Childress County Death Index Search

Childress County death index records are maintained by the County Clerk in Childress, Texas, with records covering deaths from 1903 to the present. The county sits in the Texas Panhandle and organized in 1887. A courthouse fire in 1891 destroyed some early records before state registration began, but the death index from 1903 onward is complete. The clerk's office handles certified copy requests in person and by mail.

Childress County Clerk Death Records

The Childress County Clerk's office is in Childress, Texas. Phone: 940-937-6143. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The clerk serves as the local registrar for all births and deaths in Childress County. Death records have been maintained here since 1903 when Texas statewide registration started. Some records from 1887 through 1891 were lost in a courthouse fire, but that predates the statewide system, so it does not affect the death index that starts with the 1903 state requirement.

Childress County was created in 1876 from Bexar County land and organized in 1887. It was named for George Campbell Childress, who wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence. The county is located in the eastern Panhandle region and has an agricultural economy. Deaths registered in the county from 1903 forward are all held at the county clerk's office in Childress.

The fee for a certified death certificate is $21 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. This is the standard Texas county fee. Payment by check or money order is accepted for mail requests. Cash is accepted in person. All requesters must show valid government-issued photo ID. The search fee is non-refundable if a record is not found.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists all county clerks in Texas where you can get certified death certificates locally, including the Childress County Clerk in Childress.

The Childress County Clerk is the local option for getting a certified death certificate from this Panhandle county without ordering through Austin.

How to Get a Childress County Death Certificate

In person is the fastest method. Go to the Childress County Courthouse with valid photo ID and $21. The clerk can search the death index and issue a certified copy while you wait if the record is on file.

For mail requests, write an application that includes the full name of the deceased, the approximate date and place of death in Childress County, your relationship to the person, your mailing address, and the purpose of the request. Attach a clear photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID. Send a check or money order for $21 payable to the Childress County Clerk. Add $4 for each additional copy you need. Do not send cash through the mail.

State-level ordering is available through the Texas vital records online portal or by mailing a VS-142 form to the DSHS office in Austin at P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040. State fees are $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy. Mail orders take 25-30 business days. The county clerk is faster for Childress County records.

Access Rules for Childress County Death Records

Texas restricts access to death records from the last 25 years under Texas Government Code Section 552.115. Only qualified applicants can get certified copies of those records. Immediate family members qualify. That means a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, or adult child of the person named on the record. A legal guardian or authorized representative with proper documents also qualifies.

After 25 years, the record is public information. Anyone can then request it with valid ID and the fee. Government agencies and law enforcement with a direct interest may also access restricted records. All requesters must show valid government-issued photo ID matching the DSHS acceptable ID requirements.

Note: Search fees are not refunded if the record is not found. This applies at both the Childress County Clerk and the state DSHS office in Austin.

Researching Childress County Death Records

Online index tools are a useful first step. The FamilySearch Texas Death Index includes Childress County records from 1903 to 2000. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same period and shows certificate numbers and additional details. Both are index-only databases, so you still need to contact the county clerk for a certified copy.

The Texas State Library and Archives holds statewide death index microfilm from 1903 to 1973. These records are available for public research at the archives in Austin. The statewide index is organized alphabetically within multi-year blocks up through 1955, then annually after that, so knowing an approximate year helps narrow the search.

The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the overall index structure works and how state and county records relate to each other. If you find a record in an online index, use the certificate number and the approximate date of death when contacting the Childress County Clerk to speed up the response.

Cities in Childress County

Childress is both the county name and the county seat. All death records for events in Childress County go through the county clerk's office in Childress. No cities in Childress County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Childress is the main community in the county. All death records from across Childress County are kept at the county clerk's office in the city of Childress.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Childress County. If you are searching for a record and the county is uncertain, the death certificate itself usually lists the county of death.

Cottle County • Hall County • Collingsworth County • Hardeman County