Collingsworth County Death Index
Collingsworth County death index records are held at the County Clerk's office in Wellington, Texas, covering deaths from 1903 to the present. The county also has some records from 1890 available, which predates the statewide registration requirement. This Panhandle county organized in 1891, and its records reflect the agricultural communities that settled in this part of Texas over the following century.
Collingsworth County Overview
Collingsworth County Clerk Death Records
The Collingsworth County Clerk is in Wellington, Texas. Phone: 806-447-2408. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The clerk maintains death records from 1903 and also holds some records from 1890. Marriage, land, and probate records go back to 1891 when the county was organized. No courthouse disasters are on record for Collingsworth County, so the collection is intact from those early dates.
Collingsworth County was created in 1876 from Young and Bexar territories and organized in 1891. It was named for James Collinsworth, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The name on the county is spelled differently from the person it honors because of a clerical error made at the time of creation. The county sits in the southeastern Panhandle and has had an agricultural economy throughout its history.
Certified death certificates cost $21 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. This matches the standard Texas county fee set by state law. Payment by check or money order is accepted for mail requests. All requesters must show valid government-issued photo ID. The search fee is not refunded if a record is not found.
The Collingsworth County government website provides contact details for the county clerk and access to county office information.
The Collingsworth County Clerk in Wellington handles death certificate requests for all events registered in the county.
How to Request a Collingsworth County Death Certificate
In person is the fastest method. Go to the Collingsworth County Courthouse in Wellington with valid photo ID and $21. Office hours end at 4:00 PM on weekdays, so plan to arrive with time to spare. The clerk can search the index and issue a certified copy the same day if the record is on file.
Mail requests are also handled by the clerk. Write a request that includes the full name of the deceased, approximate date and place of death in Collingsworth 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 Collingsworth County Clerk. Add $4 for each additional copy. Do not send cash through the mail.
State-level orders are available through the Texas vital records online portal or by mailing a VS-142 form to DSHS in Austin. State fees are $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional. State mail orders take 25-30 business days. For Collingsworth County records, the county clerk is the faster option.
Access Rules for Collingsworth County Death Records
Death records from the last 25 years are restricted to qualified applicants under Texas Government Code Section 552.115. A qualified applicant is an immediate family member by blood, marriage, or adoption. That includes a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, or adult child. Legal guardians and authorized representatives with proper documents also qualify.
After 25 years from the date of death, the record is public. Anyone can then request it with valid ID and the applicable fee. Government agencies and law enforcement with a direct and tangible interest in the record may access restricted records as well. All requesters must show valid government-issued photo ID per the DSHS acceptable ID requirements.
Note: Fees are not refunded if a search is done and no record is found. That applies at both county and state offices throughout Texas.
Researching Collingsworth County Death Records
Collingsworth County has records going back to 1890 in some cases, which is earlier than most Texas counties. The county clerk may be able to assist with those older records even though the statewide 1903 requirement is the standard starting point. Online index tools are a good first step for any research. The FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers 1903 to 2000 and includes Collingsworth County. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same range with certificate numbers.
The Texas State Library and Archives holds statewide death index microfilm from 1903 to 1973. These records are available for public research in Austin. For Panhandle-region research, Collingsworth County records can be combined with those of Hall County to the west and Childress County to the northwest to trace families who moved through this part of the state.
For records more than 25 years old, access is open to anyone. You can request a certified copy from the Collingsworth County Clerk in Wellington or from the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office in Austin. County copies come faster since state orders are mailed from Austin.
Cities in Collingsworth County
Wellington is the county seat of Collingsworth County. All death records for events in the county go through the county clerk's office in Wellington. No cities in Collingsworth County meet the qualifying population threshold for a separate city page.
Wellington is the main community in Collingsworth County. All county death records are maintained at the county clerk's office in Wellington.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Collingsworth County in the Texas Panhandle. Contact the clerk in a neighboring county if you believe a death was registered elsewhere in the region.