Search Starr County Death Index
Starr County death records are maintained by the County Clerk in Rio Grande City and are included in the Texas statewide death index going back to 1903. To find a death record or request a certified death certificate for a death that occurred in Starr County, you can contact the clerk's office, send a mail request, or use the Texas online ordering system.
Starr County Overview
Starr County Clerk and Death Records
The Starr County Clerk's office in Rio Grande City serves as the local registrar for vital records, including certified death certificates. The office is at the Starr County Courthouse, 401 N. Britton Ave., Rio Grande City, TX 78582. The main phone number for the clerk is (956) 716-4800. Office hours are Monday through Friday during courthouse hours. Staff can search by the decedent's name and help you understand what is needed to request a copy.
Starr County is located along the Rio Grande in the southern tip of Texas, bordering Mexico. The county has a significant population for its geographic area, making it one of the more active vital records offices in the Rio Grande Valley region. The death index here covers all deaths registered in Starr County since 1903, and records are maintained both at the county level and at the Texas DSHS office in Austin. Both locations hold copies of the same records.
Fees at the county clerk are set by Texas law. The first certified copy of a death certificate costs $21.00. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4.00. You must show valid government-issued photo ID when picking up records in person. For mail requests, include a photocopy of your ID and the fee as a money order or check payable to the Starr County Clerk. No fee is returned if a search is done and no record is found.
The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit in Austin sets the statewide rules and fee schedule that apply to all county clerks, including the Starr County Clerk in Rio Grande City.
Every Starr County death certificate request follows the same state rules whether you go through the county or order directly from DSHS.
How to Search Starr County Death Records
In-person requests at the Starr County Courthouse in Rio Grande City are the most direct option. Bring your photo ID and the $21.00 fee. The clerk can search the index by name and date and issue a certified copy while you wait if the record is available.
Mail requests work well for people outside the Rio Grande Valley. Use the VS-142 Death Certificate Application from DSHS. Include a copy of your photo ID, the correct fee as a check or money order made payable to the Starr County Clerk, and mail it to 401 N. Britton Ave., Rio Grande City, TX 78582. Allow several business days for the office to process your request after they receive it.
Online ordering is available through the txapps.texas.gov portal. Orders placed online go through DSHS in Austin. The state fee is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy, with a processing time of roughly 20 to 25 business days. For free index searches, both FamilySearch and Ancestry cover Texas deaths from 1903 to 2000.
Note: Processing times at DSHS in Austin do not include shipping. Mail-in orders may take up to 25 to 30 business days total.
Who Can Access Starr County Death Records
Death records in Texas are restricted for the first 25 years after the date of death. Texas Government Code Section 552.115 limits access to immediate family members during that window. Immediate family includes the deceased person's spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. A legal representative with proper documentation can also request. After 25 years, the record becomes public and anyone can request a copy with valid ID.
All requesters must provide valid government-issued photo ID. See the DSHS acceptable ID list for accepted forms. Knowingly providing false information to get a death certificate is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195. Penalties range from two to ten years in prison and fines up to $10,000. The clerk documents every requester's identity for the official record.
Historical Death Records in Starr County
Starr County's death records date back to 1903 as part of the Texas statewide registration system. The county has a long history tied to both sides of the Rio Grande, and its death index reflects the families and communities that have lived along this stretch of the border. For genealogy researchers, Starr County records can be useful for tracing families with roots in south Texas and northern Mexico. The statewide index is organized in broad time bands: 1903 to 1940, 1940 to 1945, 1946 to 1955, and then annually through 1973, after which the records are filed year by year.
Free Texas death index searches on both FamilySearch and Ancestry cover records from 1903 to 2000. These indexes include the name, death county, date, certificate number, gender, and marital status when available. They help you identify the right record before ordering a certified copy. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin holds the statewide death index through 1973 for in-person research. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide explains the structure of the statewide index for those new to Texas records research.
Early registration compliance in some south Texas counties was inconsistent in the first decades after 1903. If a record is not found in the statewide index, checking directly with the Starr County Clerk or looking at local church records may help fill gaps.
The DSHS Order Records Locally page includes Starr County as a local office where certified death certificates can be obtained without ordering through Austin.
You can request a Starr County death certificate directly from the Rio Grande City clerk's office for faster local service.
Cities in Starr County
Starr County includes Rio Grande City, Roma, and several other communities along the Rio Grande. All death records for events in the county are handled by the Starr County Clerk in Rio Grande City. The qualifying city of McAllen is located in neighboring Hidalgo County and is the nearest major city with a dedicated page on this site. No cities within Starr County itself meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Starr County. If you are unsure which county holds a particular death record, check the location of the death or contact the relevant clerk's office.