Cass County Death Index

Cass County death index records are kept at the County Clerk's office at 100 E. Houston St. in Linden, Texas, where certified copies of death certificates have been issued since 1903. The county also has delayed birth records going back to 1873. If you need to find a death record from northeast Texas, the Cass County Clerk is the right local office to contact, and the fee structure and ID requirements are clearly published.

Cass County Clerk Office Details

The Cass County Clerk is located at 100 E. Houston St., Linden, TX 75563. The main phone number is 903-756-6571. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Death records start from 1903, and some records from 1933 onward are also part of the collection. The county has delayed birth records going as far back as 1873 in the clerk's files.

Cass County was created in 1846 from Bowie County and is named for Lewis Cass, a U.S. Senator from Michigan. No courthouse disasters are on record for Cass County, so the death index is complete from 1903. The county sits in northeast Texas near the border with Arkansas and Louisiana, and it has a timber and agriculture history that shaped the communities whose records are in this index.

The Cass County Clerk publishes its fee schedule directly on the county website. For death certificates, the breakdown is: $20.00 clerk's fee plus $1.00 vital statistics preservation fee, for a total of $21.00. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4.00. The clerk only issues certified copies. You must be immediate family to obtain a copy during the 25-year restricted period. The clerk defines immediate family as a spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, child, or step-parent.

Note: The Cass County Clerk recommends including a pre-paid FedEx, UPS, or Priority Mail envelope with any mail request so they can send the certificate back quickly, since they have no control over delivery times once it leaves the office by regular mail.

The Cass County government website provides contact details for the county clerk and links to the fee schedule and vital records information.

The county clerk in Linden is the primary office for certified copies of Cass County death certificates.

Getting a Death Certificate from Cass County

You can request a death certificate from the Cass County Clerk in person or by mail. In-person requests are processed at the courthouse in Linden during business hours. Bring valid government-issued photo ID and the $21 fee.

For mail requests, include the full name of the deceased, the approximate date and place of death, your relationship to the deceased, your mailing address, and a photocopy of your valid government-issued photo ID. Send a check or money order for $21 made payable to the Cass County Clerk. The clerk specifically recommends including a pre-paid tracked return envelope so the certificate can be sent back safely. Do not send cash through the mail.

You can also order a death certificate from the state through the Texas vital records online system. State orders cost $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy but take longer since they come from Austin. For a Cass County record, the county clerk is the faster option in most cases.

If a search is performed and the record is not found, the fee is not refunded. This applies at both the county and state level under Texas law.

Who Can Get Cass County Death Records

Death records less than 25 years old are confidential under Texas Government Code Section 552.115. The Cass County Clerk will only release certified copies of those recent records to qualified applicants. The clerk's own fee schedule states that you must be immediate family to obtain a copy. Immediate family is defined as a spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, child, or step-parent.

A legal representative with proper documentation showing their authority to act on behalf of the decedent's estate may also request records. Government agencies and law enforcement with a direct and tangible interest in the record are also authorized. After 25 years from the date of death, the record is public information and can be obtained by anyone who provides valid ID and pays the fee.

All requesters must present valid government-issued photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID page lists accepted forms. Making a false statement on a vital records application is a felony in Texas with penalties of 2-10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Cass County Death Records for Genealogy

The Cass County death index runs from 1903 to the present, with no record gaps from courthouse disasters. That gives researchers a solid starting point for family history work in this part of northeast Texas. The county also holds delayed birth records from 1873, which can help fill in family details from the period before formal registration started.

Free online index databases can help you narrow a search. The FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers 1903 to 2000. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same period and includes certificate numbers, death county, and other useful details. Both are index-only tools, meaning you still need to contact the Cass County Clerk for a certified copy.

The Texas State Library and Archives in Austin also holds death index microfilm from 1903 to 1973, available for public research. Once you have a certificate number from an index, the clerk can use it to pull the record faster. Include it in any request you send to the Cass County Clerk's office in Linden.

Cities in Cass County

Linden is the county seat of Cass County. All death records for events anywhere in Cass County go through the county clerk's office in Linden. No cities in Cass County exceed the qualifying population threshold for a separate city page.

Other communities in Cass County include Atlanta and Queen City. Death records for all areas of the county are maintained at the Cass County Clerk's office at 100 E. Houston St. in Linden.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cass County in northeast Texas. If you are searching for a record and are unsure of the county, the address or community listed on the death certificate can help you determine the right office.

Bowie County • Morris County • Marion County • Harrison County