Matagorda County Death Index

Death records in Matagorda County are maintained by the County Clerk in Bay City, Texas. This page covers how to search the Matagorda County Death Index, get certified death certificates, and access historical records dating back to 1903.

Matagorda County Clerk Death Records

The Matagorda County Clerk's office in Bay City is where death certificates for the county are filed and maintained. As the local vital records registrar, the clerk holds copies of all death records from 1903 forward. The office can search the death index by name and provide certified copies. In-person service is available Monday through Friday during standard courthouse hours.

To request by mail, use the VS-142 Death Certificate Application from DSHS. Complete the form, attach a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID, and send a check or money order payable to the Matagorda County Clerk. Mail the packet to the county courthouse in Bay City. Call the clerk's office to confirm the mailing address and office hours before sending.

For those who prefer to order through the state, the Texas online vital records system accepts requests and processes them at the DSHS office in Austin. State orders are mailed to you and can take three to five weeks. If you need the record fast, go directly to the county clerk in Bay City.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit sets the rules that all county clerks in Texas follow, including Matagorda County, when processing death certificate requests.

All Matagorda County death certificates are issued under the same state standards that apply across all 254 Texas counties.

Death Certificate Costs in Matagorda County

The Matagorda County Clerk charges $21.00 for the first certified copy of a death certificate. Each additional copy of the same record, requested at the same time, costs $4.00. Texas law sets this fee schedule, so the amount is consistent from one county to the next. The fee covers the search, certification, and the vital records archive fee required by state statute.

The state DSHS office charges $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy. The difference is small but the timing is not. County copies can often be issued the same day in person. State copies come by mail from Austin and can take 20 to 30 business days. Order from wherever is more convenient for your situation, but be aware of the time difference if speed matters.

Texas law does not refund search fees when a record is not found. The fee is charged any time a search is conducted, whether or not it turns up a record. Make your request as specific as possible to improve your chances of a successful search.

Who Can Request Matagorda County Death Certificates

Texas limits access to death certificates from the past 25 years. Certified copies of these records can only be issued to immediate family members of the deceased. Immediate family under Texas law includes a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. Legal representatives can also request records if they have proper documentation of their authority.

Death records that are 25 years old or older are public records under Texas Government Code Section 552.115. Any member of the public can request a certified copy of an older record without showing a family relationship. All requesters must still provide valid government-issued photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID list shows exactly what the clerk will accept. Making a false statement to get a death certificate is a felony with penalties up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine under Health and Safety Code Chapter 195.

If the death is recent and you are not an immediate family member, you will not be issued a certified copy at either the county or state level. You may qualify for a verification letter, which confirms a death is on file but is not a legal substitute for a certified certificate.

Historical Matagorda County Death Records

Matagorda County has maintained death records since 1903. For genealogical research, all records older than 25 years are open to the public and searchable through free online databases. The FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers deaths from 1903 to 2000. The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers the same period. Both are index tools showing name, death county, date, and certificate number. They help you identify which record to request before you contact the county clerk or state office.

For records that fall outside what the online indexes cover, the Texas State Library in Austin keeps microfilmed death indexes from 1903 to 1973. These are available to the public for in-person research. Matagorda County is a coastal county, and records from earlier decades may reflect the diversity of the area's agricultural and fishing communities. Alternate name spellings are common in older records, so searching variations is worth doing if your first attempt fails. The Texas State Library and Archives has finding aids and research guides for county-level records that can help focus your search.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists Matagorda County among the Texas counties where you can get a certified death certificate directly from the local clerk's office rather than ordering through the state.

The Bay City office is listed in the DSHS county directory, with contact information for reaching the Matagorda County Clerk directly.

Cities in Matagorda County

Bay City serves as the county seat and is home to the Matagorda County Clerk's office. No cities in Matagorda County meet the population threshold for individual city pages. All death records for communities in the county are filed through the county clerk in Bay City.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Matagorda County along the Texas Gulf Coast and inland areas. If a death may have occurred near a county line, check with the clerks of these neighboring counties as well.

Brazoria County • Fort Bend County • Wharton County • Jackson County • Calhoun County