Search For Texas Death Records

By Ben Kingsley


The Texas Vital Statistics Office of the Department of State Health Services is the office in-charge of storing public records, including Texas Death Records. Death documents since 1903 can be found at the office. They are also stored at the county registrar's office where they were originally documented. Deaths that were documented before 1903 can be found only at the registrar's office.

Public files can be accessed by any individual. Death files are deemed as public files 25 years after they are filed. Files that are less than 25 years of age are only given to immediate relatives of the deceased person or other parties that have the approval of immediate relatives and the court. Outside parties need to acquire a notarized statement from immediate relatives. If it has not passed 90 days after the death of a person, it is more likely than not that there is no file created yet.

There is a request form available at the Vital Statistics Office. The form can also be downloaded straight from their official website. If a person personally requests for the records at the office, he or she may get them on the same day, but in some cases, it may take 2 days or more. It costs $22 for each request and it is payable by money order, check or cash. A request may also be mailed for a fee of $20 but it will take longer to process, taking about 6 to 8 weeks. The retrieval process can be fast-forwarded but there is an additional fee. There is no refund policy even if no records are found.

When making a request, it is crucial to supply as much details about the document. The more details are supplied, the better the chances are of locating the right document. If the exact year of the document is unknown, an estimate of years should be included so the process does not become that long. Vital details that are required to be supplied include the name of the dead person, date and location where the person died, birth date, and more.

Nowadays, public records can also be retrieved from private service providers. They have authorization from the court to provide them to the public. They are either for free or they render a certain amount of fee for their service. There are a number of service providers available on the Internet and it is just a matter of finding the right one that suits your search needs. However, be aware that there are fake service providers out there. Do a background check on them before deciding which one to use.

Websites that offer a Death Search are steadily gaining popularity because the process of getting the records is easy and not time-consuming. All that is needed to begin a search are a computer, connectivity to the Web, and knowledge of the full name of the deceased. Results are provided quickly in no time at all. With this kind of method, searching for the files can be done no matter where you are.




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