Search Bexar County Death Index

Bexar County death records are held at the County Clerk's Vital Statistics Department in San Antonio, Texas. The Bexar County death index goes back to 1903, and certified death certificates are available in person, by mail, or through online ordering. Note that not all Bexar County death records are held by the county clerk — some hospital records are managed by the City of San Antonio.

Bexar County Clerk Vital Statistics

The Bexar County Clerk's Vital Statistics Department handles death records for the county. The main office is at the Paul Elizondo Tower, 101 W. Nueva, Suite B110, San Antonio, TX 78205. Phone: 210-335-3009. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended service until 5:45 PM on Wednesdays. A Southside Annex provides an additional service location for residents in that part of San Antonio. The county also runs a "Records on the Run" mobile unit for community outreach.

There is an important detail about Bexar County death records. The County Clerk holds records for deaths that occurred at home or in rural parts of Bexar County between 1903 and 1967, plus delayed death records and court-ordered delayed records from 1903 to the present. Deaths that occurred in a hospital within San Antonio city limits during the 1903 to 1967 period are held by the Office of the City Clerk of San Antonio, not the county clerk. For those records, contact the San Antonio City Clerk at 210-207-7253. After 1967, the county clerk resumed handling all Bexar County death records. If you are not sure which office holds the record you need, call both offices with the name and approximate date.

The Bexar County Clerk website has information about all vital records services, current hours, and instructions for requesting death certificates. County Clerk Lucy Adame-Clark's office maintains records dating back to 1836, though vital records registration began in 1903.

Note: For changes or corrections to a death certificate, most amendments go through Texas DSHS at 1100 W 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756, rather than the county clerk. Phone for DSHS: 512-458-7111 or 888-963-7111.

The Bexar County Birth and Death Certificates page explains which records are held by the county clerk and which are managed by the City of San Antonio, an important distinction for researchers.

Reading this page before you request a record can save time and prevent a wasted trip or mail application to the wrong office.

Bexar County Vital Statistics Department

The Bexar County Clerk's Vital Statistics Department issues certified death certificates for all eligible applicants. Online ordering is available 24 hours a day through the county's VitalChek partnership. You can also submit a mail-in application with a notarized signature. In-person applications are accepted at the Paul Elizondo Tower and the Southside Annex.

Required identification includes a driver's license, state ID, US passport, or military ID. All copies issued by the Vital Statistics Department are certified, which means they are legally valid for official purposes such as estate settlements and insurance claims.

Ways to Request Bexar County Death Certificates

In-person requests are handled at the Paul Elizondo Tower location or the Southside Annex. Bring your photo ID and payment. Staff will search the death index and issue a certified copy the same day in most cases.

Mail-in applications require a notarized signature for Bexar County requests. Fill out the application, have it notarized, attach a copy of your ID, and send a check or money order payable to Bexar County Clerk to the Vital Statistics mailing address at 100 Dolorosa, Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78205. Processing time varies based on volume at the office.

Online orders are available through VitalChek, which is Bexar County's approved online partner. You can also order through the Texas state vital records portal for records held by DSHS. The state fee is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for additional copies. State online orders take 20 to 25 business days on average.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists Bexar County contact details and hours for anyone who wants to confirm current information before requesting.

Access Rules for Bexar County Death Records

Texas law restricts death records less than 25 years old under Texas Government Code Section 552.115. Only immediate family members or legal representatives with documentation can get a certified copy during that period. A grandchild, for example, cannot obtain a grandparent's record without showing a direct tangible need, as Tarrant County's model policy illustrates. After 25 years, records are public.

All requesters must show valid photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID page lists what forms are accepted. All certified copies issued by the Bexar County Vital Statistics Department are official legal documents. Providing false information to obtain a vital record is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195, with penalties of 2 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Historical Death Records in Bexar County

Bexar County has some of the deepest records in Texas, with the county clerk's office maintaining documents dating back to 1836. Death records under the mandatory registration system begin in 1903. The county's large and diverse population means the death index covers a wide range of families and communities across more than a century.

Free research tools include the FamilySearch Texas Death Index 1903-2000 and the Ancestry Texas Death Index. Both let you search by name and get the certificate number before requesting the full document. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the statewide system works for researchers new to Texas records. The Texas State Library and Archives holds microfilmed indexes from 1903 to 1973 and is open for public research in Austin.

Cities in Bexar County

Bexar County is centered on San Antonio, the second-largest city in Texas. All death records for events in the county are processed through the Bexar County Clerk or, for older hospital deaths within San Antonio, through the San Antonio City Clerk.

Other communities in Bexar County include Converse, Universal City, Leon Valley, Kirby, and Live Oak. Death records for all unincorporated areas of Bexar County go through the county clerk's Vital Statistics Department.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Bexar County. If a death occurred near a county line, confirm which county registered the event before submitting a request.

Comal County • Guadalupe County • Wilson County • Atascosa County • Medina County • Bandera County • Kendall County