Wichita County Death Index

Wichita County death records are kept at the County Clerk's office in Wichita Falls, and the death index covers all deaths registered in the county from 1903 to the present. You can search the Wichita County death index and get certified copies in person at the courthouse, by mail, or through the Texas Vital Records online system. This page covers how to request Wichita County death certificates, what they cost, and who can access them under Texas law.

Wichita County Clerk Vital Records

The Wichita County Clerk in Wichita Falls handles vital records for the county, including the death index and certified death certificates. Wichita Falls is the largest city in North Texas outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, which means the county clerk processes a significant number of death records each year. Staff can search by the name of the deceased and the approximate date of death and issue certified copies on the spot for in-person requests. You must show a valid government-issued photo ID to get records less than 25 years old, as required by Texas Government Code Section 552.115.

The Wichita County Clerk's office is at the county courthouse in Wichita Falls. Office hours are typically Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Wichita Falls also has the Wichita Falls city vital records office, which handles birth and death records for events that occurred within the city. If a death happened within Wichita Falls city limits, either office may be able to assist, depending on the time period. For most requests, the county clerk is the primary source.

The fee at the Wichita County Clerk is $21.00 for the first certified copy of a death certificate and $4.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. State DSHS orders cost $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 each for additional copies. County-level copies are typically faster for local residents. State orders take about 20-25 business days through the Austin office.

Note: The City of Wichita Falls maintains its own application process for some vital records. Check both the county clerk and the city office if you have trouble locating a specific record.

The Wichita Falls Birth/Death Record application page provides the city's form for requesting vital records for events registered within Wichita Falls city limits.

If the death occurred within Wichita Falls, this city office may have the record in addition to the Wichita County Clerk.

How to Get a Wichita County Death Certificate

Going to the Wichita County Clerk's office in person is the fastest way to get a death certificate. Bring your photo ID, complete a request form at the office, and pay the fee. The clerk can usually issue the certificate the same day for records that are in the system. This is the most direct route for residents of Wichita Falls and surrounding communities.

Mail requests are also accepted. Download and fill out the VS-142 Death Certificate Application from DSHS. Include a copy of your photo ID and a check or money order payable to the Wichita County Clerk. Mail the full packet to the courthouse in Wichita Falls. Check every field on the form before sending. Incomplete applications will be returned and will delay your request.

Online orders through the Texas.gov vital records portal connect to the DSHS system in Austin. This option works well for out-of-state requesters or people who prefer to handle everything online. Processing takes about 20-25 business days. The DSHS Order Records Locally page includes Wichita County as a local office for direct requests.

Who Can Access Wichita County Death Records

Texas law restricts certified copies of death records to qualified applicants for 25 years from the date of death. A qualified applicant is an immediate family member: spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. Legal representatives with proper documentation also qualify. After 25 years, the record becomes public and anyone with valid ID can request it. This rule applies to both the Wichita County Clerk and the city vital records office in Wichita Falls.

All requesters must show valid government-issued photo ID. The DSHS acceptable ID list details what forms are accepted. Submitting false information on a vital records application is a felony under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 195, with penalties of 2-10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. The clerk documents the requester's identity for every transaction.

Wichita County Historical Death Index

Wichita County death records date back to 1903. The free FamilySearch Texas Death Index covers 1903 to 2000. Ancestry's Texas Death Index spans the same range. Both are index-only databases, useful for confirming a record before ordering the certified copy. The Texas State Library in Austin holds statewide death index microfilms from 1903 to 1973. The Library of Congress Texas vital records guide is a helpful reference for anyone new to Texas genealogy research. Wichita Falls was a major oil-boom city in the early 20th century, and the county's older death records reflect that period's population growth and community diversity.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit is the statewide authority for death records, setting the standards that the Wichita County Clerk follows for all certificate requests.

DSHS rules apply to every death certificate request in Wichita County, from fees to eligibility to processing timelines.

Cities in Wichita County

Wichita County includes Wichita Falls and several smaller communities. Wichita Falls is a qualifying city with its own dedicated page on this site.

Other communities in Wichita County include Burkburnett, Iowa Park, and Electra. Death records for all communities go through the Wichita County Clerk in Wichita Falls.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Wichita County. If you are not sure where a death was registered, check with the neighboring county clerk.

Wilbarger County • Clay County • Montague County • Archer County