Fisher County Death Records

Fisher County death records are maintained by the County Clerk in Roby and by the Texas Department of State Health Services, which holds a statewide archive of all Texas death certificates filed since 1903 and accepts online requests through the Texas.gov portal.

Fisher County Clerk Office

Fisher County is a small, rural county in West Texas. The County Clerk's office in Roby handles death records for all deaths that occurred within county boundaries. Roby sits in the rolling plains between Abilene and Lubbock, and the county's small population means the clerk's office operates with limited staff. Calling ahead before visiting is strongly recommended, particularly if you are requesting older records from archive storage.

In-person requests are handled at 112 N. Concho Street during regular business hours. Bring a valid photo ID and the $21 fee. For recent deaths, same-day service is typically available. For records going back several decades, allow some extra time for staff to retrieve the files.

Mail requests are also accepted. Send a written request with the deceased's full name, date of death, your relationship to them, a copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for the fee payable to the Fisher County Clerk. Include your return mailing address. Processing by mail is generally five to ten business days, plus mail delivery time.

Getting a Certified Death Certificate

Certified death certificates for deaths in Fisher County can be obtained three ways. Given the county's remote location, state-level ordering is often the most practical choice for people outside the immediate area.

In person: Visit the Fisher County Clerk at 112 N. Concho Street in Roby. Bring photo ID and payment. Same-day service for most current records.

By mail: Write to the clerk in Roby with all required details and a check or money order. Allow two weeks for the complete request-and-return process.

Through DSHS: Texas DSHS Vital Statistics handles statewide requests by mail, in person in Austin, or online through the Texas.gov vital records portal. VitalChek is an authorized state partner for online orders.

The Texas.gov vital records portal lets you order certified death certificates online from anywhere in the state.

Online orders are processed by the state and typically arrive within 7 to 14 business days.

Who Can Request Death Records

Texas restricts access to death certificates for deaths that occurred within the past 25 years. Records older than 25 years are public, open to anyone. No relationship to the deceased is required for older records.

For deaths within the 25-year restricted period, only eligible people can receive certified copies. Eligible requestors include the spouse, parent, child, adult sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. Attorneys with written authorization from a qualifying family member may also request records. Valid photo ID is required. DSHS lists acceptable ID types that apply at both state and county offices.

Informational copies, which are labeled "not for legal use," are available to a broader audience. These can't be used to settle an estate or make a legal claim, but they work fine for genealogy and personal research. Let the clerk's office know what you need the record for before paying, so they can confirm whether a certified or informational copy is the right choice.

Courts, government agencies, law enforcement, and medical professionals have separate administrative access pathways that are not subject to the standard public restrictions.

Fees and Payment

Fisher County charges $21 for the first certified copy of a death certificate and $4 for each additional copy in the same order. These fees are mandated by Texas state law and are consistent across all county clerk offices in Texas.

In-person payment at the Roby courthouse can be made by cash, check, or money order. Confirm whether credit cards are accepted by calling (325) 776-2401 before your visit. Mail requests require a check or money order payable to the Fisher County Clerk only. Do not send cash by mail.

State DSHS fees are $20 for the first copy and $3 per additional copy. Online orders through the Texas.gov portal or VitalChek carry a service fee of $10 to $12. Optional expedited shipping adds more cost. A standard single online order through the state runs about $30 to $35 total.

If you need multiple certified copies, order them all at once. The additional copy rate of $4 per copy is far more economical than returning to place separate orders at $21 each time. Estate, insurance, and probate processes often require four to six separate certified copies, so planning ahead pays off.

Texas Law and Death Record Requirements

Texas death record requirements are set out in Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 191. This law defines who must file a death certificate, what information it must contain, the deadline for filing, and who may access the records.

A death certificate must be filed within ten days of death. The funeral director or person handling disposition files the certificate with the local registrar. The attending physician or, for unnatural deaths, the justice of the peace or medical examiner certifies the cause and manner of death. Unnatural deaths are subject to the requirements of Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 49.

Texas processes all vital records through the TxEVER electronic platform, which connects funeral homes, hospitals, medical examiners, county clerks, and DSHS in a single statewide digital network. This system handles the workflow from initial filing through statewide archiving, making records available faster than older paper-based systems.

Administrative rules for vital records are published in Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Chapter 181. These rules cover data standards, amendment processes, and authorized uses of vital records at both the county and state levels.

Historical Death Records and Genealogy

Fisher County death records in the state system go back to 1903. For genealogy research, several tools are available that cover the county's history in the rolling plains region of West Texas.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) holds statewide death indexes and microfilm collections covering Fisher County. TSLAC resources are available in person in Austin and through digital finding aids online. This is a reliable source for historical Texas death records going back to the early twentieth century.

FamilySearch provides free access to Texas death records including indexed certificates and scanned images. Fisher County records are included in the statewide Texas collections on FamilySearch. It is a good free first step for any genealogy search before spending money on certified copies.

Ancestry.com has Texas death data including Social Security Death Index entries, newspaper obituaries, and digitized certificates. A subscription is required for full image access. Many Texas public libraries offer free Ancestry access. Check with libraries in Roby or nearby Sweetwater or Abilene for availability.

Local church records, cemetery transcriptions, and old Fisher County newspapers are useful supplements to official records, especially for deaths before 1903 or for families with limited documentation in state archives. Community historical groups in the Roby area may hold materials not available through national databases.

State-Level Death Record Requests

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section is the central repository for all Texas death records since 1903. For remote counties like Fisher, the state office is often the most practical way to request death records, especially for people who don't live near Roby.

DSHS accepts requests by mail at P.O. Box 12040, Austin TX 78711-2040. In-person service is at 1100 W. 49th St., Austin TX 78756. Phone support is at (888) 963-7111. Standard processing is 10 to 15 business days. Rush and expedited shipping options are available for an added cost.

Online orders can be placed through the Texas.gov vital records portal or through VitalChek. Both produce official certified copies. VitalChek is DSHS-authorized and fully legitimate. Both accept major credit cards and track order status.

A key benefit of going through DSHS for Fisher County records is the statewide name search capability. If you are not certain the death occurred in Fisher County specifically, DSHS can search across the entire state database by name. This is valuable for families researching members who may have died in a neighboring county or moved later in life.

Cities in Fisher County

Fisher County's county seat is Roby. Rotan is another community in the county. Neither Roby nor Rotan comes close to the 100,000-population threshold for individual city pages on this site. All Fisher County residents use the county clerk in Roby or the state DSHS office to request death records.

Nearby Counties

For deaths in surrounding counties, contact those clerk offices: Stonewall County, Haskell County, Jones County, Nolan County, Scurry County, Kent County.