Search the Lubbock County Death Index

Lubbock County death records are kept by the County Clerk in Lubbock, Texas, the hub city of the South Plains region. The Lubbock County death index is part of the Texas statewide vital records system with coverage from 1903 to present. You can request certified death certificates in person at the County Clerk's office, by mail, or through the Texas DSHS online system. The county clerk is authorized to search DSHS databases and issue certifications for all deaths registered in Lubbock County.

Lubbock County Clerk and the Death Index

The Lubbock County Clerk's office is at 904 Broadway, Room 207, Lubbock, TX 79401. The office maintains vital records for the county and is authorized to search the DSHS database and issue certifications for births and deaths registered in Lubbock County. The clerk has a contract with the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section, which allows staff to locate dates and issue official certifications of vital records. You can reach the clerk's office for questions about hours and request procedures.

Lubbock County follows standard Texas pricing for death records. The first certified copy is $21.00. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4.00. The fees include the county search charge, the certification fee, and the mandatory Vital Records Archive Fee under Health and Safety Code Section 191.0045. A valid government-issued photo ID is required for every request. Staff document each transaction for every requester.

If you order through DSHS in Austin, the state fee is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 per additional copy. Online orders through txapps.texas.gov take 20 to 25 business days to process and mail. The county clerk in Lubbock can often process in-person requests the same day, making it faster for people who can visit in person. The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics site has full details on both the state and county options.

Note: The Lubbock County Clerk charges a $10.00 search fee per record search, which is the same base fee DSHS charges. If the record is found, this fee is applied toward the total cost of the certificate.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit oversees the statewide death records system and sets the rules and fees that Lubbock County follows when issuing certified death certificates.

All Lubbock County death certificate requests fall under the same DSHS rules that apply across every Texas county.

How to Search Lubbock County Death Records

In-person requests are the fastest route. Go to the Lubbock County Clerk at 904 Broadway, Room 207 in Lubbock. Bring a valid photo ID and the fee. The clerk searches the death index by name and date. If the record is found and you qualify, you can receive the certified copy the same day. This is the best option if you are local or if you need the record quickly.

Mail requests are also accepted. Fill out the VS-142 Death Certificate Application from DSHS. Include a copy of your photo ID and a money order or check payable to the Lubbock County Clerk. Send to 904 Broadway, Room 207, Lubbock, TX 79401. Most mail requests are processed within a few business days after the office receives a complete application. Incomplete applications are returned, which adds to your wait.

Online orders go through the state system at txapps.texas.gov or the Texas.gov vital records portal. These orders are processed by DSHS in Austin and mailed to you. Standard processing is 20 to 25 business days. Mail-in state applications take 25 to 30 days. The DSHS Order Records Locally page confirms Lubbock County as a local office where you can request in person.

Lubbock is the county seat and largest city in Lubbock County, where most death records are processed through the County Clerk's office.

Who Can Access Lubbock County Death Records

Texas restricts access to death records that are less than 25 years old. Under Texas Government Code Section 552.115, only a qualified applicant may request restricted records. A qualified applicant is an immediate family member: child, spouse, parent, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A legal representative with documentation of their authority may also request records. Records that are 25 years or older from the date of death become public, and any person with valid ID can request a copy.

Acceptable identification is outlined on the DSHS acceptable ID page. Primary ID includes a driver's license, state-issued ID, US passport, or military ID. If you lack primary ID, a combination of secondary and supporting documents is accepted. Falsifying information on a vital records request is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195, with penalties of 2 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

You can also request a verification letter if you only need to confirm a death is on file. A verification states the name, date, and county on the record. It costs the same base fee as a full certificate search but is not a certified copy and cannot serve as a legal substitute. It is most useful for confirming that a record exists before you pay for a full certified document.

Lubbock County Historical Death Records

Lubbock County death records go back to 1903 in the Texas statewide index. Given Lubbock's growth as a major city, the volume of records is substantial, particularly from mid-century onward. Records from the earlier decades of statewide registration may be sparser simply because the population was smaller then. Records older than 25 years are publicly accessible without a family relationship requirement.

Free online databases help you search before ordering. The FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers 1903 to 2000 at no cost. Ancestry's Texas Death Index spans the same period with over 7 million entries from across the state. Both provide the certificate number and basic identifying information you need to request the actual record from the county clerk or DSHS. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how state and county systems relate to each other for researchers getting started with Texas genealogy.

Cities in Lubbock County

Lubbock County is home to the city of Lubbock and surrounding communities on the South Plains. Death records for all events in the county go through the Lubbock County Clerk at 904 Broadway.

Other communities in the county include Wolfforth, Shallowater, Slaton, and Idalou. Death records for all of these areas are registered with the Lubbock County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lubbock County on the South Plains. Check neighboring clerks if a death record cannot be located in Lubbock County.

Hockley County • Crosby County • Garza County • Lynn County • Dawson County • Terry County • Yoakum County