Houston County Death Index

Houston County death records are maintained by the County Clerk in Crockett, Texas, and the death index covers events registered in the county from 1903 to the present. Houston County is located in East Texas and should not be confused with the city of Houston, which is in Harris County. The Houston County Clerk serves as the local registrar for vital statistics and issues certified death certificates in person, by mail, or through the Texas Vital Records online system.

Houston County Clerk and Death Records

The Houston County Clerk's office is in Crockett at the county courthouse. The clerk handles death records as the official local registrar under Texas state law. Houston County sits in the Piney Woods region of East Texas. It is distinct from Harris County, which contains the city of Houston. The Houston County Clerk processes vital records requests for deaths that occurred within the county's boundaries, going back to 1903.

A certified death certificate in Houston County costs $21.00 for the first copy. Each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time, is $4.00. These fees are set by the Texas Local Government Code and apply at every county clerk's office across the state. For mail requests, use a money order or cashier's check payable to the Houston County Clerk. Confirm current payment methods before submitting.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists current contact information for the Houston County Clerk in Crockett. It is the most reliable source for the current mailing address and phone number, since contact details can change over time.

Note: Houston County and the city of Houston are separate jurisdictions. Deaths that occurred in the city of Houston were registered in Harris County, not Houston County. If you are searching for a record in the city of Houston, contact the Harris County Clerk's office in Houston instead.

How to Search the Houston County Death Index

In-person requests at the courthouse in Crockett are the quickest way to get a certified copy. Bring valid government-issued photo ID and the fee. The clerk will search by name and approximate year of death. Most in-person requests are completed the same day.

Mail requests require the VS-142 Death Certificate Application, a photocopy of your photo ID, and a money order. Send the packet to the Houston County Clerk in Crockett. Allow a week or more for processing after the office receives your request. Some Texas clerks require a notarized affidavit for mail requests, so call ahead to confirm.

Online orders through txapps.texas.gov connect to the DSHS statewide database. These take 20 to 25 business days. State fees are $20 for the first copy and $3 for additional copies. The Texas.gov vital records portal links to the same system. For older records and genealogy research, check the free FamilySearch Texas Death Index first.

Who Can Access Houston County Death Records

Texas restricts certified copies of death records that are less than 25 years old to qualified applicants. Qualified applicants are the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. Legal representatives with proper documentation also qualify. After 25 years from the date of death, the record becomes public and anyone with valid ID can request it.

This rule comes from Texas Government Code Section 552.115. All requesters must provide valid government-issued photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID list specifies which documents are accepted. Making a false statement to obtain a restricted death certificate is a felony under Health and Safety Code Section 195.003, with penalties up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

Historical Death Records in Houston County

Houston County death records go back to 1903, when Texas began mandatory vital records registration. The East Texas Piney Woods setting and the county's long history mean the records cover families and communities with deep ties to the region. Genealogy research in Houston County can yield results going back over a hundred years.

Free online indexes include the FamilySearch Texas Death Index covering 1903 to 2000 and Ancestry's Texas Death Index for a similar range. Both include names, death dates, county of record, and certificate numbers. These tools help you confirm a death was registered in Houston County before ordering a certified copy from the clerk in Crockett. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the statewide system is organized.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin holds microfilmed death indexes from 1903 to 1973 that researchers can access without traveling to Crockett.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit maintains the statewide death records system and sets the standards followed by the Houston County Clerk in Crockett.

Houston County (seat: Crockett) participates in the same Texas vital records system as all 254 Texas counties. This page covers Houston County, not the city of Houston in Harris County.

Cities in Houston County

Houston County includes Crockett and several smaller communities in East Texas. All death records for the county go through the Houston County Clerk in Crockett. The city of Houston is in Harris County, not Houston County.

Communities in Houston County include Crockett, Kennard, and Lovelady. No city in Houston County reaches the 100,000-population threshold for a qualifying city page. All death records for these areas are filed through the Houston County Clerk in Crockett.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Houston County. Contact DSHS if you are unsure which county a specific death was registered in.

Angelina County • Trinity County • Leon County • Anderson County • Cherokee County