Texas Death Records

Death records in Texas are available from the Department of State Health Services. People who are looking for this information have the choice of ordering a record from the government department or from a commercial provider. Like other jurisdictions, certain eligibility criteria must be met before the record will be released to someone requesting this information.

If the death occurred within the past 25 years, the certificate is considered protected records under state law, and someone who would like to receive a copy will need to meet the following requirements to receive one:

• – Texas residents can order death records of immediate family members. Out-of-state residents may order a death certificate if they are the surviving spouse or parent of the deceased, or a funeral director working at the funeral home on record.
• – The requester must hold a valid driver’s license or an ID card (government issued).
• – The death record order must be delivered to an address in the United States, its territories or a U.S. military address.
• – The order must be paid for with a valid credit card.

 

Once the order for a death certificate has been received, it will be filled within 10-15 business days. If the death record cannot be located, the fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.

If you are not an immediate family member, you will need to provide additional information with your application form to show a direct interest in the death record. A copy of an insurance policy with your name as the beneficiary may be used for this purpose.

To order a copy of a death certificate for someone who passed away within the past 25 years, a copy of your driver’s license or government-issued ID must be included with the form. The following forms of identification may be used for this purpose:

• – Driver’s license
• – State ID card
• – Student ID
• – Military ID
• – Prison ID
• – Government employment card or badge

Someone who does not have photo ID can forward a photocopy of an immediate family member or copies of two documents which indicate the requester’s name, such as a copy of his or her Social Security Number (SSN) and a utility bill.

A Texas death certificate can be ordered by mail or in person by going to

Texas Vital Statistics Office
1100 West 49th Street
Austin, TX 78756

People who are looking for a copy of a Texas death record who go to the office in person can pay by cash, check or money order. In many cases, the certified copy can be produced in 30 minutes-two hours.

The first certified copy of a death record costs $20.00; each additional copy of the same record costs $3.00. Expedited processing for mail orders is available for $5.00 more, and you can request the order be sent by UPS for an additional $8.00 or $17.50 for express mail.

If you want to get a Texas death record more quickly than the state agency can provide them, consider ordering one online from a commercial website.