Kendall County Death Index

Kendall County death records are held by the County Clerk in Boerne and go back to 1903. If you need to search the Kendall County death index or get a certified copy of a death certificate for an event that occurred in this county, the clerk's office in Boerne is where to start. Kendall County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas, and the death records reflect decades of community life in the Texas Hill Country northwest of San Antonio.

Kendall County Clerk Vital Records Office

The Kendall County Clerk maintains the county's official death index and issues certified death certificates. The office is located at the Kendall County Courthouse in Boerne. You can visit in person during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and the required fee. The clerk searches by name and approximate date of death and can issue a certified copy the same day for records already on file.

Mail requests work the same way. Fill out the VS-142 Death Certificate Application from DSHS. Attach a photocopy of your ID and a check or money order payable to the Kendall County Clerk. Mail the complete packet to the courthouse in Boerne. Mail requests are typically completed within a few business days of receipt.

Kendall County sits in the Hill Country northwest of San Antonio and has grown rapidly over the past two decades. The San Antonio metro area has expanded into Boerne and surrounding communities, bringing more residents and more vital records activity to this county. The clerk's office is experienced with handling both local requests and those from researchers and family members who live outside the area.

Note: If a death occurred within a specific incorporated city in Kendall County, the county clerk still handles the certificate since death records in Texas are a county-level function in most cases.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit administers the statewide vital records system that all county clerks, including Kendall County, operate within.

State guidelines cover everything from acceptable ID to fee schedules, and Kendall County follows them for every death certificate request.

Searching the Kendall County Death Index

The best way to get a death certificate fast is to visit the County Clerk in Boerne in person. Show your ID, provide the name and approximate year of death, and pay the $21 fee. For records that are already filed and processed, you can often walk out with a certified copy the same day. This is the most reliable method for recent deaths and for genealogy researchers who need exact details from the original document.

For free online searches, the FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers 1903 to 2000 and is searchable by county. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same period. These tools help you confirm the record exists and get the certificate number before requesting the actual document. The Texas State Library holds statewide death indexes from 1903 to 1973 that are open for public research in person. Ordering online through txapps.texas.gov is also an option for state-issued copies, though state orders take 20 to 25 business days.

Access and Fee Rules in Kendall County

Texas law limits who can get a certified death certificate for records less than 25 years old. Texas Government Code Section 552.115 makes those records confidential except to immediate family members. That means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. Legal representatives with documented authority can also request restricted records.

Records older than 25 years are public. Anyone can request them from the Kendall County Clerk without needing to establish family ties. All requesters must still show valid ID as listed on the DSHS acceptable ID page. A government-issued photo ID is required for every transaction. Making false statements to obtain a death certificate is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 195.003, with penalties up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

The fee is $21 for the first certified copy at the county level. Each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time, costs $4. The state charges $20 and $3 respectively if you order through Austin. Both are certified copies with equal legal standing.

Historical Records and Genealogy in Kendall County

Kendall County was established in 1862 and has deep roots in the Texas Hill Country. Early settlers included German immigrants who came to this part of Texas in the mid-1800s, and their descendants are well represented in the county's early death records. The records from 1903 onward capture family histories in Boerne, Comfort, and the surrounding communities. If you are researching German-Texan heritage in the Hill Country, Kendall County records are a key resource.

The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide is worth reading before you start your search. It explains how the statewide death index was organized in different periods and what information you can expect to find in each era of records. Verification letters are available from DSHS for any death on file since 1903. A verification costs $20 and confirms the name, date, and county of death without providing a full certified copy. It is a useful step if you are not sure a record exists before ordering.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists the Kendall County Clerk in Boerne among the Texas offices where you can get death certificates in person.

In-person service at the Kendall County Clerk in Boerne is generally the fastest option for getting a certified death certificate.

Cities in Kendall County

Kendall County includes Boerne as its county seat along with Comfort, Fair Oaks Ranch, and other communities. All death records for events within Kendall County are processed through the County Clerk in Boerne. None of the cities in Kendall County currently meet the qualifying population threshold for a dedicated city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Kendall County. Check neighboring county clerks if a death record is not found in the Kendall County index.

Bexar County • Comal County • Guadalupe County • Kerr County • Blanco County • Medina County