Washington Public Records
How to Access Washington Public Records
Washington State has several laws regarding Washington public records. The state has decided that it is in the interests of the community to make as many public records possible, unless they qualify for the following exemptions:
Most public information qualifies as a matter of public importance, because most government-held information has legitimate uses for those that are interested in finding out about individuals, businesses, and government agencies.
Finding Washington Public Records
Accessing these records is designed to be simple. The idea is that unless the record is easily accessible, it is not public enough to meet the standards of Washington State law. You can access these records in any of the following ways:
The Washington Public Records Act was specifically designed to help make finding public records easier. That is why finding these data has become a far easier process.
Washington Birth Records
The Center for Health Statistics is the body that keeps all information concerning births in the state of Washington. The Major purpose of the Washington Birth Records system is to make sure that there is a record when needed for issues such as when applying for a US citizenship or for entrance into a school. Moreover with birth records are other vital information such as pregnancy history, prenatal care, birth weight and conditions of the child’s health that are often utilized by lawmakers and healthcare providers in order to help them judge the service and tweak the system to provide a better service to the mother and child.In Washington, the information is gathered for both residents that have children in the state, as well as residents that gave birth out of the state. This information is usually collected from the parents, and is usually completed from information from hospitals, and birth centers from all forms that are filled by the parents from these different services.You can obtain your birth record the same day if you go to the Center for health Statistics. You must place your order before 4PM from Mondays through Fridays, except on state holidays and come with a $20 fee and appropriate identification documents.You can also opt to receive a certified copy of a birth certificate by mail, and in this case you will need to give a 3 to 4 weeks period. You will have to download and fill the mail request form, and also mail in copies of your identification document with a heck and money order to cover the $20 fee. You can opt for express delivery where you will have to add the fee depending on the provider.
Washington Death Records
Washington Death Records are obtainable through the Washington State Department of Health. For Washington death records from July of 1907 until two months before the present date you will need to go to the Center for Health Statistics, if you are trying to obtain records that have occurred in the last two months you will need to contact the County Health Department where the person has passed away. If you are trying to find records that predate July 1907 you’re going to need to access the Washington State Archives, and their research office.
You may request records by walking into an office, by standard mail, phone, or by the internet. If you plan to order the Washington death records you are after through the internet you will need to keep in mind that it will require a major credit cards and will be going through a third party company. If you choose to request your death records through a walk in service you will be able to have a same day service as long as you turn in your application before 4:00 PM. If you plan to use the phone system you will need to have a credit card, and the address you want the certificate to be sent to, this service for an additional fee, does offer next day service.
When requesting Death records you will need to know the name of the deceased, as on record, so be sure you know if they went by a different name than they had on record. It can help if you know the date of death or as close to it as you can get, also if you know the spouse and date of the persons birth this will help, they will also need to know the city or county that the person died in.
Search Washington Public Records By County
Additional Washington Resources
The links listed below lead to government agencies that provide free online access to public record information.
- Washington - Business Entities and Charities
- Washington - State Archives
- Washington - Unclaimed Property
- Washington - Sex Offender Registry
- Washington - Driver Status Display
- Washington - Statewide - Superior Court, District & Municipal Courts
- Washington - Statewide SAVIN (Offenders)
- Washington - Incarceration Search - Inmates
- Washington - Financial Institutions - Various Searches including Complaints
- Washington - UCC
- Washington - State Archives - Archived Documents
- Washington - Elections: Financial Disclosures, PACs, Lobbyists Reports
- Washington Online Searches
- Washington Court Records