Are Washington Vital Records Open To The Public
Vital records are generally considered public records and thus open to the Washington public. However, according to the Revised Code of Washington Chapter 42.56.365, following an amendment effective from January 1, 2021, all vital records shall no longer be subject to the Washington Public Records Act, which grants any member of the public the right to inspect and copy these records. In addition, government staff may only disclose information included in vital records to parties authorized by the Washington State Department of Health.
Washington State Birth Certificate Apostille
Do you need to apostille a birth certificate from Washington State?
At National Apostille, Inc. we take the guesswork out of obtaining an apostille on your Washington State birth certificate. Our trained and knowledgeable staff are available Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm to answer your questions and provide you easy to follow step-by-step instructions.
A birth certificate issued from the State of Washington is processed directly from the Washington State Secretary of States office. Please note that your documents will receive an Apostille from the State of Washington.
Processing time: 1-2 business days Cost: As low as $145 for each apostille.Free Return Shipping: FedEx priority overnight by 10:30 AM Office Hours: 8am 7pm Monday SaturdayCustomer Support: 1-800-903-2470
What Is A Birth Certificate
Birth certificates serve as official documents printed on certified security paper and used for legal purposes to prove a life event. Uses include proving identity, citizenship, and relationship to others in order to get a passport or driver license, adding a child to health insurance, enrolling a child in school, or obtaining Social Security or other benefits and services.
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Can Anyone Get A Copy Of A Birth Certificate In Washington
Certified copies of birth records in Washington are not public records and as such, are not available to everyone. Birth certificates can only be issued to adult registrants . Registrants parents, immediate relatives, guardians, and legal representatives can also obtain birth certificates on behalf of minor registrants. However, proof of eligibility and relationship with the registrants is required for persons other than the registrants.
Non-certified informational copies of birth records in Washington are available on request to everyone. Requesters must, however, provide the necessary information to facilitate a smooth search. No proof of eligibility is required as informational copies of birth records cannot be used for legal purposes.
How Do I Obtain Death Records In Washington
Interested parties who wish to initiate a death certificate search may do so online through a third-party website. Interested or eligible persons can also obtain death records for post-1907 deaths at the state department of health after completing either a death certificate order form. Copies of all vital records typically cost $20 per certificate requested. It should, however, be noted that interested parties who order a death record search by name through a method other than the walk-in/in-person method may pay an additional service fee, depending on the request method utilized.
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Cost Of Birth Certificates
State fees for birth certificates are $25 per copy. This would include both certified and noncertified informational copies. Nonqualified applicants can receive noncertified informational copies only.
Additional identity verification and record retention fees of $15 will apply for each record requested. Also include a postage and handling fee of $2 for mailed in orders, total per order.
Under Washington State WAC 246-491-990 no refunds will be authorized. Mail-in orders are payable by money order or cashiers check made payable to Snohomish Health District. Additional fees apply for online orders.
How To Unseal Your Birth Records In Washington
In Washington, the possibility of unsealing adoption records rests almost entirely on the birth parents permission to disclose information about them. Generally, adoptees who are 18 years and older can gain access to non-certified copies of their original birth certificates if their birth parents have not filed affidavits of non-disclosure. They can do this by completing and submitting the Adoptee Request for Original Birth Certificates from a Sealed File Form to:
Center for Health StatisticsOlympia, WA 98507-9709 236-4300
The DoH charges $20 to process such birth records requests, and it takes about five weeks to process.
Adoptees cannot obtain sealed birth records if their birth parents previously filed the Contact Preference Form stating non-disclosure of information about them. They can only access such records at the demise of their birth parents. Adoptees can request sealed birth records if their birth parents have given written consent to reveal the information in such documents. Birth parents that previously filed for non-disclosure of their information can also rescind such decisions.
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How Long Does My Order Take
It depends on the way you order and the shipping method you select. The times listed below start after we receive full payment and all required documentation. Missing information or documentation will delay orders.
- Check with your local Washington health department for the certificates they offer and if they have in-person services at this time. Customers will receive most orders within the same day. There might be an additional fee for this service.
- VitalChek online or by phone orders process and ship within 3-7 business days, depending on the shipping option you select.
How Do I Obtain Sealed Vital Records In Washington
In the state of Washington, adoption records are automatically sealed and original copies of these records may only be accessed by either an adult adoptee, a birth parent who is a registrant on the record, or by parties who can obtain a court order showing good cause as to why the record should be unsealed. For example, to get an original non-certified copy of a birth certificate from the state Department of Health, interested parties are required to complete an adoptee request for original birth certificates from a sealed adoption file. However, if the birth parent on the record has filed an affidavit of non-disclosure, the requestor may not obtain a copy of the birth record. Also, birth parents who wish to obtain copies of a birth certificate for their adopted child are required to complete a birth parent request for an original birth certificate from a sealed adoption file.
These forms and all applicable fees may be submitted via mail to:
Department of Health/CHSP.O. Box 9709Olympia, WA 98507-9709
Copies of adoptee birth certificates cost $20 per copy. In addition, parties who wish to make birth parent requests for birth certificates must pay a non-refundable $15 fee to open a sealed file. All payments should be in the form of either cashiers checks or money orders made payable to the Department of Health.
State Archives
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Washington Birth Certificate Fees
To request a Washington birth certificate, you are required to pay the state fees. From January 1, 2021, the cost to process a copy of a birth certificate in Washington is $25.
The same fee applies to certified and noncertified copies and each additional copy will require the payment of a $25 fee. Moreover, you should take into account the costs associated with shipping your petition.
The birth certificate fees are used to support the vital records system in the state of Washington and help fund the death investigations account
Some applicants can request a vital record copy for free in the state of Washington. This is the case if:
- The documents is connected to a claim for compensation or pension pending before the Veterans Administration
- The vital record certifies the death of a sex offender, for use by a law enforcement agency in maintaining a registered sex offender database
- The vital record certifies the death of any offender, requested by a county clerk or court in Washington state for purposes of extinguishing the offenders legal financial obligation
- The vital record is the birth certificate of a homeless person living in Washington state
How Do I Obtain Washington Birth Records
Birth records in Washington typically fall under two categories, Pre-1907 and Post-1907. Records of births that occurred before 1907 are maintained and issued by the respective counties where the birth occurred, while the Washington State Department of Health maintains records of births from 1907-date. Interested parties who wish to order birth certificate replacements may either do so online via a third-party website or by contacting the state Department of Health located at:
Center for Health Statistics101 Israel Road SETumwater, WA 98501
Applicants may obtain these records in person after submitting a completed birth certificate order form to:
Department of Health98507-9709
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How Do I Obtain Washington Vital Records
Parties who wish to obtain copies of vital records in the state of Washington are generally not required to provide any form of identification. However, some vital records contain confidential sections. Therefore, the only persons who can access these types of documents are the persons named on the record, their relatives, or anyone with a court order. In addition, requestors who wish to obtain copies of vital records for research purposes or statistical studies may need to submit a request letter.
Publicly available vital records are also managed and disseminated by some third-party aggregate sites. These sites are generally not limited by geographical record availability and may serve as a reliable jump-off point when researching specific or multiple records. However, third-party sites are not government-sponsored. As such, record availability may differ from official channels. To find a record using the search engines on third party sites, the requesting party will be required to provide:
- The location of the record in question, including the city, county, or state where the case was filed.
- The name of someone involved providing it is not a juvenile.
What Do I Need To Provide
To order a birth certificate, noncertified informational copy of a birth record, and Heirloom birth certificate, you must provide:
- First, middle, and last name of the subject of the record.
- Date of birth .
- City or county of birth.
- First and last names of all parents that are listed on the record.
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Birth Certificates: Thurston County
- Births from July 1, 1907 to present
- Must have been born in Washington State
- Certified certificates can typically be issued during normal business hours
- Cost: $25.00 per certificate.
- An order form must be completed and submitted with payment:
- Thurston County Public Health & Social ServicesATTN: Vital Records412 Lilly Road NEOlympia, WA 98506-5132
- We accept credit/debit cards*, cash, check, and money order. *Fee for all credit/debit card transactions will be charged $2.00 or 2.35%, whichever is greater.
- Questions call 360-867-2618
- Deaths that occurred in Washington State from January 1, 2008 to present
- Certified certificates can typically be issued during normal business hours
- Cost: $25.00 per certificate.
- An order form must be completed and submitted with payment:
- Thurston County Public Health & Social ServicesATTN: Vital Records412 Lilly Road NEOlympia, WA 98506-5132
- We accept credit/debit cards*, cash, check, and money order. *Fee for all credit/debit card transactions will be charged $2.00 or 2.35%, whichever is greater.
- Questions call 360-867-2618
How To Get A Certified Birth Certificate In Seattle
To order an authorized copy of a Seattle birth certificate:
- Fill out the birth certificate application with the required information
- Print and sign it
- Mail it to the Washington vital records office with the necessary requirements, a prepaid self-addressed envelope, and payment
Your certified copy will be issued and sent by mail to the address printed on your self-addressed postage-paid envelope.
Copies of a Seattle Birth and Death Certificates may be ordered by mailing your application package to the following address:
King County Vital Statistics325 9th AveSeattle, WA 98104-2499
Birth certificate application in person is suspended until july 2, 2021. After that date citizens of Seattle, or the rest of King County who prefer to submit in person may do so at the following address during walk-in hours although this usually entails waiting in line:
Harborview Medical Center
- Government agency or the courts if the birth certificate is used to conduct official duties
Please note that the documentation that must be presented alongside the Seattle birth certificate application may vary depending on the person requesting the vital record.
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Are Washington Death Records Open To The Public
Most Washington death records are open to members of the public. However, some death records include a confidential section. The information in this section is usually unavailable unless the record is obtained with a court order authorizing the disclosure of this information. As with birth records, public death records in Washington are also grouped into Pre-1907 deaths and Post-1907 deaths.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Birth Certificate In Washington
Birth certificates are issued to walk-in requesters on the same day at the Washington Department of Health . This is a lot faster than mail requests that take up to three weeks to be processed and delivered. Mail requests for heirloom birth certificates require additional time. They are fulfilled between six to eight weeks of receipt by the DoH. The processing time for requests submitted to County Health Departments by mail differs from county to county. Licensed third-party vital record websites offer expedited processing of birth records requests made to them. Obtaining copies of amended birth certificates in Washington from the DoH may take up to 5 months of processing.
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Birth & Death Records
Important Note: Starting January 1, 2021, a new vital records law and rules go into effect that changes the ordering requirements for birth and death certificates.
- For increased security of personal information, only individuals with specific relationships to the person on the record being requested can receive a certified copy.
- Identity and proof of relationship documentation will be required.
- Certificate fee is $25.00 per copy.
Important note: no refunds will be given if a record could not be located or the documentation you provided did not prove you were eligible to receive a certificate.
For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.
What Do I Need To Bring With Me To Prove My Identity
We recommend that you bring several forms of ID to ensure that DCVRD employees are able to verify your identity.
For a printable version of the below requirements, please review our Identity Guidelines Information Sheet.
During your visit, you will be required to complete an identity verification questionnaire at our self- service kiosks.
If the name on your identification does NOT match the name on the certificate, you must prove evidence of a legal name change. This may include a certified marriage certificate, certified divorce decree or a certified legal name change court order that reflects the history of the changes to the name on the certificate requested.
If the kiosk is able to authenticate your identity, you will be required to present at least ONE of the following forms of primary photo ID :
- State-issued drivers license or non-drivers ID card
- Passport or passport card
- Military ID Card
- Law enforcement ID
- Government employee ID
If the kiosk is able to authenticate your identity but you do not have a primary photo ID, you will be required to present TWO FORMS of alternate identification from the list below :
If the kiosk is unable to authenticate your identity, you will be required to present ONE form of primary photo ID and TWO of the documents from the list below.
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How Do I Get An Heirloom Birth Certificate
You must complete the following steps to request and receive a Heirloom birth certificate.
- Submit an application by mail or in person with required pieces of information.
- Provide documentation to prove your qualifying relationship.
- Pay applicable fee. Fees start at $50 per Heirloom birth certificate. Other fees may apply depending on shipping method. For each $50 purchase of an Heirloom birth certificate, $25 is tax-deductible. Visit the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families for additional information on how your contribution helps Washington’s families.
Eligibility And Identity Documents
Information regarding who can request official birth and death certificates and what documents are accepted to prove your relationship.
- Who can request birth and death certificates?
- – Use this form if you are:
- Identified in a notarized form signed by a qualified applicant or
- An agent identified in a Power of Attorney
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How To Request An Apostille For A Seattle Birth Certificate
If you need to use your birth certificate outside the U.S territory, your document should bear an apostille to grant it legal validity abroad.
This can be obtained by mail. Simply send your official birth certificate, together with the apostille fee to the Secretary of States office in a self-addressed postage-paid envelope. Make sure to have Certificate of Authentication Request at hand. Certain counties may have additional requirements.
Washignton Authentications Unit address:
Olympia, WA 98504
Washington Department Of Health
To obtain Washington birth records by mail, requesters should complete the Birth Certificate Mail Order Form and send with supporting documents to the DoH at:
Center for Health StatisticsOlympia, WA 98507
The following are some documents required of a requester to obtain birth records in Washington:
To obtain non-certified informational copies of birth records, requesters must provide the following information in addition to their supporting documents:
- The first, middle, and last names of the registrants on record
- First and last names of parents
- Date, month, and year births took place
- Cities and counties of birth
Local County Health Departments
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