Jefferson County at a glance
- Who handles deaths
- Jefferson County Coroner
- County seat
- Port Townsend
- Main towns
- Port Townsend, Port Ludlow
- People
- About 34,100 (state estimate, 2026)
- Public health
- Jefferson County Public Health (opens in a new tab)
- County government
- Jefferson County's official website (opens in a new tab)
Sources: the county seat from the state Department of Enterprise Services, towns and people from the state Office of Financial Management (opens in a new tab), who handles deaths from the state's list of coroners and medical examiners, and each office's own page. Checked October 31, 2026.
In Port Townsend and Port Ludlow, death cleanup, crime scene cleanup and biohazard cleanup are done by companies you hire directly. Biohazard and trauma cleanup in Jefferson County is done by private companies that a family, landlord or property manager hires directly. If someone has died, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office1, which serves as coroner here, does its work first, and cleanup begins only after the scene is released. Biohazard Network can connect you with an independent local company; we do not do the cleanup ourselves.
A biohazard is any material, such as blood or other body fluids, that can carry germs that cause disease. This page covers who is involved in Jefferson County, how roads and water affect when a company can reach you, and which county offices may matter. For the wider region, see biohazard and trauma cleanup across Puget Sound.
When a death has happened: the coroner’s role
In Jefferson County, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office1 serves as coroner. A coroner is the public official responsible for certain deaths, and here the role of the coroner is to determine cause and manner of death.
Why does this matter to you? Under RCW 68.50.010, the deaths that fall to the coroner include sudden deaths of people in apparent good health with no medical attendance in the 36 hours before, deaths from unknown causes, and any death caused by violence. In those cases the coroner has jurisdiction over the body, so the coroner’s work comes before anything else in the home.
Scene release is the point when the coroner and law enforcement finish and allow people back in. Until then, try not to move items or begin cleaning. If you are unsure whether the scene has been released, you can ask the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office1 at 360-385-9180.
Reaching a property in Jefferson County
Jefferson County covers 1,815 square miles, and about 20,000 of its roughly 33,000 residents live in unincorporated areas. That makes travel worth asking about on your first call.
WSDOT says there are no convenient alternate routes between Kitsap and Jefferson counties. The SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closes to road traffic whenever it opens for passing vessels, and when the bridge is out of service, the road detour runs through Shelton via SR 3 and US 101 and adds about three hours. If a company is coming from Kitsap County or elsewhere across the bridge, ask how it plans around openings or a closure.
The State Route 20 corridor is the major link between Port Townsend, the county seat, and the unincorporated parts of the county, and WSDOT’s directions from the Olympic Peninsula region follow Highway 101 east to SR 20 into town. Extreme tidal conditions may interrupt the Port Townsend / Coupeville ferry route, so ask a company planning to come by ferry what its backup plan is.
Olympic National Park divides the county in two, and the Sheriff’s Office stations resident deputies on the coastal portion to serve Clearwater, Queets and the Hoh tribal reservation. If the property is on the coast, ask each company directly whether it serves that area.
Jefferson County Public Health
Jefferson County Public Health2 is the county health department, and its number is 360-385-9400. Which of its programs matters depends on what you found.
- Used needles or medical items. Washington law defines biomedical waste, meaning certain medical and body-fluid waste, as a set list that includes discarded human blood and sharps waste. Sharps are items like hypodermic needles, syringes and lancets that can puncture skin. The department lists a Home Syringe Disposal program and a Solid Waste Program.
- Septic or sewage problems. If a failed septic system or sewage backup is involved, the On-Site Sewage Program is the department’s program for on-site sewage (septic) systems.
- Concerns about living conditions. The department lists Code Compliance and the Jefferson County Public Health2 Concern/Complaint Action Request for Environmental Health.
Ask any company you speak with how it will package, transport and dispose of biomedical waste from the property.
If a home has been affected by hoarding
Hoarding is a recognized condition, not a character flaw. When a parent, relative or tenant who hoards needs help, the person living in the home should have a say in what is kept and what they decide to let go. Ask each company how it handles sorting belongings and how it involves the person and the family.
If pets or other animals are in the home, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services covers unincorporated Jefferson County, and the Port Townsend Police Department covers the city limits of Port Townsend. If the person is an older adult, Aging & Adult Services of Coastal Washington is a resource you can contact.
Cleaning is not always the last step. A home may also need repairs for water damage, mold or other harm to floors and walls; see how biohazard cleanup fits with water, fire and mold restoration.
Cost and insurance questions
This page lists no prices, because every property differs. Homeowners insurance sometimes covers this kind of cleanup, depending on the policy, so call your insurer before work begins if you can. Ask the company for a written estimate, whether it will work with your insurer, what payment it expects and when, and whether it can arrive discreetly.
Usually covered: Homeowner insurance protects your home and belongings from damage caused by specific risks, says the Insurance Commissioner’s page on how home insurance works3. Personal property coverage includes your furnishings and personal items, such as your TV, clothing and dishes, the same page says.
Usually not covered: Exclusions in home contracts may include certain events, such as flood or earthquake, says the Insurance Commissioner’s insurance glossary4. Standard homeowner policies also do not cover sewer or drain backups, says the Commissioner’s page on being underinsured5.
Ask your insurer: “Without filing a claim yet, can you tell me if my policy covers biohazard cleanup in my home, and what limits apply?” Source: Filing a homeowner insurance claim (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)
How to check a company before you hire
Ask a company how its work follows OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 (bloodborne pathogens are germs carried in blood that can cause disease), and the ANSI/IICRC S540 Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup from the IICRC, a non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. You can also look the business up yourself with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) tool Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business, and the certifications guide explains what to look for.
Communities in Jefferson County
Port Townsend
Port Townsend is an incorporated city and the county seat, at the tip of the Quimper Peninsula with water and bluffs on three sides. Its landmarks include Fort Worden Historical State Park, overlooking Admiralty Inlet, and Chetzemoka Park, the city’s first community park. Read more on the Port Townsend page.
Port Hadlock
Port Hadlock is an unincorporated community within the Irondale and Port Hadlock urban growth area (UGA). Its landmarks include Irondale Beach Park at the mouth of Chimacum Creek and the Jefferson County Library District library. Because it is unincorporated, animal concerns there go to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services.
Port Ludlow
Port Ludlow is an unincorporated community, home to the Port Ludlow Marina on Ludlow Bay and the Port Ludlow Clinic (Jefferson Healthcare). WSDOT’s directions from the Hood Canal Bridge use the Port Ludlow/Chimacum/Highway 19 exit. See the Port Ludlow page.
Who to call first
In an emergency, call 911.These official offices may be part of the first steps. They are government pages, not ours.
- Jefferson County Public Health (opens in a new tab)For local health questions, such as a home that was used as a drug lab.
- Washington Crime Victims Compensation Program (L&I) (opens in a new tab)If a crime happened, it may help with some costs, such as funeral expenses. It doesn't pay for cleanup.
- Verify a contractor (L&I lookup) (opens in a new tab)Look up whether a company is a registered contractor before work starts.
- Washington State Department of Health (opens in a new tab)State health rules, such as for drug lab cleanup and hantavirus.