In Texas, death records are available for most deaths for the last 100 years. The use of death records is important in various applications. Many times, the best use of these records is for legal purposes, such as proving someone has died for change of possessions or for estate planning reasons. However, even years later, there are many reasons why the access of these records becomes important. Death records in the state provide a range of benefits to individuals including for the benefit of building a family genealogy tree and for the use of property verification.

No matter why you may need these records, several steps need to be taken to get the information you need. In Texas, death records searches will need to start at the state level. The state does have a database of death records that is available to the public for searching. Texas began the process of collecting these records in 1903. However, for the next five years or more, the reporting of deaths to the state level is somewhat fragmented. More so, for the years just prior to this timeframe, it is also important to consider using this database as well. In some cases, deaths prior to 1903 are included, but they are available only at a fragmented level.

If you are looking for Texas death records from the state, the first place to start is with the Department of Health were the state level records are held. You can write to the following address or visit the location in person to get this information. To do so, use the following address.

Department of Health

Bureau of Vital Statistics

1100 West 49th Street

PO Box 12040

Austin, Texas 78711

It is also possible to request some information by phone. You can call this agency at 512-458-7111. A minor fee must be paid in order to obtain these records. The process of obtaining these records can take between two weeks and three months, depending on how hard it becomes to find such records in the database and the number of people who are requesting information.

There are times when the Texas death records you need will not be included in this file. It is also possible for individuals to need records from prior to 1903. In such situations, it is important to consider local resources. When a person dies in Texas, the data is reported to the county. The county does have a record of this and Texas local communities and counties have been collecting data from deaths of citizens from the 1800's onward. Therefore, this provides another option for getting these records.

For those who need Texas death records and who want to ensure that these records are available, consider looking at the local level for the information you need. It is possible that you will be able to get those records from local churches and from township clerks in the region. Finding the data you need may take time, but many times, these records are available.

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