Tillamook County Death Records

Tillamook County obituary records are maintained by the Tillamook County Community Health Centers. The county seat is Tillamook. This coastal Oregon county has strong ties to dairy farming and fishing. Death records here date back to 1916. Obituary notices from Tillamook County appear in local papers and in state archives. The records office sits at 801 Pacific Ave in Tillamook. Staff can help with death certificate requests and point you to other vital records sources. Spanish forms are also on hand for those who need them.

Tillamook County Obituary Records Office

The Tillamook County Community Health Centers handle vital records for this part of the Oregon coast. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Each certified copy costs $25. This fee took effect on January 1, 2018. You can pay with cash, check, or credit card.

For death records, contact Anna at 503-842-3907. She can help you file a request or check on the status of a prior one. Birth record questions go to Lola at 503-842-3994. The staff is small but helpful. Walk-in visits are welcome during office hours. You can also call ahead to ask what forms you will need.

The Community Health Centers website shows what vital records services are offered in Tillamook County.

This page lists the fees, hours, and contact details for vital records requests in Tillamook County.

Note: Spanish language forms are available at the Tillamook County vital records office. Ask at the front desk if you need one.

Tillamook County Clerk Records

The Tillamook County Clerk handles marriage licenses, passport services, and other county documents. While death certificates come from the health centers, the clerk's office can point you to other record types that may help with obituary research. Marriage records and land deeds often fill in gaps when you are building a family history in Tillamook County.

The clerk's office also handles certified copies of certain older records. If you need a record that the health centers cannot provide, this is a good place to check next. The Tillamook County Clerk's website has details on licenses, certificates, and passport services.

The county clerk page shows the types of records and services available from the Tillamook County offices.

Tillamook County has a rich dairy heritage. Many of the families you will find in old obituary records were tied to farming, logging, or fishing along the coast. These industries shaped the towns and communities of Tillamook County for over a century. Old newspapers from the area often mention these ties in their death notices.

How to Search Tillamook County Obituary Records

Start with the time period. Death certificates in Tillamook County begin in 1916. The county holds a Certificate of Deaths collection from 1916 to 1944. These are organized both by alphabet and by burial date for the years 1919 through 1939. This makes it easier to find a record even if you only know an approximate year of death.

The Tillamook County Medical Examiner is Dr. Paul Betlinski. His office handles death investigations and signs off on cause of death for records filed in Tillamook County. If you have questions about a specific death record, the medical examiner's office may have added details not found in the standard certificate.

The broader Tillamook County records collection spans 1854 to 1967. It includes court files, land records, and other county documents. These are held at the Oregon State Archives in Salem. If your obituary search goes back to the 1800s, the archives are your best bet.

For newspaper obituary notices, check the Historic Oregon Newspapers site. The Tillamook Headlight Herald and other local papers are partially digitized. You can search by name and date range at no cost. This is one of the best tools for finding full obituary text from Tillamook County.

Note: Death certificates from 1916 to 1944 may be available at both the local health office and the state archives. Check both if your first search does not turn up what you need.

Tillamook County Records at the State Archives

The Oregon State Archives in Salem holds a wide range of Tillamook County records. The collection covers 1854 to 1967. It includes probate files, circuit court records, and vital records indexes. For obituary research, the death records portion is the most useful. These records can fill in gaps when the local office does not have what you need.

This page describes the Tillamook County records held at the state archives, including death certificate indexes and court documents.

The state also offers an online death index. The Oregon Health Authority manages statewide vital records. You can order a Tillamook County death certificate through their office or use VitalChek for online orders. The state fee is $25 per copy. VitalChek adds a processing charge on top of that.

Genealogy and Obituary Tools for Tillamook County

Several free and paid tools can help you track down obituary records from Tillamook County. The Ancestor Hunt site lists free death record indexes for every Oregon county. The Genealogical Forum of Oregon in Portland has obituary clipping files and a research library.

Tillamook County cemeteries are well documented on Find a Grave. These listings often include birth dates, death dates, and headstone photos. They can confirm details from an obituary or stand in when no formal notice was published. Many small cemeteries dot the Tillamook County coast. Some hold graves going back to the 1850s.

For a broader search, try these statewide resources:

• Oregon Health Authority, Center for Health Statistics
• Oregon State Archives in Salem
• University of Oregon Historic Newspapers
• Genealogical Forum of Oregon in Portland
• Find a Grave for Tillamook County cemeteries

Tillamook County death records can also appear in statewide indexes. The OnGenealogy directory links to many of these free tools. Use more than one source for the best results. A single obituary search may not catch every record.

Ordering Tillamook County Death Certificates

You have three main ways to get a Tillamook County death certificate. First, visit the Community Health Centers at 801 Pacific Ave in Tillamook during business hours. Bring a valid ID and the name and date of death for the person you are looking for. The fee is $25 per copy, payable by cash, check, or credit card.

Second, you can mail a request to the Oregon Center for Health Statistics at PO Box 14050, Portland, OR 97293. Include the $25 fee by check or money order. Mail requests take several weeks to process.

Third, order online through VitalChek. This is the fastest option. VitalChek charges $25 plus a processing fee. You will need the full name, date of death, and your relationship to the deceased. Oregon law under ORS 432 sets who may receive a certified copy of a death record. Anyone can get an informational copy.

Nearby Counties

Tillamook County borders Clatsop County, Washington County, Yamhill County, Polk County, and Lincoln County. If the person you are looking for lived near a county line, check the neighboring county records too. Deaths were sometimes filed where the person died, not where they lived. The coastal communities of Tillamook County have long ties to neighboring counties along the Oregon shore.