Texas Free Death Records

• Death certificates for deaths within the past 25 years are considered by Texas protected records, and have the following requirements for these records:
• If you live in Texas, you can order the records of your immediate family members. If you live outside Texas, you must be the surviving spouse of the deceased, a parent of the deceased or the funeral director of the funeral home on the record.
• You must have a valid state-issued driver's license or government-issued ID card.
  

• Those who meet the above requirements can order their death certificates online from a system called TexasOnline (see link below).
• If you do not meet the above requirements, you can request a death certificate by mail by downloading this application from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
• Complete the above application and mail it along with any applicable fee, and a copy of your government issued photo identification, to:
Texas Vital Records
Department of State Health Services
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711-2040

Notes:

• If you are ordering a death certificate for a death that occurred within the last 90 days, the death certificate may not yet be available.
• If you request by mail, allow 6 - 8 weeks for the request to be processed.
• Make payments by mail with check or money order - not cash.

Cost:

• Free if you can use TexasOnline, $20.00 by mail