(1) The department and local registrars shall charge a fee of twenty-five dollars for a certification or informational copy of a vital record or for a search of the vital records system when no matching record was identified, except as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) The department and local registrars may not charge a fee for issuing a certification of:

(a) A vital record for use in connection with a claim for compensation or pension pending before the veterans administration;

(b) The death of a sex offender, for use by a law enforcement agency in maintaining a registered sex offender database; or

(c) The death of any offender, requested by a county clerk or court in the state for purposes of extinguishing the offender's legal financial obligation.

(3) The department may not charge a fee for issuing a birth certification for homeless persons as defined in RCW 43.185C.010 living in state.

(4) The department and local registrars may charge an electronic payment fee, in addition to the twenty-five dollar fee for certification and informational copy of vital records or for a search of the vital records system, in cases where payment is made by credit card, charge card, debit card, smart card, stored value card, federal wire, automatic clearinghouse system, or other electronic communication.

(5) Local registrars shall keep a true and correct account of all fees received under this section for the issuance of certifications and informational copies.

(6) A portion of the twenty-five dollar fee collected by the local registrars must be transmitted to the state treasurer on a monthly basis as follows:

(a) Thirteen dollars for each birth certification and birth informational copy issued;

(b) Thirteen dollars for each first copy of a death certification and death informational copy; and

(c) Twenty dollars for each additional death certification and death informational copy.

(7) For each fee turned over to the state treasurer by the local registrars, the state treasurer shall:

(a) Pay the department two dollars of each fee for birth certifications and birth informational copies and first copies of death certifications and death informational copies;

(b) Pay the department nine dollars of each fee for additional death certifications and death informational copies; and

(c) Hold eleven dollars of each fee in the death investigations account established under RCW 43.79.445, except for an heirloom birth certification issued under RCW 70.58A.530.

(8) Eleven dollars of the twenty-five dollar fee collected by the department for certifications and informational copies issued by the department must be transmitted to the state treasurer for the death investigations account established under RCW 43.79.445.

(9) The department of children, youth, and families shall set a fee for an heirloom birth certification established under RCW 70.58A.530 for the children's trust fund established under RCW 43.121.100. The department shall collect the fee established under this subsection when issuing an heirloom birth certification and transmit the fees collected to the state treasurer for credit to the children's trust fund.