Find Death Records in Moore County

Moore County death records are held by the County Clerk in Dumas, Texas. The Moore County Death Index covers all registered deaths in the county from 1903 to the present. You can search the index and get certified copies through the clerk's office in person, by mail, or through the Texas state online portal. This page explains what you need to request a Moore County death record and where to look.

Moore County Clerk and Death Index

The Moore County Clerk's office in Dumas is the local registrar for death records. Every death registered in the county from 1903 forward is on file there. You go to the clerk in Dumas for certified death certificates covering Moore County events. The office is at the courthouse in Dumas and is open Monday through Friday. Moore County is in the Texas Panhandle, a largely rural area, and the clerk's office is the main point of contact for vital records in the county.

To request a death certificate from Moore County, you need a valid photo ID and you must be a qualified applicant if the death occurred within the past 25 years. Texas law limits access to records less than 25 years old. Only immediate family members can get those records. An immediate family member is a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. Legal representatives with court-issued authorization can also request restricted records. After 25 years from the date of death, records become public and any person can request them.

In-person requests are processed the same day at the clerk's office. The clerk can search the Moore County death index by name and approximate date of death. If you have the certificate number from an online index, bring it. That can speed up the search. The fee for a first copy is $21, and additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time cost $4 each.

Note: Moore County is in the Panhandle region. Office hours and procedures may vary slightly from urban county offices. Call ahead before making a trip to confirm hours.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit oversees statewide rules for death records, including the fees and access rules that the Moore County Clerk follows when issuing certified death certificates.

All Texas county clerks, including Moore County, follow DSHS guidelines when processing death certificate requests.

How to Get a Moore County Death Certificate

Going in person to the Moore County Clerk in Dumas is the fastest option. Bring your photo ID and the fee. Tell the clerk the full name of the person on the record and the approximate date of death. The clerk will search the death index and issue a certified copy on the same visit if the record is found.

Mail requests work as well. Use the VS-142 application form from Texas DSHS. Fill it out completely. Include a copy of your photo ID and a money order or check made payable to the Moore County Clerk. Mail the packet to the clerk's office at the courthouse in Dumas, Texas. Processing takes a few business days after the office receives your request, plus mail delivery time on both ends.

Online ordering is available through the Texas vital records portal. These orders go through DSHS in Austin and are mailed to you. The state fee is $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy. State orders take longer than county requests. For more details on ordering online, visit the Texas.gov vital records page.

Fees and Access Rules for Moore County Death Records

The first certified copy of a Moore County death certificate costs $21. Each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time, costs $4. These fees apply at the county clerk's office. If a search is done and no record is found, you still owe the search fee equal to the certificate fee, and it is not refunded. The state fee through DSHS is slightly lower at $20 for the first copy.

Access rules come from Texas Government Code Section 552.115. Death records are restricted for 25 years after the date of death. After that, they are public. All requesters need valid photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID page lists accepted documents. Making a false statement to get a death certificate is a felony under Texas law and can lead to prison time and heavy fines.

Verification letters are a lighter alternative when you only need to confirm that a death is on record. A verification shows the name, date of death, and county. It is not a substitute for a certified copy but can be useful for certain administrative purposes.

The DSHS Order Records Locally directory lists the Moore County Clerk's contact details alongside every other local vital records office in Texas.

Use this directory to confirm the Moore County Clerk's current address and phone number before submitting a records request.

Genealogy and Historical Research in Moore County

Moore County death records go back to 1903 when Texas started mandatory statewide vital records registration. The county is in the Texas Panhandle and has a history tied to ranching and agriculture. The death index covers all registered deaths from 1903 forward. For family history work, online indexes are a good first step before requesting certified copies.

The FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers deaths statewide from 1903 to 2000. It is free to search. Ancestry's Texas Death Index covers the same period and includes the name, death county, date, and certificate number. These tools help you find a certificate number before contacting the clerk. The Texas State Library and Archives has microfilmed death indexes from 1903 to 1973 available for in-person research. The Library of Congress guide to Texas vital records explains the full system and how to search across multiple sources.

Cities in Moore County

Dumas is the county seat and largest city in Moore County. All death records for events in Moore County are filed with the County Clerk in Dumas. No cities in Moore County meet the qualifying population threshold for a separate city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Moore County. If you are not sure which county a death was registered in, the Moore County Clerk's office can help.

Hutchinson County • Potter County • Oldham County • Hartley County • Sherman County • Hansford County