What is WHALES?
WHALES is the web application the Department of Health (DOH) uses to register vital life events, amend vital records, and issue certified copies of vital records in Washington State. It stores information about the births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, and divorces that occur in Washington State. Some of the benefits of WHALES include:
- Better alignment with the security requirements and privacy protections in chapter 70.58A RCW that became effective on January 1, 2021.
- A modern web-based registration system.
- One cohesive system for all vital life events.
Vital Life Events in WHALES
Birth
Washington State births are required to be electronically registered within 10 days in WHALES. Once completed, DOH and the local health jurisdictions use WHALES to issue birth certificates.
Death
Medical providers, medical examiners, coroners, funeral homes, and local deputy registrars must use WHALES to register and complete a death record within 5 days. Once registered, DOH and the local health jurisdictions use WHALES to issue death certificates.
Stillbirth/Fetal Death
Medical providers, medical examiners, coroners, funeral homes, and local deputy registrars must report and register a stillbirth/fetal death within 5 days. The Stillbirth/Fetal Death registration module is coming soon!
Marriage
County auditors record marriages that occur in their county and send a report of marriage to DOH. DOH enters the marriage information into WHALES to issue state marriage certificates.
Divorce
Superior court county clerks send DOH reports of dissolutions and legal separations filed in their jurisdiction. DOH enters the dissolution or separation information into WHALES to issue state certificates.
Birth Registration in WHALES
Washington requires birth attendants to report a live birth within 10 calendar days of the birth. Medical facilities and licensed midwives use the WHALES birth registration module to electronically register live births that happen in Washington. RCW 70.58A.100 describes reporting and registering requirements.
To report a birth electronically, facilities and licensed midwives must first enroll in WHALES. You need the following to request enrollment:
- A role in the birth registration process; and
- A Secure Access Washington (SAW) account.
Contact WHALES@doh.wa.gov for more information or to request enrollment.
Death Registration in WHALES
Washington requires medical providers, medical examiners, coroners, funeral homes, and local deputy registrars to report and register a death within 5 days of the death. RCW 70.58A.200 describes reporting and registering requirements. In WAC 246-490-200, we require electronic reporting through the WHALES death registration module to standardize the registration process.
WHALES is not a system for enrollees or the public to verify deaths, view individual record data, or find death statistics. If you are looking for vital records data or statistics, please visit our Health Statistics webpage.
To report a death electronically, medical providers, medical examiners, coroners, funeral homes, and local deputy registrars must first enroll in WHALES. You need the following to request enrollment:
- A role in the death registration process; and
- A Secure Access Washington (SAW) account.
Contact DeathRegistration@doh.wa.gov for more information or to request enrollment.
Stillbirth/Fetal Death Registration in WHALES
Stillbirth/Fetal death reporting is a paper process. Continue to register stillbirth/fetal deaths by using the paper report of death. We expect to complete the electronic fetal death registration module by the end of 2025.
More Information
- Contact the Office of Vital Statistics Registration Team at 360-236-4370 or toll-free in Washington State at 855-562-1928. The team is available Monday – Friday between 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
- For information on SAW, the secure single sign-on application gateway, contact them at https://SecureAccess.wa.gov or 360-586-1000.