Search Frio County Death Index

Frio County death records are kept at the County Clerk's office in Pearsall, Texas. The Frio County Death Index covers registered deaths from 1903 to the present. This page covers how to find and request death index records, who qualifies to get certified copies, and what fees to expect.

Frio County Clerk and the Death Index

The Frio County Clerk in Pearsall is the local registrar for all death records in the county. The clerk's office holds the Frio County death index and issues certified copies of death certificates. Death registration in Texas has been mandatory since 1903, and that is when the Frio County records begin. The state also maintains a copy of all records at the DSHS Vital Statistics Unit in Austin.

The fee for a certified death certificate in Frio County is $21 for the first copy. If you need more copies of the same record at the same time, each one costs $4. This fee structure is set by Texas law and applies across the state. You must show a valid government-issued photo ID to get any record less than 25 years old. The DSHS acceptable ID page lists all the forms of ID the clerk will accept.

Mail requests are processed at the Frio County Courthouse in Pearsall. Include a copy of your ID, a check or money order payable to the Frio County Clerk, and a completed VS-142 application form. Mail turnaround varies but is typically a few business days after receipt. Online requests can be placed through the Texas vital records portal, though those orders go through Austin and take three to four weeks.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office oversees death record rules and fees for all Texas counties, including Frio County.

All county clerks in Texas operate under the same DSHS guidelines for issuing certified copies of death records.

Access Rules for Frio County Death Records

Texas restricts access to death records for 25 years after the date of death. During that window, only qualified applicants can get a certified copy. A qualified applicant is an immediate family member: a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. A legal representative or guardian may also request records with proper documentation. This comes from Texas Government Code Section 552.115, which applies to both county and state records.

After 25 years, the record is public. Anyone can request a copy. You still need to show a valid ID, but there is no family relationship requirement. The clerk keeps a record of every request made, whether the requester is a family member or a member of the public accessing older records.

A search fee applies even if the record is not found. Texas law requires the clerk to charge the same fee as for a certificate when a search is done and nothing turns up. That fee is not refundable. If you are not sure a death occurred in Frio County, it may be worth checking the DSHS state index before paying a local search fee.

Note: Falsifying a request to get a death certificate is a felony in Texas with penalties of two to ten years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

Finding Death Records in Frio County

Start with free online indexes if you are doing research. FamilySearch's Texas Death Index is a free database covering 1903 to 2000. It lists the decedent's name, death county, date, and certificate number. Ancestry's Texas Death Index covers the same period and links to images for some early records. Both are index tools. They do not replace a certified copy but help you confirm that a record exists and gather key details before you place a formal request.

Once you have the certificate number or a close date, contact the Frio County Clerk directly. In-person visits to the courthouse in Pearsall are the fastest way to get a certified copy. If you are researching older Frio County records, the Texas State Library and Archives holds statewide death indexes from 1903 to 1973 that are open to researchers. These can fill gaps when local records are hard to find.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists all local offices where you can get certified death certificates in Texas, including Frio County.

Going through the Frio County Clerk is typically faster than ordering through the state DSHS office in Austin.

Cities in Frio County

Frio County is centered on Pearsall, the county seat. Dilley and Bigfoot are among the other communities in the county. Death records for all of these areas are filed with the Frio County Clerk in Pearsall.

No cities in Frio County meet the population threshold for dedicated city pages. All death index records for the county are maintained at the clerk's office in Pearsall.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Frio County. If a death occurred near a county line, check the county of residence listed on the death certificate to confirm where the record was filed.

Medina County • Uvalde County • Zavala County • LaSalle County • McMullen County • Atascosa County