CERTIFIED COPIES OF BIRTH OR DEATH CERTIFICATES

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Certified copies of birth and death records are available at the Galveston County Health District or through the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Birth and Death Records are available from 1903 to the present.

For Out-of-State Birth or Death Certificates, please see the National Center for Health Statistics' site on Where to Write for Vital Records.

Copies of birth and death certificates are confidential under Texas Law for fifty and twenty-five years, respectively, and can only be obtained by qualified applicants.

A qualified applicant is defined as the registrant, or immediate family member either by blood or marriage, his or her guardian, or his or her legal representative. Local, state and federal law enforcement or governmental agencies and other persons may be designated as properly qualified applicants by demonstrating a direct and tangible interest in the record when information in the record is necessary to implement a statutory provision or to protect a personal legal property right. A properly qualified applicant may also be any person who has submitted an application for a request to release personal information and has been approved as outlined in the Health and Safety Code, Section 181.11, relating to Requests for Personal Data.

HOW DO I REQUEST COPIES?

Certified copies of birth and death records may be obtained by either:

Coming to the offices of the Galveston County Health District 1205 Oak Street La Marque Texas 77568 or the Galveston Office 4700 Broadway Suite C-100 77550 Monday - Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.; OR
Coming to the Office of Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas, Monday - Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.; OR
Writing to:
Galveston County Health District
Office of Vital Statistics
P. O. Box 838
Galveston, Texas 77553; OR,
Writing to:
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711-2040

You may either complete the Application For Certified Copy of Birth or Death Certificate (text format) (pdf format) , OR include the following information in a letter:

	The name on the birth or death record being requested.
	The date and place of birth or death.
	Father's full name (last, first, middle).
	Mother's full name, including her maiden name.
	Purpose for obtaining the certificate.
	Relationship to the person whose certificate is being requested.
	Your daytime telephone number with area code.
	Your handwritten signature and complete return mailing address.
	A photocopy of your picture ID, such as your driver's license.

PLEASE NOTE: Failure to provide the purpose in obtaining the record and relationship to the applicant in the request, when the applicant is not the person named on the record, will result in the application being rejected or delayed in processing.

IMPORTANT: In addition to your written request, you must include thenecessary fees. Make your check or money order payable to the Bureau of VitalStatistics. Please do not send cash.

ABSOLUTELY NO TELEPHONIC REQUESTS OR VERIFICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.