Fayette County Death Index Lookup

The Fayette County Death Index contains death records filed in La Grange and throughout Fayette County since statewide registration began in 1903. The Fayette County Clerk in La Grange is the local office that maintains these records and can issue certified copies to qualified requesters. This page covers how to search the Fayette County death index, what steps to take for in-person and mail requests, what fees to expect, who qualifies for access, and where to find free online genealogy indexes.

Fayette County Clerk and Death Records

The Fayette County Clerk's office is at 151 North Washington Street, Room 103, La Grange, TX 78945. The phone number is (979) 968-3251. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call before you visit to confirm availability for vital records requests. Staff at the Fayette County Clerk's office can search the death index by name and year and issue a certified copy on the same day for qualifying records.

When you go in person, bring a valid government-issued photo ID. For any death that occurred within the past 25 years, you must also show that you are an immediate family member. Texas defines immediate family for this purpose as the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A legal guardian or legal representative with proper documentation can also make the request. The DSHS acceptable ID page lists the forms of identification that Texas vital records offices accept.

Mail requests are also handled by the Fayette County Clerk. Download and complete the VS-142 application from DSHS. Send it along with a copy of your photo ID and a check or money order made out to the Fayette County Clerk to the La Grange address. Processing times vary. Allow at least a week or two for mail requests to be handled and returned.

Note: Fayette County is a mid-sized rural county. If you are searching for a record from a small community within the county, the clerk in La Grange handles all deaths registered in Fayette County regardless of which town the death occurred in.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit sets the rules, forms, and fees that the Fayette County Clerk and all other Texas county clerks follow when issuing certified death certificates.

Whether you request a record from the county clerk in La Grange or from the state office in Austin, the same DSHS rules and standards apply.

Searching the Fayette County Death Index

In person at the Fayette County Clerk in La Grange is the fastest option. The clerk can search the death index on the spot and issue a certified copy while you wait. For those who cannot make the trip, mailing a request to the clerk is the next best option. The third route is ordering through the state using the Texas Vital Records online system or the Texas.gov vital records portal. State orders are mailed from DSHS in Austin and take 20 to 25 business days for online orders and 25 to 30 days for mail-in orders.

Before paying for a certified copy, use free online indexes to confirm the record exists. The FamilySearch Texas Death Index is free and covers 1903 to 2000. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same period and lists over 7 million individuals. Both include the death county, date, and certificate number. If you find an entry in either index listing Fayette County, you can go straight to requesting a certified copy. The CDC also provides a summary at Where to Write for Vital Records - Texas that covers how the state system works.

Fayette County Death Certificate Fees

The Fayette County Clerk charges $21.00 for the first certified copy of a death certificate. Each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time, costs $4.00. These fees are set by state law and apply uniformly across all Texas county clerks. For mail requests, send a check or money order payable to the Fayette County Clerk.

Ordering through the DSHS state office is slightly cheaper at $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for additional copies. But the wait time is longer. For people who need a Fayette County record fast, the local clerk in La Grange is the right choice. For those researching from out of state or who are not in a hurry, the state ordering portal is a reasonable alternative. Texas law requires a non-refundable search fee equal to the copy fee whenever a search is done and no record is found.

Access Rules for Fayette County Death Records

Texas law restricts access to death records that are less than 25 years old. Under Texas Government Code Section 552.115, only immediate family members or authorized legal representatives can request certified copies during that period. After 25 years from the date of death, the record is public information. At that point, anyone can request a copy by showing valid photo ID.

The Texas Attorney General's Open Records Decision No. 307 confirmed that county clerk death records are subject to the same confidentiality rules as state-maintained records. This means the Fayette County Clerk cannot issue restricted records to unauthorized requesters even if asked. All requests are documented, and all requesters must provide valid ID. Making a false statement to obtain a vital record is a felony under Health and Safety Code Chapter 195, punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Historical Fayette County Death Index Records

Fayette County death records begin in 1903. The statewide death index is organized alphabetically within broad time periods for early years and annually from 1956 onward. For genealogy research, the county records at the clerk's office in La Grange and the statewide index at DSHS are both worth checking, as local records sometimes contain additional details not captured in the state index. The Texas State Library and Archives holds microfilm of Texas death indexes from 1903 to 1973 and is open for public research.

The FamilySearch Texas Death Index is free to search and covers 1903 to 2000. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same period. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the statewide system is organized. For Fayette County genealogy, the Fayette County Heritage Museum in La Grange also holds local records that can supplement the death index for older research.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists the Fayette County Clerk and all other local offices in Texas that can issue certified death certificates.

This directory is maintained by DSHS and confirms the contact details for the Fayette County Clerk office in La Grange.

Cities in Fayette County

Fayette County includes La Grange and several smaller communities such as Schulenburg, Flatonia, and Giddings. All deaths occurring in the county are registered with the Fayette County Clerk in La Grange.

None of the cities in Fayette County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Anyone from any part of the county can request death records from the clerk's office in La Grange.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Fayette County. If you are not certain which county a record was filed in, contact the clerk's office in the county where the death most likely occurred.

Colorado County • Austin County • Bastrop County • Caldwell County • Gonzales County