Search Navarro County Death Index

The Navarro County death index is maintained by the County Clerk in Corsicana, where certified death certificates can be requested in person, by mail, or through the Texas Vital Records online system. Records for Navarro County go back to 1903 as part of the statewide death registration system run by Texas DSHS. This page covers how to search the Navarro County death index, what it costs, and who can access restricted records.

Navarro County Clerk and Vital Records

The Navarro County Clerk in Corsicana is the local registrar for death records in the county. The clerk's office holds certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Navarro County going back to 1903. Staff can search the death index by name and date of death, and issue certified copies to qualified requesters. A valid government-issued photo ID is required for every request. The office is open Monday through Friday during regular courthouse hours.

Death records in Navarro County are also kept on file with the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit in Austin, which serves as the statewide repository. County records and state records are copies of the same underlying filings. Either office can issue a certified copy. For people in or near Corsicana, going directly to the county clerk is typically faster than ordering through the state, especially for in-person requests.

Mail requests to the Navarro County Clerk should include a completed VS-142 application, a copy of your photo ID, and the correct fee as a check or money order payable to the Navarro County Clerk. Mail turnaround times vary. State mail-in orders from Austin typically take 25 to 30 business days. County office times may differ depending on current request volume.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics page explains the statewide rules for obtaining certified death certificates, which apply to the Navarro County Clerk's office in Corsicana as well.

Every county clerk in Texas, including Navarro County, follows the same state fee structure and access rules set by DSHS.

Death Record Fees in Navarro County

The Navarro County Clerk charges $21.00 for the first certified copy of a death certificate. Each additional copy of the same record, ordered at the same time, is $4.00. These fees are set by state law and apply uniformly across all Texas county clerk offices. The cost covers a search fee, a certification charge, and a vital records archive fee under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 191.0045.

If you order from the state DSHS office in Austin, the fee is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 per additional copy. The state route costs slightly less but takes longer since orders are mailed from Austin. For most requests tied to Navarro County deaths, the county clerk is the more practical choice for speed. Online ordering through Texas.gov routes to the state office in Austin, not the county.

Note: A search fee equal to the certificate fee applies any time a search is conducted and no record is found. This fee is not refunded regardless of the outcome.

Who Can Get Navarro County Death Records

Texas law restricts access to death records that are less than 25 years old. Only immediate family members of the deceased can get certified copies during that window. Immediate family means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the person on the record. Legal representatives with proper documentation can also request records. All requesters must show a valid government-issued photo ID.

Death records that are 25 years old or older are public information. Anyone can request a certified copy after that anniversary date. The rule is found in Texas Government Code Section 552.115. The same confidentiality rules apply at the county level as at the state level, confirmed by Texas Attorney General Opinion H-115 (1973) and Open Records Decision No. 307 (1982). Even for public records, a valid ID is still required at the time of the request.

Making a false statement to obtain a death certificate is a felony offense. Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195, Section 195.003, penalties include 2 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. The clerk records the identity of every requester. This applies equally at the Navarro County Clerk's office and at the state office in Austin.

Searching Navarro County Historical Death Records

Navarro County death records from 1903 to 2000 are indexed in two free databases. FamilySearch's Texas Death Index provides name, county, date, and certificate number at no cost. Ancestry's Texas Death Index covers the same time frame and includes some images for deaths from 1903 to 1963 and from 1999 to 2000. Both are useful starting points for narrowing down what you need before requesting a certified copy from the county.

For deaths from 1903 to 1973, the Texas State Library and Archives holds printed and microfilmed indexes that are open to the public. The statewide index is organized alphabetically within broad time periods: 1903 to 1940, 1940 to 1945, 1946 to 1955, then annually through 1973. This structure means older searches may require checking more than one index period. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains the full index structure for new researchers.

The DSHS Order Records Locally directory lists the Navarro County Clerk's contact information alongside all other Texas county offices that issue certified death certificates.

The directory is a useful reference if you need to contact the Navarro County Clerk directly or compare local and state options before ordering.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Navarro County. Check the death certificate address or contact the county clerk if you are not sure which county filed the record.

Ellis County • Henderson County • Freestone County • Limestone County • Hill County • Kaufman County