Note The library cannot tell you what the law means for your situation.
To get a certified copy of a birth record, you will need to contact the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vital Statistics Unit.
According to the Texas Administrative Code, only "properly qualified applicants" can request a birth or death certificate from Vital Statistics. This includes the following relations to the person named in the certificate:
Local, state, or federal law enforcement or government agencies may also qualify to request a birth or death certificate.
If you need a copy of your marriage license, copies must be purchased from the county clerk where the license was issued. If you do not know where the marriage license was issued, you can try and use the marriage indexes available from the Texas Department of Vital Statistics to search for the marriage record and determine where it was issued. See the link below to access the indexes.
If you need to order copies of your divorce decree or other divorce records, you will need to contact the district court clerk's office in the county where your divorce was finalized. The district clerk keeps case files from the district courts, including divorce records.
You should be able to purchase copies of your records through the clerk's office. Some counties may make their court records searchable through the district clerk's website. For more information on finding court records, see our Court Records guide.
Here is a list of links to district clerk's offices in several larger Texas counties:
While the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vital Statistics Unit maintains death records for the entire state, you may also be able to get copies of a birth or death certificate in the county, city, or district where the death occurred.
According to the Texas Administrative Code, only "properly qualified applicants" can request a birth or death certificate from Vital Statistics. This includes the following relations to the person named in the certificate:
Local, state, or federal law enforcement or government agencies may also qualify to request a birth or death certificate.
If you need to order copies of name change records, you will need to contact the district court clerk's office in the county where the name change was ordered. The district clerk keeps case files from the district courts, including name changes.
You should be able to purchase copies of these records through the clerk's office. Some counties may make their court records searchable through the district clerk's website. For more information on finding court records, see our Court Records guide.
Here is a list of links to district clerk's offices in several larger Texas counties:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can help you obtain replacement copies of the following documents:
Note The library cannot tell you what the law means for your situation.