Find Birth Records in Asotin County

Asotin County birth records can be obtained through the Asotin County Health District, which issues certified copies for people born in the county. The health district in Asotin handles local pickup of birth certificates, while other records, including those from other Washington counties or older historical records, are available through the Washington State Department of Health and the free Washington State Digital Archives. If you are searching for a birth that occurred in the county seat of Asotin or anywhere else in this southeastern Washington county, this page covers all the ways to get what you need.

Asotin County Health District Vital Records

The Asotin County Health District is the local office for obtaining birth certificates for people born in Asotin County. You can pick up a certificate at the health district office in person. Death certificates for 2018 to the present are also available at the local office. For all other death records and for births not registered in Asotin County, you will need to go through the Washington State Department of Health in Olympia.

The health district's vital records page at ac-hd.org has current information on what documents to bring, hours of operation, and how to submit a request. It is a good idea to check the website or call ahead before visiting, as hours can change and some services may require appointments. The office serves both Asotin city residents and people from Clarkston and other parts of the county.

The Asotin County Health District vital records page explains local services for birth and death certificates, including what is available locally versus through state DOH.

The health district handles local pickup of birth certificates for Asotin County births, while older records and out-of-county records go through state DOH.

For any Washington State birth not available at the local level, or if you prefer to order by mail or online, the Washington State DOH is your primary resource. Their ordering page at doh.wa.gov covers all methods in detail. Phone support is available at 360-236-4300, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ways to Order Asotin County Birth Certificates

You have several options when ordering a certified birth certificate for a person born in Asotin County. The local health district handles in-person pickup, which is often the quickest method for county residents. For online or phone orders, VitalChek is the only authorized third-party vendor for Washington State vital records. Their website is vitalchek.com and their phone line at 1-866-687-1464 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Online orders carry a $25 base fee plus an $8.50 VitalChek service charge and a $7.00 DOH processing fee. Most online orders arrive in three to seven business days.

Mail requests go to the Washington State DOH at PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507. Send a completed application along with a check or money order for $25. Mail processing takes about eight to ten weeks. That is a long time, so plan accordingly if you need the record soon. If you are in a hurry and cannot make it to the local health district, the online VitalChek option is much faster than mail.

In-person requests at the state DOH physical office require an appointment. The office is located at 111 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501. No walk-ins are accepted there. However, the Asotin County Health District does accept walk-in requests for county births, making it the most convenient in-person option for local residents. All fees are nonrefundable once a request is submitted, regardless of whether a record is found.

The Washington State DOH birth record ordering page outlines all four ordering methods and lists fees and required documents.

Download the application form from this page or begin an online order directly through VitalChek.

Historical Asotin County Birth Records Before 1907

Asotin County was created on October 27, 1883, from Garfield County. The county auditor began keeping birth records on July 7, 1891, and those records run through June 25, 1907. These historical registers are now preserved as GEN MICRO 979.742 BIRTH 1891-1907 and are held at the Washington State Archives. Both indexes and images for births between 1891 and 1913 are available online for free through the Washington State Digital Archives.

The Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov allow you to search by the child's name, parent names, gender, and year of birth. No account is needed and there is no fee to search or view records. This is the best starting point for anyone researching ancestors born in Asotin County before Washington State began centralized registration in July 1907. The archives are particularly useful for genealogists tracing families in the Clarkston, Asotin, and Snake River valley areas.

The Washington State Digital Archives offers free searchable access to Asotin County historical birth records from 1891 through the early statehood period.

Search by name, parent, or year to find Asotin County birth records from the County Auditor era.

For births before 1891, there are no government-generated records in Asotin County. Church records and family bibles are sometimes the only surviving source for that period. The Washington State Library guide at washstatelib.libguides.com lists additional research strategies and microform collections that may help fill gaps in older records. The State Archives genealogy page at sos.wa.gov also provides tips for tracking early Washington records.

Note: The 1891-1913 Asotin County birth records on the Digital Archives include both an index and images, which means you can often view the original document rather than just a typed entry.

Who Qualifies for Asotin County Birth Certificates

Washington has required qualified applicants for certified birth certificates since January 1, 2021. Under RCW 70.58A.530, only certain people can receive a certified copy. Qualified applicants include the person named on the certificate, their spouse or domestic partner, their child, parent, stepparent, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, great grandparent, grandchild, great grandchild, legal guardian, legal representative, authorized representative, and government agencies or courts. Anyone else can only receive a noncertified informational copy, which cannot be used for legal purposes like a passport or ID application.

Every request, whether submitted in person, by mail, or online, requires a government-issued photo ID. If you are requesting a certificate for someone other than yourself, you must also show proof of your relationship to that person. The type of proof depends on your relationship. Parents typically provide a birth certificate showing the relationship. Legal guardians use court documents. Attorneys and authorized representatives use letters of authorization. The DOH reviews each request before issuing any certified copy.

Birth records are confidential for 100 years from the date of birth under RCW 70.58A.540. Once a record is more than 100 years old, it becomes public and anyone can access it without showing a relationship. The full legal framework for Washington vital records is in RCW Chapter 70.58A.

The Washington State RCW Chapter 70.58A is the complete vital records statute governing all birth certificate requests in Washington, including those for Asotin County records.

This chapter covers qualified applicant rules, fees, confidentiality periods, and how both certified and informational copies differ.

Cities in Asotin County

Asotin County includes Clarkston, Asotin, and Anatone, among other small communities. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Residents throughout Asotin County can use the local health district for in-person certificate pickup or order through the Washington State DOH or VitalChek for mail and online options.

Nearby Counties

Asotin County borders these Washington counties.