Texas Death Certificate

Qualifications

The following people may request death certificates from the state of Texas:

• Child
• Parent
• Sibling
• Grandparent
• Spouse

All those with any other relationship to this person must provide legal documentation, such as a court order establishing guardianship. If you are the legal representative of a qualified applicant, send us a release which documents a direct and tangible interest in the record you are requesting. You may send in a written, notarized statement signed by an immediate family member. The statement must give permission to Texas Vital Statistics to release a certified copy of the certificate to you. The statement must also identify you by your full name, and you must present a photocopy of your picture ID with the notarized statement.

Cost

The fee to search for a death certificate is $20.00, which includes one certified copy of the death certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $2.00. For expedited requests there is an additional fee of $5.00. For requests sent by mail there is a return delivery fee of $8.00 (if sent by UPS) or $17.50 (if sent by express mail). Checks or money orders should be made payable to "DSHS." Cash is not accepted, except if the request is made in person. If the request is made online you may pay with a credit card. Fees are not refundable.

Required Information

• Name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Sex
• Place of death
• Father's name
• Mother's maiden name
• Your name
• Your phone number
• Your address
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Reason for requesting the certificate

Submitting Your Request

By Mail:
Send the completed application and the appropriate fee to:

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

In Person:
You may request a certified death certificate in person from the Texas Vital Statistics Office, located at:

1100 West 49th Street
Austin, TX 78756

The office is open from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Online:
You may fill out an application and request a certified death certificate and pay with a credit card on the Texas.gov Vital Records Application website.

Download the Application

Click here to download the application for a certified Texas death certificate. (NOTE: This pops into a new window, which allows you save it directly to your computer.)

See our complete list of resources for Texas.