Search Camp County Death Index
Camp County death index records are maintained by the County Clerk in Pittsburg, Texas, and cover deaths registered in the county from 1903 to the present. This small northeast Texas county has a complete set of post-1903 records with no known courthouse disasters affecting the death index. If you need a certified copy or want to verify a death in Camp County, the clerk's office is the primary place to start.
Camp County Overview
Camp County Clerk Death Records
The Camp County Clerk's office in Pittsburg serves as the local registrar for all births and deaths in the county. The office is at the Camp County Courthouse in Pittsburg, Texas. You can reach the clerk at 903-856-2731. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk files and maintains death certificates for all events registered in Camp County from 1903 forward.
Camp County was created in 1874 from Upshur County and has had uninterrupted record-keeping since state registration started in 1903. There are no known courthouse fires or major record losses affecting the death index in this county, which means the collection is complete. That makes Camp County a good place to search if you believe a death occurred in northeast Texas and need a reliable source for the record.
Death records in Camp County are certified copies only. The clerk does not issue uncertified copies. Each certified copy costs $21 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Bring a valid government-issued ID to any in-person visit. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Camp County Clerk if requesting by mail.
The Camp County government website provides contact information for the county clerk and links to county offices including vital records.
The Camp County Clerk handles death certificate requests for events registered anywhere in Camp County.
Requesting a Camp County Death Certificate
You can get a death certificate from the Camp County Clerk in person, by mail, or through the Texas DSHS state system in Austin. In-person requests are fastest. Bring your ID and the fee to the clerk's office at the Camp County Courthouse in Pittsburg. Staff can search the index and issue a certified copy while you wait if the record is on file.
For mail requests, send a written application with the following: the full name of the deceased, the approximate date and place of death in Camp County, your relationship to the deceased, your mailing address, and the purpose of the request. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID and a check or money order for $21 payable to the Camp County Clerk. The DSHS acceptable ID list shows what forms of ID are accepted statewide.
You can also order through the Texas vital records portal or by mailing a completed VS-142 form to the state office in Austin. State orders cost $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy. Mail orders through DSHS take 25-30 business days on average. Going through the Camp County Clerk is usually faster for records in this county.
Note: Fees are not refunded if a search is conducted and the record is not found. That applies to both the county clerk and the state office.
Who Can Access Camp County Death Records
Texas law limits who can get a certified death certificate for recent records. Deaths from the last 25 years are restricted. Only qualified applicants can get copies during that period. A qualified applicant is an immediate family member by blood, marriage, or adoption. That includes a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, or adult child of the person on the record. A legal guardian or authorized legal representative with proper documentation also qualifies.
The restriction comes from Texas Government Code Section 552.115. After 25 years from the date of death, the record becomes public information. Anyone can then request a copy by showing valid ID. The Camp County Clerk follows the same rules as every other county in Texas. No special local exceptions apply.
For genealogy research on older records, free index tools like the FamilySearch Texas Death Index can help you confirm a record exists before you contact the clerk. That index covers 1903 through 2000 for all Texas counties including Camp County.
Camp County Death Records for Family Research
Camp County has a well-preserved set of death records that goes back to 1903. The county is small, but the records are complete. For anyone researching family history in northeast Texas, this is a reliable source. Camp County was named for John Lafayette Camp, a U.S. and Confederate soldier, and it sits in a region with ties to timber production and dairy farming. The communities that grew up here over the past century are all represented in the death index.
The Ancestry Texas Death Index also covers Camp County records through 2000 and includes the certificate number, which you will need when ordering a copy. The Texas State Library and Archives in Austin holds microfilm indexes that cover births and deaths from 1903 to 1973 and are available for public search. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the statewide death index is organized for older records.
Records older than 25 years are public in Camp County. You do not need to prove a family relationship to get a certified copy once that window has passed. Show your ID, pay the fee, and the clerk can issue the copy at that point.
Cities in Camp County
Camp County's county seat is Pittsburg. All death records for events in Camp County, including Pittsburg and the surrounding rural areas, go through the Camp County Clerk's office. There are no qualifying cities in Camp County above the population threshold for a separate city page.
Pittsburg is the main community in Camp County. Death records for all areas of the county are maintained by the county clerk in Pittsburg.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Camp County in northeast Texas. If you need to check whether a death was registered in a neighboring county, contact the clerk's office for that county.