How to Get a Death Certificate in Texas

Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Texas, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Texas.

Who issues death certificates in Texas?

Certified copies come from the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Vital Statistics Section in Austin, which holds death records filed in Texas from 1903, and local registrars and county clerks. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.

How much does a certified copy cost in Texas?

The state charges $20 for the first certified copy and $3 for each additional copy of the same record in the same order (Texas Administrative Code § 181.22). Local registrars and county clerks set their own hours, fees, and procedures.

Who can order a copy in Texas?

For deaths within the past 25 years, only immediate family can request a copy: the person’s child, spouse, parent, sibling, or grandparent. Anyone else must provide legal documentation showing an interest, such as an insurance policy that lists them. Acceptable photo ID is required.

How do I order more copies in Texas?

• At a local registrar or county clerk: Texas notes that every death record goes to the local registrar first, so for a recent death it encourages you to start there, especially if you need the certificate immediately.
• Online: through Texas.gov, the state’s official ordering site.
• By mail: with the Death Certificate Application and a check or money order payable to “DSHS - Vital Statistics,” sent to the DSHS Vital Statistics Section, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756.
• In person: at the Vital Statistics office in Austin or a participating local office. To check an order, call 1-888-963-7111 or email vrstatus@dshs.texas.gov.

What else should I know before I order?

If you don’t have acceptable ID, an immediate family member with sufficient ID can obtain the certificate instead.

What should I do next?

Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Texas and our general guide to death certificates.

Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.

Fees and rules change - confirm current details with Texas DSHS Vital Statistics or your local registrar before you send payment.