Hood County Death Index

Hood County death records are kept by the County Clerk in Granbury, Texas, and the death index runs from 1903 to the present. The clerk is the official local registrar for vital statistics in Hood County and issues certified death certificates to qualified applicants in person, by mail, or through the Texas Vital Records online system.

Hood County Clerk and Death Records

The Hood County Clerk's office is in Granbury at the county courthouse. The clerk manages death records as the local registrar under Texas state law. Hood County is southwest of Fort Worth and has grown steadily over the past two decades as part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro fringe. The office processes vital records requests from Granbury and communities throughout the county.

A certified Hood County death certificate costs $21.00 for the first copy. Additional copies of the same record, ordered at the same time, cost $4.00 each. Texas statute sets these fees for all county clerks statewide. For mail requests, send a money order payable to the Hood County Clerk. Contact the office to confirm whether credit or debit cards are accepted for in-person transactions.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page provides current contact details for the Hood County Clerk, including the mailing address and phone number for Granbury. It is a good first stop before submitting any request.

Note: Hood County has seen population growth from the DFW area. The clerk's office may be busier than in prior years. A call ahead to check wait times or confirm procedures can save a trip.

How to Find Hood County Death Records

In-person requests at the Granbury courthouse are the fastest option. Bring valid photo ID and the fee. The clerk can usually issue a certified copy the same day. This works well for residents who live nearby or are in the area.

Mail requests require the VS-142 Death Certificate Application, a copy of your photo ID, and a money order. Mail to the Hood County Clerk in Granbury. Allow about a week after the office receives your packet for processing and return. Some offices in Texas require a notarized affidavit for mail-in requests, so confirm with the Hood County Clerk before you send.

Online ordering through txapps.texas.gov or Texas.gov connects to the DSHS statewide database. Orders take 20 to 25 business days and are mailed from Austin. The state fee is $20 for the first copy and $3 for additional copies. Before placing a paid request, use the free FamilySearch Texas Death Index to confirm the county and date of the death.

Who Can Access Hood County Death Records

Texas restricts access to death records less than 25 years old. Only qualified applicants may get certified copies during that window. Qualified applicants are the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. Legal representatives with documentation also qualify. Once a record is 25 years old, it is public and any person with valid ID can request it.

The authority for this rule is Texas Government Code Section 552.115. All applicants must provide government-issued photo ID at the time of the request. The DSHS acceptable ID list shows acceptable documents. Providing false information to obtain a restricted death certificate is a felony under Health and Safety Code Section 195.003, with a possible sentence of 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

Historical Death Records in Hood County

Hood County has kept death records since 1903. The county's proximity to Fort Worth and its rural character in earlier decades are reflected in records that span farming communities and families tied to the region's early settlement. These records hold value for genealogy research going back more than a century.

Online indexes for Texas death records include the FamilySearch Texas Death Index covering 1903 to 2000 and Ancestry's Texas Death Index. Both databases include name, death date, county, and certificate number. They are free tools for identifying the right record before ordering a certified copy from the Hood County Clerk. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide provides useful context on how the statewide system works.

The Texas State Library and Archives holds microfilmed death indexes for 1903 to 1973. Researchers who cannot visit Granbury in person can use those resources to gather key details before placing a request by mail.

The DSHS Order Records Locally directory lists the Hood County Clerk along with all other Texas county offices that can issue certified death certificates.

Hood County residents can get certified death records directly from the clerk in Granbury or through the statewide DSHS system in Austin.

Cities in Hood County

Hood County includes Granbury and several smaller communities. All death records for the county are processed through the Hood County Clerk in Granbury.

Communities in Hood County include Granbury, Acton, Lipan, and Tolar. The nearby city of Fort Worth is in Tarrant County. No city in Hood County meets the 100,000-population threshold for a qualifying city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hood County. If you are not certain which county a death was registered in, check the DSHS directory or call the state office for guidance.

Tarrant County • Parker County • Palo Pinto County • Erath County • Somervell County