Information re: Death Certificate/Disposal of Unused Medications
Death Certificate – King County
The person who is in charge of your spouse’s or partner’s remains (director of funeral home, cremation organization, etc.) will usually prepare and file the death certificate. If the death occurred in King County, this is the information you will need to provide to that person/organization:
Legal name
Date of death
Gender and age
Social security number
Birthdate and birthplace
Education level
Race
Service in armed forces
Residence (inside city limits?)
Tribal reservation name, if applicable
Estimated length of time at residence
Marital status
Surviving spouse’s or domestic partner’s name (prior to first marriage)
Occupation of deceased and type of business or industry
Father’s name and mother’s name (prior to her first marriage)
Informant’s name and relationship
Mailing address
Place of death (hospital, hospice, etc.) and facility name and city/state/zip
The rest of the information (regarding disposition of remains, cause and manner of death, etc.) will be filled in by the funeral director and certifying physician/medical examiner/coroner before the certificate is filed with King County. Some funeral homes will include ordering copies in certain funeral packages.
You will need certified copies to: collect life insurance; transfer titles to property, investments, and/or vehicles; close/transfer bank accounts; and for other purposes. The King County Health Department charges $25 per copy. You can order these copies via mail or online. Please note that as of 1/1/2021, a new vital records law went into effect that changed the ordering requirements for death certificates. Now only individuals with a relationship to the deceased person are able to order a death certificate, and some qualified applicants may only be able to order the new "short form" certificate, which omits sensitive information. To view these new requirements, click here.
The King County Vital Statistics office (908 Jefferson St.) is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (for website, click here). Staff is available to answer questions by phone from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 206.837.0719.
*A tip about death certificates: To save money, you can ask an institution to return the original certified copy after they have documented it, thus reducing the number of certified copies you may need to order.
The person who is in charge of your spouse’s or partner’s remains (director of funeral home, cremation organization, etc.) will usually prepare and file the death certificate. If the death occurred in King County, this is the information you will need to provide to that person/organization:
Legal name
Date of death
Gender and age
Social security number
Birthdate and birthplace
Education level
Race
Service in armed forces
Residence (inside city limits?)
Tribal reservation name, if applicable
Estimated length of time at residence
Marital status
Surviving spouse’s or domestic partner’s name (prior to first marriage)
Occupation of deceased and type of business or industry
Father’s name and mother’s name (prior to her first marriage)
Informant’s name and relationship
Mailing address
Place of death (hospital, hospice, etc.) and facility name and city/state/zip
The rest of the information (regarding disposition of remains, cause and manner of death, etc.) will be filled in by the funeral director and certifying physician/medical examiner/coroner before the certificate is filed with King County. Some funeral homes will include ordering copies in certain funeral packages.
You will need certified copies to: collect life insurance; transfer titles to property, investments, and/or vehicles; close/transfer bank accounts; and for other purposes. The King County Health Department charges $25 per copy. You can order these copies via mail or online. Please note that as of 1/1/2021, a new vital records law went into effect that changed the ordering requirements for death certificates. Now only individuals with a relationship to the deceased person are able to order a death certificate, and some qualified applicants may only be able to order the new "short form" certificate, which omits sensitive information. To view these new requirements, click here.
The King County Vital Statistics office (908 Jefferson St.) is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (for website, click here). Staff is available to answer questions by phone from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 206.837.0719.
*A tip about death certificates: To save money, you can ask an institution to return the original certified copy after they have documented it, thus reducing the number of certified copies you may need to order.
Disposal of Unused Medications
Widows whose spouses or partners were taking medication before they died might not know what to do with unused medications. (There are legal restrictions around their removal by providers.) Below are options for medication disposal.
Widows whose spouses or partners were taking medication before they died might not know what to do with unused medications. (There are legal restrictions around their removal by providers.) Below are options for medication disposal.
In the State of Washington
MedProject.org (https://medtakebackwashington.org) has a map of locations where medications can be turned in. Click here. |
In King County
King County Secure Medicine Return (https://kingcountysecuremedicinereturn.org) has local drop-off sites. Click here. Call to confirm a site is open before you go. (206.296.4692) In Snohomish County, Swedish Hospital-Edmonds has a kiosk. |
If you want to dispose of medications at home, the Federal Drug Administration has instructions for how to do this safely: Click here.
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