Texas Birth Certificates

From 1873 to 1876, county district courts recorded some birth records. County clerks were required to record births beginning in 1903, but the law wasn’t fully complied with right away.

Some births were recorded by justices of the peace. Also, many large cities had their own vital records offices to record vital statistics.

The Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Unit has copies of birth that occurred after mandatory recording began, which was in 1903.

The Texas State Library has also created statewide vital record indexes. Many genealogical libraries across the state have copies of those records on file. Births from 1903 to 1976 are included in that index. They are arranged in alphabetical order and according to year.

In some cases, the county court may have received records of delayed birth registrations. Those records were eventually passed on to the State Bureau of Vital Statistics.

They include some records for those who wanted to register for Social Security in Texas, but were actually born elsewhere. In 1959, delayed birth registrations with the State Bureau of Vital Statistics were stopped.

Texas Birth Certificate Online Collections

You may find the following resources helpful in your research of Texas Birth certificates data and records.

Ancestry.com has a few collections of birth records available including:

  • Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997  This database is an index to over 15 million births recorded in the State of Texas, USA, between 1903 and 1997. Information available in this index includes: child's name, sex, birth date, and birth county. Some records may also include: names of both parents.
  • Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1932 this database contains birth certificates from the Texas Department of State Health Services, for the years 1903-1932. Some amendments to certificates of birth are included as well. These records can be rich sources of information on both a child and his or her parents.

FamilySearch.org has a few collections available online for free to the public (Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed) including:

  • Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 Name index to birth, baptism and christening records from the state of Texas. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and FamilySearch Centers. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
  • Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 This collection contains digital images and an index of birth certificates for the state of Texas. The original records are housed at the Vital Statistics Unit of the Texas Department of Health in Austin.

Fold3.com has a few collections available online for free to the public including:

  • Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-10 and 1926-29 – Official birth certificates from the Texas State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, for the years 1903-10 and 1926-29.  Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek.

Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Unit

Whether you lost your birth certificate or you simply want another copy. If you were born in Texas you can easily get a copy. You can do so in person, through the mail, or even online.

Follow these instructions and get your birth certificate in no time. Always verify current fees and ordering information, the telephone number is (512) 776-7111. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Unit maintains birth certificates for the state of Texas.

Requests for certified copies of Birth Certificates are also available from the Local Registration Office of the county in which the event occurred.

Since all birth records are sent to the Local Registrar first and then sent to State Vital Statistics, you are encouraged to go to the Local Registrar for records especially if you need the birth certificate immediately.

Ordering Restrictions

Copies of birth certificates for births that occurred within the past 75 years can be requested only by the immediate family of the person whose name is on the birth certificate.

Who qualifies as an immediate family member? An immediate family member is the child, their guardian, their children, spouses, parents, siblings, or grandparents.

Applicants who are not immediate family members must provide legal documentation that shows interest in the birth certificate.

How much does a copy of a Certified Birth Certificate cost?

The cost of a birth certificates are $22.00 per copy. Heirloom certificates are $60.00 each.

3 Ways to order Texas Birth Certificates

Steps to ordering a Texas Birth Certificates In Person

Same day service in most cases. Hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. DSHS - Vital Statistics Section, 1100 W. 49th St., Austin, TX 78756

Checklist

  • Complete steps 1, 2, and 3 of the application. Please type or print clearly.
  • Sign and date the application
  • Have current driver's license, passport or state identification ready
  • Have appropriate fees ready. Make checks or money orders payable to DSHS - Vital Statistics.

Steps to ordering a Texas Birth Certificates by Online

You can order birth certificates through Texas.gov, the official eGovernment site for the State of Texas, for fast, affordable service.

You will receive a state certified copy of the Birth Certificate if it was filed with Texas Vital Statistics. Online orders are mailed 20-25 business days after receipt of the request.

Steps to ordering a Texas Birth Certificates by mail

You may order a certified birth certificate by mailing in a completed Birth Certificate Application.

 Please allow 6 - 8 weeks after receipt of the request. Mail to: DSHS - VSS, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040

Checklist

  • Complete steps 1, 2, and 3 of the application. Please type or print clearly.
  • Complete step 4 of the application: Sign and date the application in the presence of a notary public.
  • Enclose a copy of a current driver's license, passport or state identification.
  • Enclose appropriate fees. Make checks or money orders payable to DSHS - Vital Statistics. Do not send cash.