Find Obituaries in Pend Oreille County

Pend Oreille County obituary and death records are available through state archives, the Washington State Department of Health, and county-level resources going back to the early 20th century. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal purposes or are building a family tree for a Newport-area family, this page explains where records are held, how to search free online indexes, and the steps required to order a certified copy from the state or a third-party vendor like VitalChek.

Pend Oreille County Vital Records

Pend Oreille County was carved out of Stevens County in 1911. The county seat is Newport. For death certificates covering deaths anywhere in Washington State from July 1, 1907, to the present, you can apply to the Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics. The phone number for that office is (360) 236-4300. For very recent deaths, within the past month or two, you may get faster service by contacting the local health department where the death occurred.

The Washington State Department of Health vital records ordering page explains each method: in person at a local health department, by mail, or through VitalChek online. All orders require identification and proof of a qualifying relationship under RCW 70.58A, which took effect January 1, 2021. The law limits certified copies to people with a direct and tangible interest in the record, such as immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with documented need.

Long form certificates include the cause and manner of death plus the decedent's social security number. Short form certificates contain basic identifying details. Noncertified informational copies are available more broadly and are well suited for genealogy research. They cannot be used for legal or financial purposes.

Washington State Digital Archives Death Index

The Washington State Digital Archives Death Certificate Index is a free, open database that covers Pend Oreille County deaths from 1907 through 1960 and from 1965 through 2017. It holds more than 2.3 million records across all Washington counties. You can search by name and narrow down by year range. No account is required.

Entries from 1907 to 1960 were transcribed from original certificates by volunteers. Those records tend to be richer in detail, often listing cause of death, surviving relatives, occupation, and burial location. Records from 1965 to 2017 were submitted directly by the Department of Health and usually show the name, death date, and county but with fewer supporting details. Images of actual death certificates are available for deaths up to 25 years ago.

The gap years from 1961 through 1964 are not online. Those indexes are available on microfilm at the Washington State Archives in Olympia. If you find a record in the digital index and need a certified copy, contact the Department of Health Center for Health Statistics at (360) 236-4313 or (360) 236-4312.

The image shown below is from the Washington State Digital Archives, which also holds a specialized Pend Oreille County collection of historical records.

This Digital Archives collection covers Pend Oreille County historical records and is searchable for free online.

Historical Pend Oreille County Death Records

Because Pend Oreille County was formed in 1911, there is no county-level death register from 1891 to 1907 the way older Washington counties have. Before state registration began on July 1, 1907, deaths in what is now Pend Oreille County would have been recorded by Stevens County, the parent county. Researchers tracing families from that era should check the Stevens County Auditor records as well as the Washington State Digital Archives for the Stevens County death register.

After the county was created in 1911, local death registration followed state rules. The Washington State Digital Archives holds the Department of Health Death Certificates for July 1, 1907 through 1997 as an indexed collection with images. The free death index for 1907 to 1960 and 1965 to 2017 is the fastest way to check whether a specific Pend Oreille County death is in the state system. For deaths before July 1, 1907, the Pend Oreille County Auditor in Newport is the right starting point.

The county death registers from the earliest period have been microfilmed and are available at the Washington State Library and through the Digital Archives. The state library's collection of microfilm covers county-level death registers for many Washington counties, and Pend Oreille County is included.

Pend Oreille County Records Collections

The Washington State Digital Archives holds a dedicated Pend Oreille County collection. The Pend Oreille County historical records collection is searchable online and includes materials transferred from the county to the state archives.

This collection at the Washington State Digital Archives covers county records transferred from Pend Oreille County and is open for free research.

The Washington State Library Vital Records LibGuide, available at washstatelib.libguides.com, lists the microfilm holdings for Pend Oreille County death registers. Researchers can also submit specific lookup requests through the Ask-A-Librarian service. The library staff can check the statewide death index on microfilm for July 1, 1907, through 2004. That service is free and can help you confirm a death date or county before you order a certified copy.

The Washington State Library also publishes a research handout titled "How to find Washington State Death Records," which explains the full timeline of who held death records at each point in history. For Pend Oreille County, it confirms that the Department of Health holds certificates from July 1, 1907, to two months before the current date, and that the local health department handles the most recent deaths.

Ordering Pend Oreille County Death Certificates

You have three ways to order a certified death certificate for a Pend Oreille County death. In person at a local health office is the fastest option and may be same-day if the record is on file. By mail takes 8 to 10 weeks after the office receives your payment. Online through VitalChek typically processes within 3 to 7 business days.

Mail orders go to: Washington Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507-9709. The fee is $25 per certificate, and you will need to include a copy of your photo ID and any documents proving your qualifying relationship to the deceased. Checks or money orders should be payable to the Department of Health. No cash. Fees are nonrefundable once the order is submitted.

Online orders through VitalChek start at $40.50 per certificate. An optional identity authentication fee of $3.00 may apply. VitalChek is the only state-approved third-party vendor. If another company offers to process your order, they will charge their own service fees on top of the state fee. To check on an existing order, call the Consumer Resource Center at 206-464-6684 or 800-551-4636 (Washington State only), open weekdays from 10 AM to 3 PM.

The CDC confirms the state vital records phone number is (360) 236-4300. When you call, have the full name of the deceased, the approximate date of death, and the city or county of death ready. Pend Oreille County deaths may list Newport, Cusick, Metaline Falls, or other towns in the county.

Note: Under RCW 70.58A.520 and RCW 70.58A.530, Washington is a closed-record state. Only people with a qualifying relationship can receive certified copies. This includes the spouse or domestic partner, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, legal representatives, and others who can document a direct interest.

Genealogy Resources for Pend Oreille County

FamilySearch holds Washington County Death Registers from 1881 through 1979 and Washington Death Certificates from 1907 through 1960, both with indexes. Because Pend Oreille County did not exist before 1911, earlier records will be found under Stevens County. FamilySearch is free to use with an account and covers the state archives death certificate collection for 1907 through 1960 in its index.

The Washington State Library offers a statewide death index on microfilm from July 1, 1907, through 2004. The Library's Vital Records LibGuide explains how to request a lookup by name and date range through the Ask-A-Librarian service. That service is a good option when online searches do not return clear results for a specific Pend Oreille County death.

The Washington State Archives Digital Archives is the main free online research tool for this county. In addition to the statewide death index, the archives hold the Department of Health Death Certificates from 1907 through 1997 with images available for deaths up to 25 years ago. The gap years from 1961 to 1964 are on microfilm at the Olympia archives and not yet digitized.

Local newspapers from Newport and other Pend Oreille County communities have published obituaries for residents going back many decades. Researchers should check the Washington State Library newspaper microfilm collection and local library archives for death notices not found in the official death record system.

Cities in Pend Oreille County

Pend Oreille County communities include Newport, Cusick, Metaline Falls, and Ione. No cities in Pend Oreille County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Pend Oreille County borders several other northeastern Washington counties. Each has its own vital records system and courthouse resources.