Over the past few weeks we have been running a survey on our site to get a feel for what our users think about the site. We have received some great feedback from you and would like to address some of the most common questions asked by our visitors.

Q: My uncle died in Washington in 1970. Why can’t I find a copy of his death certificate on your website?

A: Records for deaths that have occurred in Washington since July 1, 1907, are the responsibility of the Washington State Department of Health. Included on our website are index records for deaths from 1907-1960 that the Department of Health shared with us; however, the Digital Archives does not have images of the actual death certificates, which contain more information than the index records on our website. Requests for death certificates should be directed to the Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics at (360) 236-4313 or http://www.doh.wa.gov/EHSPHL/CHS/phonefax.htm.

Q: The Social Security Death Index record on your website contains incorrect information for one of my deceased relatives. Can you correct the information?

A: The Digital Archives receives the Social Security Death Index through a monthly subscription service. We cannot verify the accuracy of the Death Index, nor are we permitted to correct possible errors in the Index’s information. If you believe an index record contains incorrect information, you may leave a comment attached to the record to assist other researchers.

Q: My sister and I were both married in Washington in 2008. Why is a copy of her Marriage Certificate on your website, and mine is not?

A: Not all of Washington’s county auditors transfer copies of marriage records to the Digital Archives for public access on our website. In addition, participating auditors differ in how often they send updated information to us. If a marriage record is not found on our website, it is most likely because it was recorded in a county that does not transfer records to the Digital Archives, or because that county has not sent an update since your marriage was recorded.

Q: When I click to view an image, Internet Explorer displays an error message and closes my Internet Browser. How do I fix this?

A: Most of our images currently require the DjVu browser plug-in. Certain updates to Internet Explorer can damage this plug-in causing Internet Explorer to crash while loading the image. To fix this you must uninstall and reinstall the plug-in.

To remove the Windows DjVu Plug-in, navigate to the Control Panel. For Windows XP select “Add/Remove Programs.” For Windows Vista select “Uninstall Programs” or “Programs and Features.” Locate and select LizardTech DjVu Control and select “uninstall.”

To re-install the LizardTech DjVu Plug-in, visit http://www.caminova.net/en/downloads/download.aspx?id=1. In the “download” section, select from the drop down list located under “Product Versions” and select the Operating System that you are using. Then select from the “Language” drop down list and choose your language. Click on the Download button and select run. Follow the on-screen wizard for installing the DjVu Plug-in. If you need assistance with the installation, please call Washington’s Digital Archives at 509-235-7509.

Q: How can I submit my suggestions to the Digital Archives?

A: Please feel free to contact us with your comments, suggestions, or problems with the website at digitalarchives@secstate.wa.gov.