Washington Background Checks

Washington Vital Records Background Checks
In Washington state, vital records, such as those used in Washington background checks, may be accessed from the Center for Health Statistics at the Department of Health. Certified copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce documents are available in person, by mail or by telephone for $20 per certificate, plus any other applicable fees.

Birth records are kept on file at the Center for Health Statistics from the dates of July 1, 1907 to the present. County health departments also have Washington state birth records available including and after January 1, 1921. County health departments can also be a source for death, marriage and divorce documents that were filed more than two months from the current date. For recent event documentation needed in Washington background checks, the Center is more likely to have those records.

The contact information is:
Center for Health Statistics
Department of Health
101 Israel Road SE
Tumwater, WA 98501

Monday through Friday 8am – 4:30pm
$20 per certificate by cash, check, money order or credit card
A records request form is available from the office.

Walk in orders processed earlier in the day are typically same day service.

Mail in requests take about 2 – 3 weeks and should be mailed to this address:
Center for Health Sciences
Department of Health
PO Box 9709
Olympia, WA 98507-9709

There is a $5 fee for first class mail. Express mail is an additional $18.30.
Expedited delivery to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico is an additional $25.

Phone in requests are done through VitalCheck with an additional $6.50 vendor fee. Credit cards are used for phone in requests and the expiry date must be given. The hours for VitalCheck are 9am – 4:30 pm and the phone number is: (360) 236-4308.

WA Background Check

The Washington State Patrol (WSP), Criminal History Records Section, maintains fingerprints as well as felony and gross misdemeanor arrest information. The criminal information can be found on the Washington State Identification System (WASIS) which is available by request in the interest of public safety. The public may request conviction related criminal records for Washington background checks by mail (see the address below) for $10 per name searched. The fee applies whether or not records are found. The information access applies to pending arrests less than a year old or if the individual being searched is a registered sex or kidnapping offender.

Washington criminal background checks that include fingerprinting services are available at the WSP. Fingerprints must be done in person at the Olympia WSP office and only the person being fingerprinted is allowed in the fingerprinting room. Typically, the fingerprinting procedure takes about 15 minutes. For further questions, the number to call is: (360) 531-2000.

The cost is $13 for two fingerprint cards. The WSP office in Olympia, Washington is open Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm, but closed between 12pm – 1pm.

The address is:
The Washington State Patrol (WSP)
Criminal History Records Section
Suite 202, 3000 Pacific Ave.
Olympia, WA 98501

For information on the Washington State Sex Offender Information and Notification Resource Center, contact Dawn Larsen at (306) 486-2380