How to Find Washington Birth Records

How to Find United States Birth Records Washington Birth Records

The Washington Territory was established in 1853. Statehood was granted in 1889. Statewide registration of births in Washington began in 1907.

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Next Step: When did the birth occur?

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 * Birth Records
 * Choose a time period:


 * Before 1891
 * 1891 to 1907
 * 1907 to present
 * Birth year unknown


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Births before 1891
Washington did not record births on the state level at this time. Before 1891, births were not required to be recorded by the county or the state. A few counties began keeping record of births as early as 1869. Delayed birth records may provide early dates. Search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.

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Births 1891 to 1907

 * 1848 – Oregon Territory created, including present day Washington state
 * 1853 – Washington Territory organized
 * 1889 – Washington granted statehood as the 42nd state of the Union
 * 1891 – Washington law required counties to record births
 * 1907 - Statewide registration of births began on July 1

For births recorded during this time period, try the following databases.

FamilySearch Microfilm Collections:


 * 1850–1960 Delayed birth certificates –
 * 1891–1907, 1938–1969 Birth registers and returns recorded by county or city –
 * 1900–1980 Index to delayed birth records, includes births for earlier years –

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STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
Limited births maybe found in the following databases. Try each link. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, then contact the Washington State Department of Health.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:

If you do not know the exact date or place of birth: The Washington State Department of Health will do a limited search for a fee.

The State of Washington is an open record state. Anyone may order copies of Washington birth certificates, as long as they can provide the required information.

If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.

FamilySearch Microfilm Collections:


 * 1850–1960 Delayed birth certificates –
 * 1891–1907, 1938–1969 Birth registers and returns recorded by county or city –
 * 1900–1980 Index to delayed birth records, includes births for earlier years –
 * 1907–1954 Birth index –
 * 1907–1948 Birth certificates –

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