Find Skamania County Birth Records
Skamania County birth records are available through the Washington State Department of Health, which holds certified Washington birth certificates for births from 1907 to the present. Skamania is a small, rural county in the Columbia River Gorge region, and requests for birth records here follow the same state process as any other Washington county. This guide walks through how to request a record, what you need to qualify, and where to find older records from before state registration began.
Skamania County Overview
Getting a Skamania County Birth Certificate
Because Skamania County is small and rural, birth certificates for Washington births recorded in this county are issued through the Washington State Department of Health rather than a dedicated local health office. The state DOH holds all certified Washington birth records from July 1, 1907 to the present. That includes births that took place in Skamania County hospitals, homes, or other locations over that period.
You can request a Skamania County birth certificate in three ways. Online ordering is available through VitalChek at 1-866-687-1464, which processes most requests in 3 to 7 business days. Mail requests sent to the state DOH typically take 8 to 10 weeks. In-person appointments at the state office are also available but require scheduling in advance. The physical office is at 111 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501.
The mailing address for the state DOH is PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507. You can also reach the office by phone at 360-236-4300 or by email at ContactCHS@doh.wa.gov. The Washington State DOH vital records page has current applications, fee schedules, and ID requirements.
| Office | Washington State Department of Health - Vital Records |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507 |
| Physical Address | 111 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501 (by appointment) |
| Phone | 360-236-4300 |
| ContactCHS@doh.wa.gov | |
| Online | VitalChek - Online Orders |
| Fee | $25 per certified copy (plus service/shipping fees for online and phone orders) |
Note: Online and phone orders through VitalChek include an $8.50 service fee and a $7.00 shipping fee on top of the base $25 cost. In-person orders have a $13.50 identity verification fee and $2.50 handling. Mail orders sent directly to the DOH carry only the $25 base fee.
Eligibility for Certified Skamania County Birth Records
Washington has been a closed-record state since January 1, 2021. That means certified birth certificates are only available to qualified applicants. The rules are set by RCW 70.58A.530, which lists who can request a certified copy.
Qualified applicants include the person named on the record, their spouse or domestic partner, a parent or stepparent, a child or stepchild, a sibling, a grandparent, great-grandparent, grandchild, or great-grandchild. Legal guardians, legal representatives, authorized representatives, and government agencies or courts with a legitimate need may also request certified copies. Everyone else can request a noncertified informational copy, which is printed on plain paper with a watermark stating it cannot be used for legal purposes.
To verify your eligibility, you will need to bring or include a valid, government-issued photo ID. If you are requesting on behalf of someone else, you will also need documentation showing your relationship to the person named on the record. The fee is nonrefundable even if the record is not found. Do not send cash by mail.
RCW 70.58A.530 defines who may receive a certified birth certificate in Washington, applying equally in Skamania County as in every other county in the state.
Historical Skamania County Birth Records
Skamania County was created on March 9, 1854, carved from Clark and Lewis counties. The county has a long history, and older birth records from the territorial period are available through several archives. These records predate state registration, which began on July 1, 1907.
The Skamania County Auditor holds birth records from 1893 to 1907 in its collection. The Washington State Digital Archives has digitized a portion of these early records and made them available free of charge at digitalarchives.wa.gov. The Digital Archives search tool supports phonetic Soundex searching, which helps locate records where name spelling varied or was recorded inconsistently.
Older records from the territorial period are also available on microfilm. Records of births, marriages, early wills, probate administrations, deeds, and miscellaneous records up to 1892 exist in various forms. Birth records to 1907 are available on microfilm through regional archives. The Southwest Regional Branch archives holds older Skamania County records and can assist researchers. Birth entries from this era may be incomplete since reporting was not always consistent before state oversight began.
The Skamania County Clerk also holds divorce, probate, and court records going back to 1856. The County Auditor has land and marriage records from 1867. These related records can sometimes help fill gaps in birth documentation for the same time period. The Washington Secretary of State genealogy resources page is a good place to start when looking for finding aids and access information.
The Washington State Digital Archives holds early Skamania County birth records from 1893 to 1907, available for free searching online.
Note: Many territorial-era births in rural counties like Skamania went unrecorded. Delayed birth registration applications filed in later decades may exist for some individuals born before 1907.
Washington Birth Records Law
All Washington birth records are governed by RCW Chapter 70.58A. This chapter sets the rules for how births are registered, how records are kept, and who can access them. It applies throughout the state, including in Skamania County.
The closed-record rules under this chapter mean that vital records are not public records in Washington. Unlike some states where birth certificates are open to anyone after a certain number of years, Washington keeps birth records restricted regardless of age. Only qualified applicants as defined by the statute can get a certified copy. RCW 70.58A.540 covers nondisclosure protections for certain records and outlines the limited circumstances where a court may order disclosure.
Informational copies are available to anyone but carry a clear watermark. They can be useful for genealogical research but cannot be used to establish identity or support a legal application.
RCW Chapter 70.58A is the primary law governing birth records in Washington, setting access rules that apply in every county including Skamania.
The Washington Secretary of State genealogy page links to archives and microfilm collections that hold early Skamania County vital records.
Other Skamania County Records
When you cannot find what you need in birth records alone, other county records can sometimes help. The Skamania County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records going back to 1856. These older records are sometimes the only documentation available for people born in the area during the territorial era.
For genealogy researchers, Washington's State Library genealogical guide lists holdings for each county, including Skamania. The Library of Congress also maintains a guide to Washington local history and vital records that can point you toward additional microfilm or digitized collections.
The state DOH FAQ page covers common questions about birth certificate requests, including what to do if a record does not exist or was never registered. You can find that at doh.wa.gov vital records FAQ.
Note: If you need a birth record for someone who was adopted or whose birth details were changed by a court order, the process may differ from a standard request. Contact the state DOH at 360-236-4300 for guidance.
Cities in Skamania County
Skamania County is a small, rural county. No cities in Skamania County meet the population threshold for a dedicated birth records page. The county seat is Stevenson, which is served by the state DOH for birth certificate requests.
Nearby Counties
Adjacent counties in southwest Washington may also be relevant for records requests, particularly for families who lived near county lines.