Texas vital records — births, deaths, marriages, and divorces — are administered by the Vital Statistics Section of the Texas Department of State Health Services under Health and Safety Code Chapter 191. Certified copies can be ordered through dshs.texas.gov/vs; births are confidential for 75 years and deaths for 25 years.
About Texas Vital Records
Texas Vital Records
Statewide Records
Births & Christenings 1840-1981
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Births and christenings recorded in Texas between 1840 and 1981.
Births | 1903-1997
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Texas birth records between 1903 and 1997. Search by name, parent name, birth date, etc. Provided by Ancestry.com.
Death Records 1890-1976
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Database of images of over 4.4 million Texas death certificates filed between 1890 and 1976.
Deaths & Burials 1903-1973
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Index of deaths and burials in Texas recorded between 1903 and 1973.
Deaths | 1964-1998
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Index of over 4.1 million Texas deaths recorded between 1964 and 1998. Provided by FamilySearch.
Deaths | State Cemetery Burials
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Search the Texas State Cemetery records by name or map for burials of Texas notable citizens.
Divorces | 1968-2006
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Search for divorces in Texas by keyword for the period 1968 through 2006.
Divorces | Download
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Texas Department of State Health Services downloadable files of Texas divorce and annulment records.
Galveston Storm Deaths
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The 1900 Storm took the lives of over 8,000 Galveston, Texas residents. Browse the Galveston and Texas History Center Rosenberg Library database of recorded deaths by name.
Marriages | 1814-1909 and 1966-2002
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Use this Ancestry.com service to search for marriage records in Texas from 1814 to 1909 and from 1966 to 2002 by name, marriage date, marriage location or key word.
Marriages | 1837-1973
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Index of over 1.6 million marriages recorded in Texas between 1837 and 1973.
Marriages | Download
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Texas Department of State Health download of Texas marriage files.
County Records
Agendas & Minutes
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Travis County Clerk's Office database of Commissioners Court Agendas and Minutes.
Anderson County Marriages
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Marriage record database from the County Clerk Office of Anderson County.
Bastrop County Marriages
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Search the Bastrop County Clerk's office for marriage records by name, date or license number.
Bexar County | Marriages
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Bexar County marriage licenses and informal marriages. Click on "Records Search" to start your search.
Births | Archived
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Archived Texas birth records from most counties. From their index, click on a county name, then select Births or Vital Records.
Brazos County Divorces
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Brazos County Judicial Records civil case search, including divorce records.
Collin County Marriages | Historical
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Collin County Clerk records of marriages recorded 1884 through 1949.
Collin County | Deaths
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Records of deaths recorded with the Collin County Clerk before 1987.
Couples Gallery
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This is just charming. It's photographs of newlyweds taken by the Travis County Clerk's Office.
Dallas County Marriages
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Dallas County marriage records and recorded documents. Requires registration.
Dallas County Obituaries 1862-1950
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Browse this RootsWeb database by year and name for obituaries published in Dallas County between 1862 and 1950.
Dallas County | Divorces
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Choose Family District Case Information to search for Dallas County Family Case Divorce Records.
Deaths | 1964-1998
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Search this RootsWeb database of 3.9 million 1964-1998 Texas Death Records from the Texas Department of Health by name, county, year, and/or sex.
Deaths | Archived
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Archived Texas death records from most counties. From their index page, click on the county name. Then click on Deaths or Vitals.
Delta County Marriages | 1871-1970
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Index of Delta County marriages recorded between 1871 and 1970.
Denton County | Births, Deaths, Marriages
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Denton County Clerk marriage license, birth record, and death record searches.
Divorces | Archived
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Find archived divorces from most Texas counties. From this index, click on the county name. Then click on Vitals. At the next page, click on Divorces.
El Paso County | Deaths
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El Paso County records of death certificates filed with the County Clerk.
Ellis County Births, Marriages, Deaths
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Ellis County Clerk marriage records, birth index, and death index.
Fannin County Marriages | 1839-1870
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Fannin County marriages recorded between 1839 and 1870.
Fisher County Marriages | 1966-2002
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Fisher County marriages recorded between 1966 and 2002.
Franklin County Marriages
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Search for Franklin County marriages by year, groom name, or bride name.
Frio County Marriages | 1871-1900
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Index of Frio County marriages recorded between 1871 and 1900.
Gray County Marriages | 1966-1970
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Index of Gray County marriages recorded between 1966 and 1970.
Grimes County Marriages
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Index of Grimes County marriages recorded between 1949 and 1918, and 1966 through 1969.
Hansford County Marriages 1966-1985
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Index of Hansford County marriages recorded between 1966 and 1985.
Harris County Informal Marriages
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Search for Harris County informal marriage license records by license number, name, or filing date.
Harris County Marriages
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Search for Harris County marriage license records by license number, name, or filing date.
Henderson County Vital Records
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TXGenWeb indexes of births, deaths, and marriages in Henderson County.
Hill County Marriages | 1873-1880
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Hill County Marriages recorded between 1873 and 1880.
Hood County Births
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Hood County birth records, census records, military records, marriages, divorces, court records, births, and other miscellaneous records.
Hood County Marriages | Genealogy Databases
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Use this Hood County Genealogical Society service to search for Hood County census records, military records, marriages, divorces, court records, births, and other miscellaneous records.
Houston County Births | 1903-1925
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Index of Houston County births recorded between 1903 and 1925.
Howard County Marriages 1882-1911
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Index of Howard County marriages recorded between 1882 and 1911.
Jefferson County | Divorces
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Jefferson County District Court Domestic Case court filings listed by year.
Kerr County | Divorces
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Click on "Civil, Family, and Probate Case Records" to search Kerr County family court divorce records.
Lee County Births, Marriages, Deaths
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Lee County District Clerk birth index, death index, and marriage records.
Marriages | Archived
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Archived Texas marriage records from most counties. From their index, click on a county name. Then click on Vitals. Finally, click on Marriages.
McLennan County Births, Deaths, Marriages
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McLennan County Clerk birth, death, and marriage record lookup.
Midland County Divorces
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Search for civil, criminal, family, and probate case filings in Midland County by name or case number.
Nueces County Obituaries
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Nueces County obituaries from the Corpus Christi Public Libraries.
Randall County Marriages
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Use this service from Randall County to search marriage records by groom, bride, certificate number, application date or marriage date.
Refugio County Marriages
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Search this rootsweb.com database by name for marriages in Refugio County. Marriage records begin in 1839.
Tarrant County | Divorces
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Contact information for the Tarrant County Family Law Center divorce case lookup service.
Tom Green County Births
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Tom Green County birth records by child's name, mother's name, and/or date of birth.
Tom Green County Deaths
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Use this Tom Green County County Clerk service to search for death records by decedent name, certificate number, date of death, and/or certificate filing date.
Tom Green County Marriages
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Use this Tom Green County Clerk service to search for marriage records by bride name, groom name, certificate number, application date, or date of marriage.
Travis County Marriages & Domestic Partnerships
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Marriage license database and domestic partnership lookup from the Travis County Clerk.
Upshur County Births
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Search for Upshur County, Texas birth records by name, certificate number, date of birth or date filed.
Upshur County | Births, Deaths, Marriages
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Birth, death, and marriage records filed with the Upshur County Clerk's Office.
Washington County Marriages
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Search the Washington County Clerk's records for Marriage Records by bride's name or groom's name.
Williamson County | Births, Deaths, Marriages
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Williamson County birth, death, marriage, and common law marriage records.
Young County Deaths | Genealogy Databases
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Browse for genealogy databases in Young County. Includes census, cemetery, registered nurses, slave census, teacher certificates, physician register and many more. Info located at rootsweb.com and is part of the TXGenWeb Project.
Young County Marriages | 1856-1875
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Use this TXGenWeb service to browse by page number for marriage records in Young County, Texas for the period 1856-1875.
Young County Marriages | 1875-1890
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Use this TXGenWeb service to browse by page number for marriage records in Young County for the period July 1875- March 1890.
Young County Marriages | Genealogy Databases
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Browse for genealogy databases in Young County. Includes census, cemetery, registered nurses, slave census, teacher certificates, physician register and many more. Info located at rootsweb.com and is part of the TXGenWeb Project.
City Records
Abilene Cemetery Index
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Search the Municipal Cemetery in Abilene by name, birth/death date or headstone inscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I order a Texas birth certificate?
Order through the state Vital Records office linked under Statewide; expect 2–6 weeks by mail.
How long does a vital record stay confidential?
Birth records are typically restricted for 75–100 years; death records 25–50 years from event.
Who can request a certified copy?
Eligibility is generally limited to the person, immediate family, and legal representatives.
Can I order vital records online?
Most states offer expedited online orders via VitalChek; an extra processing fee applies.