How to Find Out If Someone Died in Texas

When you desire to know whether someone in Texas has died, it is easy to get an answer. Texas death records are a matter of public record. These records are maintained at the county level, as well as the state level. All you need is the first and last name of the person in question. It also helps if you know the exact city in Texas the person was last known to reside.

Check the obituary section of the local newspaper in the city for which the individual was last known to reside. Many of the newspapers allow you to access obituaries from the paper's online website. To search all newspapers at once, use the Obits Archive. The Obits Archive contains obituaries and death notices from newspapers located all over the state of Texas.

Contact the county clerk in the city the individual resides in. The county clerk maintains a record of all births and deaths that occur in the county. In some cases, you can visit the county clerk's website to search the death index for free.

Visit the Texas Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Statistics to request a verification of death. Verifications also can be requested online via the Department of Health's “Vital Records Application” portal.

A processing fee is required to obtain a verification of death. As of May 2011, the fee is $20 per verification request. If you make a request in person, you can receive verification on the same day as your visit. Online verifications can take up to 15 days to be processed.

Use a third party online database, such as Texas State Registry, Vital Rec, Ancestry and Archives. If death records are found, you will generally have to pay a fee to view the records. The exact fee will vary by site.