Nacogdoches County Death Index

Nacogdoches County death records are filed with the County Clerk in the city of Nacogdoches, where certified copies of death certificates can be obtained in person, by mail, or through the Texas Vital Records online portal. The death index for Nacogdoches County covers events from 1903 to the present and is part of the statewide system maintained by the Texas Department of State Health Services. If you need to search the Nacogdoches County death index or get a certified copy, this page explains where to go, what to bring, and what it will cost.

Nacogdoches County Clerk Death Records

The Nacogdoches County Clerk handles vital records for the county, including certified copies of death certificates. The clerk's office is at the Nacogdoches County Courthouse in Nacogdoches, Texas. Staff there can search the death index by name and approximate date of death. You must bring a valid government-issued photo ID to request any record. The office is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. For current hours and contact details, check the county's official website.

Death records filed in Nacogdoches County go back to 1903, when Texas began mandatory statewide registration of births and deaths. The county clerk serves as the local registrar, and copies of those records are also held by the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit in Austin. You can get a certified death certificate from either the county clerk in Nacogdoches or by ordering directly from the state. Both issue the same legally certified copy. The county is generally faster for in-person requests.

Mail requests go to the Nacogdoches County Clerk at the courthouse address. Include the completed VS-142 death certificate application form, a copy of your photo ID, and the fee as a check or money order. Processing times for mail requests vary by volume at the office. The state's mail-in processing time from Austin runs 25 to 30 business days on average.

Note: If the death occurred within city limits of Nacogdoches, those records are still filed through the county clerk, not a separate city office.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office sets the rules, fees, and forms that all county clerks in Texas follow when issuing death certificates.

All Nacogdoches County death certificate requests follow the same state rules and fee schedule set by DSHS.

Death Certificate Fees in Nacogdoches County

The fee for a certified death certificate from the Nacogdoches County Clerk is $21.00 for the first copy. Each extra copy of the same record, ordered at the same time, costs $4.00. These amounts are set by Texas law and apply at all county clerk offices statewide. The fee covers a search charge, a certification charge, and a vital records archive fee.

If you order through the state DSHS office in Austin instead, the fee is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy. The state rate is slightly lower, but state orders are mailed from Austin and take longer. For most people in Nacogdoches County, the county route is more practical when speed matters.

If the clerk searches the death index and does not find a record, a search fee equal to the certificate fee is still charged. That fee is not refunded. This applies whether you go in person, by mail, or order through the state. Plan accordingly if you are not certain a record exists in the Nacogdoches County death index.

Who Can Access Nacogdoches County Death Records

Texas restricts access to death records less than 25 years old. During that window, only qualified applicants can get certified copies. A qualified applicant is an immediate family member: spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the person on the record. Legal representatives and guardians with proper documentation also qualify.

After 25 years from the date of death, the record becomes public information and anyone can request a copy. This rule comes from Texas Government Code Section 552.115. The 25-year clock starts from the date of death as shown on the filed record, not the date of the request. All requesters must still present valid government-issued ID regardless of the record's age. The DSHS acceptable ID list shows what forms are accepted at county offices.

Making a false statement to obtain a death certificate is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195. Penalties include 2 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. The Nacogdoches County Clerk records the identity of every requester at the time of each transaction.

How to Search Nacogdoches County Death Records

In-person requests are the fastest way to get a death certificate from the Nacogdoches County Clerk. Go to the courthouse in Nacogdoches, bring your government-issued ID and the fee, and the clerk can search the death index and issue a certified copy while you wait in most cases. You will need the full name of the deceased and an approximate date of death to help the clerk locate the record.

For online searches of historical records, FamilySearch's Texas Death Index covers deaths from 1903 to 2000 at no cost. Ancestry's Texas Death Index covers a similar range and includes index data such as name, county, date, and certificate number. These databases help narrow down what you are looking for before you request a certified copy from the county. They are indexes only and not legal substitutes for certified certificates.

The Texas State Library and Archives holds death record indexes from 1903 to 1973 that are available for public research. These can be useful for genealogy work when records are older or when you are not certain of the exact county where a death was filed. The Library of Congress also maintains a Texas vital records research guide that explains the statewide system for new researchers.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists all Texas county offices that issue death certificates, including the Nacogdoches County Clerk's office and contact information.

Nacogdoches County is one of the local offices where you can obtain a certified death certificate without ordering through the state office in Austin.

Historical Death Records in Nacogdoches County

Nacogdoches County has one of the longer records histories in East Texas, and the death index goes back to the beginning of mandatory state registration in 1903. For genealogy researchers, this means a solid base of records covering well over a century. The county seat of Nacogdoches is one of the oldest towns in Texas, which adds depth to local historical records that goes beyond the standard death index. Older death certificates from this region often include cause of death, place of birth, and the names of the deceased's parents, all of which can be valuable for family history work.

For deaths before 1903, local church records, cemetery registers, and county probate files can help fill gaps. The Texas State Library in Austin holds index records covering 1903 to 1973, and those are open to the public for research. Beyond the index, a certified copy from the Nacogdoches County Clerk provides the full original record with all fields filled in, which is often what researchers need for a complete picture.

Note: The statewide death index is alphabetical within broad time periods: 1903 to 1940, 1940 to 1945, 1946 to 1955, then annually from 1956 to 1973. Keep those groupings in mind when searching older records.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Nacogdoches County. If you are unsure which county a death was registered in, check the address on the death certificate or contact the clerk's office for guidance.

Shelby County • Sabine County • San Augustine County • Angelina County • Cherokee County • Rusk County • Panola County