what documentation you will need.

The state issues three types of records. Long form death certificates contain cause and manner of death and the decedent's social security number and are available only to qualified applicants such as immediate family members, legal representatives, funeral directors within 12 months of death, and those with a direct tangible interest. Short form death certificates do not contain cause of death or social security number and can be obtained by a slightly broader group including title insurers and persons with a documented legal need. Noncertified informational copies are available to anyone without proof of relationship and contain the same data as the short form with a watermark indicating they cannot be used for legal purposes. These work well for genealogy research.

Fees start at $25 per copy and are nonrefundable. Mail orders take 8 to 10 weeks after full payment and documentation are received. VitalChek online or phone orders start at $40.50 and process in 3 to 7 business days. Washington vital records law under RCW 70.58A governs access to certified copies. The CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records page confirms the state vital records office number as (360) 236-4300 and explains what information to include with a mail request.

Genealogy Resources for Okanogan County Deaths

Okanogan County genealogy research has strong support from both state and national sources. FamilySearch holds Washington County Death Registers from 1881 through 1979 and Washington Death Certificates from 1907 through 1960, both covering Okanogan County deaths. These are free with a FamilySearch account. The Social Security Death Index also lists Washington deaths and can confirm death dates for individuals who had social security numbers.

The Washington Death Index 1940 through 1996 is available on Ancestry.com and includes Okanogan County entries. The Washington State Library's LibGuide also points researchers to the state obituary indexes and cemetery listings available at sos.wa.gov. Newspapers from the Okanogan and Omak area published death notices and obituaries over many decades, and some of those have been extracted and placed into online genealogy collections. The Washington State Genealogical Society Library may also have relevant materials for Okanogan County researchers.

For probate records, which often confirm death dates and list surviving heirs, the Okanogan County Superior Court Clerk's Office holds filings from 1896 forward. The Central Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives in Ellensburg handles original Okanogan County records. Researchers with questions about access to specific collections can contact that branch at (509) 963-2136 or cebrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.

Cities in Okanogan County

Okanogan County communities include Okanogan, Omak, Tonasket, Brewster, and Twisp. No cities in Okanogan County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Okanogan County borders several other Washington counties. Each county has its own vital records office and death certificate system.