Schleicher County Death Index

Schleicher County death records are maintained by the County Clerk in Eldorado and are part of the Texas statewide death index going back to 1903. To find a death record or request a certified death certificate for someone who died in Schleicher County, contact the county clerk directly, submit a mail request, or order through the state online system.

Schleicher County Clerk and Death Records

The Schleicher County Clerk in Eldorado handles vital records for the county, including certified death certificates. The office is at the Schleicher County Courthouse, 101 N. Central, Eldorado, TX 76936. You can reach the clerk at (325) 853-2833. The office is open Monday through Friday during courthouse hours. Staff can help you request a certified copy or confirm whether a record is on file.

Schleicher County is a remote, sparsely populated county in west Texas. It is one of the smallest counties in the state by population. The low volume of annual deaths means the death index here is a relatively small set of records, but all of them are part of the Texas statewide system. If a record is not found at the county level, the state office in Austin may have the same record since DSHS maintains copies of all county filings.

Fees follow state standards. The first certified copy costs $21.00. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4.00. Bring valid photo ID for in-person requests. Mail requests need a copy of your ID and the fee as a check or money order payable to the Schleicher County Clerk. No refund is issued if a search is conducted and no record is found.

Note: For some of the most remote Texas counties, calling ahead before a visit is especially important since hours and staff availability can vary.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office sets the statewide rules on fees, ID requirements, and access restrictions that Schleicher County follows when processing death certificate requests.

All Schleicher County death certificate requests at the local level follow the same state standards as requests made through DSHS in Austin.

How to Search Schleicher County Death Records

In-person visits to the Schleicher County Courthouse in Eldorado are the most direct way to get a certified death certificate. Bring your photo ID and the $21.00 fee. The clerk can search by name and date and issue a copy while you wait if the record is available.

Mail requests are a practical option for those who cannot make the trip to Eldorado. Use the VS-142 Death Certificate Application from DSHS. Include a copy of your photo ID and a check or money order payable to the Schleicher County Clerk. Send to 101 N. Central, Eldorado, TX 76936. Allow a few business days for processing after the office receives your packet.

Online ordering is available through txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS state fee is $20.00 for the first copy, with orders mailed from Austin in 20 to 25 business days. Free index searches are available on FamilySearch and Ancestry for Texas deaths from 1903 to 2000.

Who Can Access Schleicher County Death Records

Under Texas Government Code Section 552.115, death records are restricted for the first 25 years after the death. Only an immediate family member can request a certified copy during that window. That includes a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A legal representative with documentation of their authority can also request. After 25 years, the record is public and available to anyone.

All requesters must provide valid government-issued photo ID. See the DSHS acceptable ID list for accepted forms. Providing false information to obtain a death certificate is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195, with penalties including prison time and fines up to $10,000.

Historical Death Records in Schleicher County

Schleicher County death records go back to 1903 as part of the Texas statewide system. For genealogy research, the county's records document families from this remote part of the Texas Edwards Plateau. The small number of records per year can actually make searching easier since there are fewer entries to sort through. Free Texas death index searches on FamilySearch and Ancestry cover 1903 to 2000 and are a good starting point.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission holds the statewide death index through 1973, available for public research in Austin. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains how the index is structured by time period. Early Schleicher County records may have some gaps from the first decades of statewide registration since rural reporting compliance was lower in remote areas.

Note: If a record for an early death in Schleicher County is not found in the statewide index, it may never have been registered, or it may be in a paper-only format at the county courthouse that has not been digitized.

The DSHS Order Records Locally page lists Schleicher County among the Texas county offices that can issue certified death certificates without going through the state office.

You can request a Schleicher County death certificate from the Eldorado clerk directly rather than ordering through Austin.

Cities in Schleicher County

Schleicher County has one main community, Eldorado, along with a few rural unincorporated areas. All death records for events in the county go through the Schleicher County Clerk in Eldorado. No cities in this county meet the qualifying population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Schleicher County. If you need to determine which county holds a death record, check where the death occurred.

Coke County • Concho County • Edwards County • Kimble County • Menard County • Sutton County • Tom Green County