Access Foard County Death Records

Foard County death records are maintained by the County Clerk in Crowell and by the Texas Department of State Health Services, which holds a statewide archive of all Texas death certificates since 1903 and provides online ordering for those outside the local area.

Foard County Clerk Office

Foard County is one of Texas's least-populated counties, located in North Texas near the Red River. The County Clerk's office in Crowell maintains death records for all deaths that occurred within the county. With a very small staff, the office handles records requests along with all other county administrative duties. Calling ahead before visiting is strongly recommended, especially for older records that may require advance retrieval from storage.

In-person requests are handled at 101 S. Main Street during business hours. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and payment for the fee. For recent death records, same-day service is available in most cases. Older records may take additional time to locate, particularly those from the mid-twentieth century or earlier.

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

Getting a Certified Death Certificate

Certified death certificates for Foard County deaths can be obtained through the county clerk, the state DSHS office, or an authorized online ordering service. For people who don't live near Crowell, the state and online options are often the most practical.

In person: Go to the Foard County Clerk at 101 S. Main Street in Crowell. Bring photo ID and $21. Call ahead to confirm availability for older records.

By mail: Send a written request to the clerk. Include all required details, ID copy, and payment by check or money order. Allow about two weeks total.

Through DSHS: Texas DSHS Vital Statistics accepts requests by mail, in person in Austin, or online through the Texas.gov vital records portal. VitalChek also processes state certificate orders online.

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 the 25 years following a death. Records older than 25 years are public. Anyone can request them without proof of eligibility.

For deaths within the restricted 25-year period, only qualified individuals may receive certified copies. Eligible requestors include the deceased's spouse, parent, child, adult sibling, or grandparent. An attorney acting on behalf of a qualifying family member may also request records with written authorization. Valid photo ID is required. DSHS provides a list of acceptable ID types that apply at both state and county offices.

Informational copies are available to a broader audience. These are labeled "not for legal use" and cannot be submitted to courts, financial institutions, or agencies that require certified legal documentation. They serve genealogy and personal research well. Ask the clerk's office which type is right for your needs before paying.

Government agencies, courts, law enforcement, and medical professionals have administrative access separate from the standard public process, allowing access to restricted records when a documented legal or professional need exists.

Fees and Payment

Foard 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 uniform across all Texas county clerks, set by state statute.

In-person payment at the Crowell courthouse can be made by cash, check, or money order. Call (940) 684-1365 to confirm whether credit cards are accepted. Mail requests require a check or money order payable to the Foard County Clerk. Do not send cash.

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

Order all the copies you need at once. Settling an estate typically requires several certified copies for banks, insurance companies, the Social Security Administration, and the probate court. Getting five copies at once from the county costs $37. Going back five separate times costs $105. Plan ahead and save the difference.

Texas Law and Death Record Requirements

Death registration in Texas is governed by Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 191. This statute defines the required content of a death certificate, who must file it, the deadline, and access rules for both county and state offices.

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 certifies the cause of death. For unnatural or unexplained deaths, a justice of the peace or medical examiner must complete the cause-of-death section under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 49.

After local registration, Texas transmits all death certificates to the DSHS central archive using the TxEVER electronic platform. This system connects all parties in the vital records workflow across the state. Records filed in Foard County move through TxEVER to the statewide database, making them accessible through DSHS for certified copy requests.

Administrative rules for vital statistics are published in Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Chapter 181. These rules set data standards, amendment procedures, and authorized uses of vital records.

Historical Death Records and Genealogy

Foard County death records in the formal state system go back to 1903. The county's local archives may hold older documents. For genealogy research in this remote North Texas county, a few reliable sources exist.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) holds statewide death indexes and microfilm collections. Foard County records are included in the statewide collection. TSLAC resources are available in person in Austin and through digital finding aids. This is one of the most reliable sources for early twentieth-century Texas death records.

FamilySearch provides free access to Texas death records. The site covers the early 1900s well for most Texas counties including Foard. It is the best free starting point for any Texas genealogy research. Check names, dates, and spelling before ordering a certified copy.

Ancestry.com has Texas death records including Social Security Death Index data, digitized obituaries, and scanned certificates. Full image access requires a paid subscription. Check with libraries in Crowell or nearby Childress or Wichita Falls for free Ancestry access through library digital programs.

Local newspapers in Crowell and surrounding communities carried obituaries for many decades. Microfilm or bound copies of those papers may be available at local libraries or through the TSLAC newspaper collection. Church records and cemetery transcriptions for Foard County can also supplement official death records for the early period of settlement.

State-Level Death Record Requests

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section is the statewide archive for all Texas death records since 1903. For very small, remote counties like Foard, the state is often the most practical channel for obtaining death certificates, especially for people outside the immediate area.

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 inquiries go to (888) 963-7111. Standard processing is 10 to 15 business days from receipt. Rush and expedited shipping options are available.

Online orders through the Texas.gov vital records portal and VitalChek produce official certified copies with full legal validity. Both are DSHS-authorized channels and accept major credit cards. Order tracking is available on both platforms.

If you are not sure exactly which county in Texas a death occurred in, DSHS can search statewide by name. This is especially helpful for Foard County families whose members may have died in a nearby county like Hardeman, Wilbarger, or Knox, where they may have been hospitalized or living at the time of death.

Cities in Foard County

Foard County's only incorporated city is Crowell, the county seat. The county's total population is under 1,500 people, making it one of the smallest counties in Texas by population. No city in Foard County meets the 100,000-population threshold for an individual city page on this site. All Foard County residents use the county clerk or DSHS for death record requests.

Nearby Counties

For deaths in neighboring counties, contact those clerk offices: Hardeman County, Cottle County, King County, Knox County, Wilbarger County.