Search Randall County Death Index

Randall County death records are filed with the County Clerk in Canyon, Texas. The Randall County death index covers deaths registered in the county from 1903 to the present. This page covers how to search the Randall County death index, request certified copies, understand access rules, and find historical records.

Randall County Clerk and Death Records

The Randall County Clerk in Canyon serves as the local registrar for all deaths that occur within the county. The clerk holds and maintains the Randall County death index from 1903 forward. If you need a certified copy of a death certificate, you can request it in person at the courthouse in Canyon, send a mail request, or use the state online ordering system. The clerk's office can search the index and issue certified copies for records on file.

Randall County is part of the Amarillo metropolitan area in the Texas Panhandle. Deaths that occur in the southern part of Amarillo may be registered in Randall County rather than Potter County, depending on where the death took place. If you are not sure which county holds the record you need, start with the Randall County Clerk and they can direct you if the record is elsewhere. The city of Canyon is the county seat, and that is where all vital records requests are processed.

For in-person requests, go to the Randall County Clerk's office at the courthouse in Canyon. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. The clerk will search the index and issue a certified copy while you wait in most cases. For mail requests, complete the VS-142 Death Certificate Application from DSHS, attach a copy of your ID, include a money order or check payable to the Randall County Clerk, and mail the full packet to the courthouse in Canyon.

Note: Randall County may also have jurisdiction for some Amarillo deaths. If a record is not found in Randall County, try Potter County, which covers the northern portion of the Amarillo city area.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit sets the standards that all Texas county clerks follow, including the Randall County Clerk in Canyon, when issuing certified death certificates.

All Randall County death certificate requests are subject to the same state fee schedule and access rules as every other county in Texas.

Death Record Fees and Access Rules

The fee for a certified death certificate in Randall County is $21.00 for the first copy. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4.00. This is the standard county fee set under Texas Health and Safety Code. If you order through the DSHS state office in Austin, the fee is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 per additional copy. County and state copies are both certified and legally equivalent.

Texas restricts access to death records less than 25 years old. Only a qualified applicant can request a certified copy during that window. Qualified applicants include the immediate family of the person named on the record. That means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. A legal representative with proper documentation can also make the request. Once 25 years have passed from the date of death, the record is public under Texas Government Code Section 552.115, and anyone can request a copy with valid ID.

Every requester must show government-issued photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID list covers all the options. A Texas driver's license or state ID works. So do a U.S. passport, military ID, or license to carry. If you lack a primary ID, you may combine secondary documents. Review the list before your visit.

Falsifying an application to get a death certificate is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195. The penalty is two to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The clerk records the requester's identity on every transaction.

Ways to Get a Randall County Death Certificate

You can get a certified Randall County death certificate three ways. In person is the fastest. Go to the Randall County Clerk at the Canyon courthouse, bring your ID and the fee, and the clerk can often issue the record the same day. This is the best option if you need the document quickly.

Mail requests are the right choice if you cannot go to Canyon in person. Download the VS-142 form from DSHS, complete it fully, include a copy of your photo ID, and send a money order or check payable to the Randall County Clerk. Mail the packet to the clerk at the Randall County Courthouse in Canyon, TX. Incomplete applications are returned without processing. Double-check all required fields before mailing.

Online ordering through Texas.gov is a third option. Online orders connect to the DSHS statewide system in Austin and are processed and mailed to you. Current average processing times are 20 to 25 business days for online orders and 25 to 30 days for mail orders. These times do not include shipping. If you need the record faster, the county clerk in Canyon is the better option.

The Ancestry Texas Death Index covers over 7 million deaths statewide from 1903 to 2000, including Randall County records, and is useful for genealogy research before you request a certified copy.

Index entries show the name, death county, date, and certificate number, which you can use to request the full record from the Randall County Clerk.

Historical Records and Genealogy Research

Randall County death records go back to 1903. For historical and genealogy research, free online indexes are worth checking before requesting certified copies. The FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers 1903 to 2000 and is free to use. It provides name, death county, date, and certificate number. Once you find a match, you can use that information to request the original record from the Randall County Clerk or from DSHS in Austin.

For deaths that occurred after 2000 or for records not found online, contact the Randall County Clerk directly. The Texas State Library and Archives in Austin also holds microfilm indexes to Texas death records from 1903 to 1973. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how to use these resources and how the statewide index is organized.

Cities in Randall County

Randall County includes Canyon and communities in the southern Amarillo area. The city of Amarillo spans both Randall and Potter counties. Death records for events in the Randall County portion of Amarillo are handled by the Randall County Clerk in Canyon.

Nearby Counties

Randall County is in the Texas Panhandle. These counties border or sit near Randall County. If a record is not found in Randall County, check the neighboring county where the death may have occurred.

Armstrong County • Briscoe County • Castro County • Deaf Smith County • Parmer County • Donley County