Find Death Records in Denton

Denton death records are maintained by the Denton County Clerk, which issues certified copies of death certificates for deaths that occurred within the county. This page covers where to go, how to request records, what fees apply, and what Texas law says about who can access them.

Where to Get Denton Death Records

The Denton County Clerk is the primary office for death records in Denton and throughout the county. The main office is at 1450 E. McKinney Street, Suite 1103, Denton, TX 76209. There is also a branch in Lewisville at 400 North Valley Parkway, Suite 2094, Lewisville, TX 75067, and a branch at 1029 West Rosemeade Parkway in Carrollton.

Phone: 940-349-2012. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM at all locations.

The county clerk's office accepts walk-in requests. Bring a valid photo ID. Texas Senate Bill 16 requires photo ID for all vital records requests. Staff can look up records by name, date of death, and county of death.

The Texas.gov vital records portal lets you order certified copies statewide from any device. Online orders typically arrive within 7 to 14 business days.

The state site connects to the Texas Department of State Health Services, which holds statewide records back to 1903.

How to Get a Certified Copy

You have four options: visit the county clerk in person, order online through Texas.gov or VitalChek, mail in a request, or contact the Texas DSHS directly.

In person is usually the fastest way. Go to any Denton County Clerk location, fill out a request form, show a valid photo ID, and pay the fee. Same-day service is typical for in-person requests made during business hours.

Online through Texas.gov or VitalChek. Both services charge a processing fee on top of the standard certificate fee. Expect 7 to 14 business days for delivery.

By mail, send a completed request form, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and a check or money order payable to "Denton County Clerk" to the main office at 1450 E. McKinney Street, Suite 1103, Denton, TX 76209. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing by mail typically takes 2 to 4 weeks.

Through DSHS directly: DSHS Vital Statistics handles requests that go to the state archive rather than the local county clerk. The DSHS fee is $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy.

No matter which route you use, you need to give the full name of the deceased, the date of death, the county where the death occurred, and your own contact information.

Who Can Request Death Records

Texas restricts death records that are less than 25 years old. These are considered confidential and are only available to immediate family members and a few other qualified people. Records older than 25 years are available to the general public.

Immediate family means the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. Other people with a direct legal need, such as an attorney acting for the estate, may also qualify.

To prove you qualify for a restricted record, you must show both a valid photo ID and documentation of your relationship. This can include a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or court order. Staff at the Denton County Clerk's office can tell you exactly what they need to see before you make the trip.

For records older than 25 years, any person can request a copy without showing a family relationship. You still need to show valid photo ID under Texas SB 16.

Genealogists working with older records have full access. Records from 1903 through roughly the early 2000s are publicly available and can be searched through genealogy databases as well as county records.

Fees and Payment

The standard fee for a certified death certificate in Texas is $21 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy requested at the same time. These fees apply at the Denton County Clerk's office.

If you order through the Texas DSHS, the fee is $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy. Expedited processing through DSHS costs $25. Online service providers like VitalChek add a service fee on top of these amounts.

The county clerk accepts cash, check, and major credit cards at the counter. Mail requests require a check or money order. Do not send cash by mail.

If you need more than one copy, order them all at once. The cost per copy drops with each additional one. Getting three copies at one time is much cheaper than ordering them one at a time on three separate occasions.

Texas Law and Death Records

Texas death records are governed by Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 191. This law sets out who can access records, how long the 25-year restriction lasts, and what information must be included on a death certificate.

Death investigations in Texas follow Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 49, which covers the role of justices of the peace and medical examiners. Denton County has a Medical Examiner's office that handles deaths requiring investigation.

The registration rules for vital events, including death, are set out in 25 TAC 181.31. These rules apply to all county clerks and local registrars in Texas. Deaths must be registered within 10 days of the event and before burial or cremation.

Texas uses the TxEVER system (Texas Electronic Vital Events Registrar) to register and manage all vital records statewide. When a death is registered through TxEVER, the record becomes available at both the state and county level. This is why the same record can often be ordered from either the county clerk or the DSHS.

Historical and Genealogy Records

Denton County death records go back to 1903. Older records can be harder to find than recent ones because indexing and digitization have not covered every year equally. Several resources can help.

FamilySearch has a large collection of digitized Texas vital records available at no cost. The site includes death certificates, indexes, and some digitized images of original documents. FamilySearch is run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is free to use.

Ancestry.com also has Texas death records going back to the early 1900s. An Ancestry subscription is required. The site has good search tools for partial name searches and approximate dates.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) holds historical records for the entire state. Their genealogy resources include microfilmed death records and guides to finding older vital records. TSLAC materials can be searched online and viewed at their Austin facility.

The Denton Public Library also holds local history materials that may help with genealogy research. City directories, old newspapers, and cemetery records can fill in gaps when official death records are not available for a particular year.

Nearby Cities

Other cities in the area with death records pages: Fort Worth, Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, Lewisville, Carrollton.

County Resources

For county-level records, see the Denton County records page.