Find Death Records in King County

King County death records are filed with the County Clerk in Guthrie and go back to 1903. If you need to search the King County death index or obtain a certified death certificate for an event that occurred in this county, the clerk's office in Guthrie is where to start. King County is one of the smallest counties in Texas by population, and the death index reflects the rural scale of the community while remaining complete under state law.

King County Clerk and Death Index

The King County Clerk in Guthrie holds the official death index for the county and issues certified death certificates. The courthouse is in Guthrie. Office hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours. To request a death certificate in person, bring a valid government-issued photo ID and the $21 fee. The clerk searches the death index and can issue a certified copy for records on file.

King County is one of the smallest counties by population in the United States. That means the death index is compact. This can make finding a specific record fairly straightforward. However, because the office is small, you should call ahead if you have a complex request or need to confirm staff availability. For researchers who cannot travel to Guthrie, mail requests using the VS-142 Death Certificate Application or ordering through the state via txapps.texas.gov are both viable options.

State orders from DSHS in Austin take 20 to 25 business days on average. For most families, ordering through the county is faster if they can reach the clerk by mail or phone. The county fee is $21 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy. State fees are $20 and $3 respectively.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit in Austin is the state authority over all county death record operations in Texas, including King County.

State guidelines ensure consistent access and fee rules for all Texas counties, regardless of size.

Searching the King County Death Index

For genealogy work, the free FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers deaths from 1903 to 2000 and can be filtered by county. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same period. Both provide name, death year, and certificate number. You can confirm a record exists using these indexes before ordering from the county or state. The Texas State Library holds early death indexes through 1973 for in-person research, and the Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the statewide index is organized.

Verification letters are available through DSHS for any death on record since 1903. A verification costs $20, confirms the name, date, and county, and helps you decide whether to order a full certified copy. To request a verification, contact DSHS at (888) 963-7111 or mail to P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040.

Note: If you search the index and no record is found, the search fee is still charged under state law. There are no refunds for unsuccessful searches.

Access Rules for King County Death Records

Texas restricts access to death records less than 25 years old under Texas Government Code Section 552.115. Only immediate family members of the deceased can get certified copies during that time. The law defines immediate family as a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. Legal representatives with documented authority can also request restricted records.

After 25 years, the record is public. Anyone can request it from the King County Clerk. All requesters must show valid ID as listed on the DSHS acceptable ID page. Making a false statement on a death certificate request is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 195.003, with penalties of 2 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Historical Records in King County

King County was established in 1876 from the Bexar Territory and organized in 1891. The county was named for William P. King, a soldier who died at the Alamo. It has remained sparsely populated throughout its history, and most of the land is devoted to ranching. The death records from 1903 onward cover a small but continuous series of events tied to the ranching families and seasonal workers who lived in the county over the 20th century. Given the small total number of deaths recorded, the index for King County is one of the more manageable in the state for genealogy purposes.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists the King County Clerk in Guthrie among the local offices where you can get death certificates in Texas.

The local clerk in Guthrie can issue certified death certificates for King County events faster than ordering through the state in Austin.

Cities in King County

Guthrie is the only community in King County and serves as the county seat. All death records for events within King County are filed with the County Clerk in Guthrie. King County has no cities that meet the qualifying population threshold for a dedicated city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border King County. If a death record is not found locally, check these neighboring county offices.

Stonewall County • Haskell County • Knox County • Cottle County • Dickens County • Kent County