How to Get a Death Certificate in Texas

How to get a death certificate in Texas depends on how fast you need it. The state office offers three routes with very different waits: in person, often the same day; online, about a month of business days; and by mail, longer still. The fee is the same across routes for the certificate itself, so the choice is really about speed and convenience. This guide gives the state’s published fees and times for each route.

How to get a death certificate in Texas online

The online route runs through Texas.gov, the state’s official portal. The Department of State Health Services lists the current estimated processing time for Texas.gov death certificate orders at 20 to 25 business days, counted as average business days, and that figure does not include shipping time. You will need the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the county where the death occurred, plus your own details and payment. Online payment is by card, and the certificate fee is $20 for the first copy with $3 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. If you need the certificate urgently, online ordering is not the fastest choice, and the in-person route below is better.

Ordering by mail

Mail orders go to the Vital Statistics Section in Austin. Use the state’s mail application for a death record, which asks for the full name on the record, date of death and birth, sex, Social Security number if known, place of death, and parents’ names. Two mail rules catch people out. First, mail applications for death certificates must be notarized: the form carries a notary section, and an application without it will not be accepted. Second, payment is by check or money order made payable to DSHS, and the fee is nonrefundable even if no record is found. The published mail processing time is 25 to 30 business days from receipt, so allow six weeks or more including delivery both ways.

For urgent mail orders, Texas offers expedited processing for an extra $25, with the order sent by an overnight mail service to the Austin office, and overnight return delivery for $16 within the United States, or $22.95 for delivery to a post office box by express mail. All orders are otherwise returned free of charge by regular mail. Note that expedited processing shortens the state’s handling time but does not remove the notarization requirement, so get the form notarized before sending it by overnight service.

Ordering in person

In-person ordering is the fastest route. You can apply at the Vital Statistics headquarters in Austin or at a local registrar office in the county where the death occurred. In most cases the certificate is ready the same day, though some applications need 24 hours or more, for example when the record needs to be located or checked. Bring photo ID and payment; cash, check, credit and debit cards, and money orders are accepted in person, with a $2.25 processing fee on card payments. If you live near Austin or near the county of death, an in-person visit can save a month of waiting compared with mail.

Who can order and what to send

Texas treats death certificates as restricted records, so expect the application to ask for your relationship to the person who died and the reason for your request. Immediate family members and legal representatives are the usual requesters, and anyone else should be ready to show a direct, tangible interest in the record. Whatever route you choose, have these ready: the full name of the person who died, the date and county of death, your photo ID, and payment for $20 plus $3 per extra copy. For mail, add the notarized affidavit. Incomplete applications are the main cause of extra delay, and the state’s own guidance warns that incomplete or unacceptable applications need additional processing time.

Certified copy or verification letter

Texas offers two different documents, and ordering the wrong one wastes weeks. A certified copy is the official certificate with the registrar’s certification, and it is what banks, insurers, courts, and benefits agencies require. A death verification is a letter stating that a death record exists, and it costs $20. It does not carry the full record, so it will not satisfy an agency that asked for a certified copy. When in doubt, order the certified copy: it costs the same as the verification letter and is accepted everywhere the letter is not.