Abilene Death Records Search
Abilene obituary and death records are kept by the Taylor County Clerk and through the Texas Department of State Health Services. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal purposes or want to trace a family member who passed away in the Abilene area, the resources here cover your options, including where to go, what to bring, and how to search historical records dating back to 1903.
Abilene Overview
Where to Find Abilene Obituary Records
The Taylor County Clerk is the primary office for death records in Abilene. The clerk's office holds certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Abilene and throughout Taylor County. Records go back to 1903. The office handles in-person and mail requests, and staff can confirm whether a record exists before you travel to the courthouse.
Abilene sits entirely within Taylor County, so there's no confusion about which clerk to contact. All deaths registered in the county - inside city limits or in unincorporated areas - go through the same office. That makes Abilene one of the simpler cities in Texas for tracking down death records. You don't need to sort out which of several counties might hold the file.
| Office | Taylor County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 2778, Abilene, TX 79604 |
| Phone | (325) 674-1202 |
| Website | taylorcountytexas.org |
Note: Call the clerk's office before your visit to confirm current hours and what identification documents you need to bring.
Searching Abilene Death Records Online
Texas DSHS runs an online ordering portal for death certificates. You can use the Texas vital records online ordering system to request a certified copy of any death certificate on file with the state, including records from Abilene and Taylor County. You'll need the full name of the person, the year the death occurred, and you'll pay by credit card at checkout.
FamilySearch has free indexed records for Texas deaths. The FamilySearch database includes Texas death indexes covering much of the twentieth century, and many records from the Abilene area are included. You can search by name and narrow by year or county. Some results link to scanned images of the original certificates. This tool works well for genealogy and for locating older deaths that predate digital filing systems.
Legacy.com is a useful source for recent obituary notices. The Legacy.com Texas obituaries section pulls notices from newspapers across the state, including Abilene-area publications. Search by full name to see if a notice was published. These listings often include funeral home details, surviving family members, and service dates.
Note: Death records less than 25 years old have restricted access under Texas law and are not available to the general public without a qualifying relationship.
How to Request Abilene Death Certificates
You have three ways to get a certified death certificate for an Abilene death: in person at the Taylor County Clerk, by mail to the county, or online through the Texas DSHS portal. In-person is the fastest. Bring a valid photo ID and be ready to explain your relationship to the deceased. County staff can often fill same-day requests for records they hold on file.
Mail requests to the Taylor County Clerk should include a completed application, a copy of your government-issued ID, and a check or money order for the fee. Make the payment out to the Taylor County Clerk. Include a return address so the record can be sent back to you. The county does not process credit cards by mail, so checks and money orders are the typical form of payment for mailed requests.
The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit in Austin also holds statewide death records. If the county does not have the record you need, DSHS may. The state office processes requests by mail as well, though turnaround times are longer than a county visit. Their mailing address and instructions are listed on the DSHS website. The fee for a certified death certificate is $21 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.
Historical Abilene Obituaries
Abilene has been Taylor County's county seat since the county was organized, and death records from the area go back to the early 1900s. The Texas State Library in Austin holds microfilm copies of early vital records from across the state, including Taylor County. Researchers can access these through the Texas State Library reading room in Austin or request copies by mail. The microfilm collections are especially useful for deaths from 1903 to around 1940, when digital records don't exist.
The Abilene Public Library maintains a local genealogy collection that includes obituary clippings, old newspapers, and death notices from the Abilene Reporter-News. If you're tracing someone who died in the mid-twentieth century, the library's newspaper archive is worth a visit. Staff can help you search by date or name. The Reporter-News has published obituary notices for generations, and many of those issues are preserved on microfilm at the library.
FamilySearch has digitized portions of the Texas death index and links to county-level records where available. The Library of Congress maintains a Texas genealogy research guide at loc.gov that points to additional microfilm and archival sources for Taylor County and surrounding areas in West Texas.
The Taylor County Clerk's website provides contact details and information on vital records requests for Abilene and all of Taylor County.
The Taylor County Clerk in Abilene handles certified death certificate requests for deaths occurring in the county from 1903 forward.
Abilene Obituary Resources
The main sources for Abilene death records and obituary notices are listed below. Start with the Taylor County Clerk for certified copies, use the Texas DSHS portal for state-level records, and check FamilySearch or Legacy.com for indexed obituary notices and historical death records.
The Texas Vital Records portal at texas.gov gives an overview of what's available and how to request records through the state. The DSHS death records page explains the state process, fees, and eligibility rules. Both are good starting points before you contact a county office.
For genealogy, FamilySearch covers Texas death records going back over a century. The Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov holds microfilm records from Taylor County that predate digital filing. Legacy.com at legacy.com has current obituary notices from Abilene-area newspapers. You can also find information on death records law in Texas at Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193.
Note: The Taylor County Clerk's office may have records that do not appear in the state database, especially for deaths from the early 1900s.
Nearby Cities
Death records for nearby cities are handled through their respective county offices.