Dallas Death Index Lookup

Dallas death index records are available through the Dallas County Clerk and the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit. Dallas is the third largest city in Texas with over 1.3 million residents, and death records go back to 1903. The Dallas County Clerk's office at 500 Elm Street handles vital records for the county. For statewide online orders, the Texas.gov portal connects to the DSHS Vital Statistics Unit in Austin. You can also search the Texas Death Index through free genealogical databases covering more than a century of records. Certified copies are restricted to immediate family and qualified requesters for deaths within the past 25 years.

Dallas County Clerk Vital Records

The Dallas County Clerk is the primary office for death index records in Dallas. The main office is at the Records Building, 500 Elm Street, Suite 2100, Dallas, TX 75202. Phone is (214) 653-7099. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except court holidays. The county clerk handles birth and death certificates for events in Dallas County, including the city of Dallas and surrounding communities.

For vital records, the Dallas County Clerk directs many requests to the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics system. Electronic certified documents are available 24/7 through the county's online portal. Each electronic document includes a unique county clerk digital signature. In-person requests at the 500 Elm Street office can be handled during business hours. The statewide ordering system at Texas.gov processes most certificate orders in 20 to 25 business days.

The City of Dallas website links to official vital records resources and provides information on records requests under the Texas Public Information Act.

Dallas death index records are maintained through Dallas County, with the state DSHS system handling statewide certificate orders and delivery.

How to Find Dallas Death Index Records

Start with the Texas DSHS portal at dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics for ordering certified copies. For historical research on deaths before 2001, the FamilySearch Texas Death Index is free and covers 1903 to 2000. Ancestry has images linked to the original Department of Health index for deaths from 1903 to 1963 and 1999 to 2000. These databases list name, death date, county, and certificate number.

To get a certified copy of a Dallas death certificate, you need the decedent's full name and approximate death date. Having the certificate number from the index speeds up the process. If you're researching genealogy and the death is more than 25 years old, it is public information and no family relationship is required. For deaths in the past 25 years, you must show you are an immediate family member or have a legal need under Texas Administrative Code Title 25, Chapter 181.

Death certificates cost $21 for the first copy. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4. The search fee is the same as the certificate fee if no record is found. That fee is not refunded.

Dallas Death Records for Research

Dallas has been a major Texas city since the late 1800s. The death index for Dallas County covers well over a century of records. For pre-1903 records, county probate files, church records, and cemetery records may fill gaps. The Dallas Public Library and the Dallas Genealogical Society maintain local collections that can supplement state records.

The Texas State Library in Austin holds microfilm indexes of Texas death records from 1903 to 1973. Copies of those microfilms are at several genealogical libraries, including some in the Dallas area. The Library of Congress guide for Texas vital records lists the major repositories and explains how the state index is organized. The index is alphabetical within broader time periods: 1903 to 1940, 1940 to 1945, 1946 to 1955, then annually from 1956 to 1973.

Dallas County Death Index

Dallas is the county seat of Dallas County. The county clerk handles death records for the city and surrounding communities. For more on county office resources and related records, visit the Dallas County death index page.

View Dallas County Death Index

Nearby Cities

Other qualifying cities near Dallas with death index pages:

• Irving - Dallas County
• Garland - Dallas County
• Mesquite - Dallas County
• Grand Prairie - Dallas County
• Carrollton - Dallas County
• Plano - Collin County
• Fort Worth - Tarrant County
• Arlington - Tarrant County
• Richardson - Collin County