San Jacinto County Death Index

San Jacinto County death records are filed with the County Clerk in Coldspring and are part of the Texas statewide death index that goes back to 1903. If you need to search for a death record or get a certified death certificate for someone who died in San Jacinto County, the county clerk is your local point of contact.

San Jacinto County Clerk and Death Certificates

The San Jacinto County Clerk's office in Coldspring handles vital records for the county. The office is at the San Jacinto County Courthouse, 1 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331. You can call the clerk at (936) 653-2324. Hours are Monday through Friday during standard courthouse hours. The clerk can search death records by name and issue certified copies of death certificates for events that occurred in San Jacinto County.

San Jacinto County is located in east Texas, northwest of Houston. The county is part of the greater Houston metro area influence zone, which means many residents work in the Houston area but live in this county. When a death occurs at a hospital or facility in Harris County or another nearby county, the death record is filed in that county, not San Jacinto. Always check where the actual death took place before deciding which clerk to contact.

Certified copy fees follow state rules. The first copy is $21.00. Extra copies of the same record ordered together are $4.00 each. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID for in-person requests. Mail requests must include a copy of your ID and the fee as a check or money order payable to the San Jacinto County Clerk.

Note: San Jacinto County's lake communities attract retirees, so deaths in areas around Lake Livingston may involve records in both San Jacinto and Polk counties depending on the exact location.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office sets the rules on fees, ID requirements, and access restrictions that San Jacinto County and all other Texas counties follow when issuing death certificates.

State rules govern every San Jacinto County death record request at the county level and through the state office in Austin.

How to Get San Jacinto County Death Records

In person at the courthouse in Coldspring is the fastest method. Bring your photo ID and the $21.00 fee. The clerk can search the death index by name and date of death and issue a certified copy the same day if the record is on file.

Mail requests are also accepted. Complete the VS-142 Death Certificate Application. Include a copy of your government-issued photo ID and the fee as a check or money order payable to the San Jacinto County Clerk. Send to 1 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331. Allow several business days after receipt for processing.

The state online ordering system at txapps.texas.gov processes orders through DSHS for $20.00 per copy. State orders are mailed from Austin and take 20 to 25 business days. To search the death index for free, check FamilySearch and Ancestry, both of which have Texas death index data from 1903 to 2000.

Access Rules for San Jacinto County Death Records

Texas law under Government Code Section 552.115 restricts death records for 25 years. During that window, only an immediate family member can get a certified copy. Immediate family includes a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. A legal representative with valid documentation showing their authority can also request. After 25 years, the record becomes public and is available to anyone.

All requests require valid photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID list outlines what forms the clerk accepts. Knowingly providing false information to obtain a death certificate is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195. Penalties include prison time and fines up to $10,000. The clerk keeps records of every transaction.

Historical Death Records in San Jacinto County

San Jacinto County death records go back to 1903 as part of the Texas statewide system. For family history research, the county's records document generations of residents in this part of east Texas. Free indexes on FamilySearch and Ancestry let you search the Texas death index through 2000 at no cost, which helps you confirm a record exists before ordering a certified copy from the clerk.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission holds the statewide death index through 1973. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the index is structured by time period, which can help when searching for older entries. Early records from San Jacinto County may have some gaps from the early decades of statewide registration.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists San Jacinto County among the local Texas county offices where you can get a certified death certificate in person or by mail.

San Jacinto County residents can get certified copies from the Coldspring clerk without ordering through the state office in Austin.

Cities in San Jacinto County

San Jacinto County includes Coldspring, Shepherd, and several smaller communities. All death records for events in the county are filed through the San Jacinto County Clerk in Coldspring. No cities in this county meet the qualifying population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties border San Jacinto County. If you are not sure which county handles a death record, check where the death actually occurred.

Harris County • Liberty County • Montgomery County • Polk County • Walker County