Search Amarillo Death Records
Amarillo obituary and death records are filed with Potter County, the primary county for most of the city, with a portion extending into Randall County to the south. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal purposes or want to trace a family member who died in the Amarillo area, this page covers where to go, what to bring, how to request records by mail or online, and how to find historical obituaries going back to 1903.
Amarillo Overview
Where to Find Amarillo Obituary Records
Most of Amarillo falls within Potter County, so the Potter County Clerk in downtown Amarillo handles the majority of death certificate requests for the city. There is no separate Amarillo vital records office. The small southern portion of Amarillo in Randall County is served by the Randall County Clerk in Canyon, which also serves smaller communities like Canyon and other areas in Randall County. For most residents, Potter County is the right place to start, and staff at either office can help you identify the correct application form and walk you through the submission process.
Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193, death records less than 25 years old are restricted to qualified applicants. Records 25 years or older are open to the public. Qualified applicants include the spouse, child, parent, or sibling of the deceased, legal representatives acting on behalf of the estate, and individuals with a direct and tangible interest in the record. If you don't qualify for a restricted record, genealogical databases like FamilySearch offer free access to older records.
| Office | Potter County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 957, Amarillo, TX 79105 |
| Phone | (806) 379-2275 |
| County Page | Potter County Death Records |
Note: If the death occurred in the southern part of Amarillo, contact the Randall County Clerk in Canyon instead.
Searching Amarillo Death Records Online
The Texas DSHS online portal at ovra.txapps.texas.gov handles certified death certificate orders for Amarillo and all of Texas. You need the full name of the deceased and an approximate year of death. Payment is by credit card, and orders are mailed within a few business days. This is a convenient option if you can't visit the courthouse in person.
FamilySearch at familysearch.org has free indexed Texas death records going back many decades. The Texas death index covers Potter and Randall County records and includes Amarillo-area deaths from statewide registration starting in 1903. Potter County records go back further, to 1876, but pre-1903 records are primarily in county archives and state library microfilm collections. Many entries include images of the original certificates, which can show cause of death, birthplace, and other details not visible in a basic index. FamilySearch is useful for genealogy research on older records.
Legacy.com at legacy.com carries obituary notices from the Amarillo Globe-News. Search by name to find recent obituary postings with service dates, surviving family, and funeral home information.
How to Request Amarillo Death Certificates
Mail requests to: Potter County Clerk, P.O. Box 957, Amarillo, TX 79105. Include a completed application form, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 (first copy). Additional copies of the same record are $4 each. You can also order online through the Texas DSHS portal or visit the Potter County courthouse in person.
State-level requests go through the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section at dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are posted at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx. State processing takes longer than a direct county request but covers all Texas counties. For estate purposes, order multiple certified copies at once since additional copies cost only $4 each at time of order.
Historical Amarillo Obituaries
Amarillo was founded in 1887 as a cattle shipping point on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. Potter County was organized in 1887, and Randall County in 1889. Death records from the early period are held at both county clerk offices and in state library microfilm. The Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov holds historical records and can assist with genealogy research for the Amarillo area.
FamilySearch has digitized portions of the Texas death index for Potter and Randall Counties. For deaths before 1903, cemetery records and church registers in the Amarillo area are the main sources. Llano Cemetery in Amarillo holds records going back to the late 1800s and is a useful resource for early-era research. The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon also maintains genealogy resources and archives that cover the Amarillo area and the wider Texas Panhandle region.
Potter and Randall County death records are indexed in the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section statewide database, which covers Amarillo from 1903 to the present.
The Potter County Clerk in Amarillo handles certified death certificate requests for the majority of the city.
Amarillo Obituary Resources
Contact the Potter County Clerk at (806) 379-2275 for death certificate requests and records questions. Order online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov, or search at FamilySearch and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov. Recent obituaries from the Amarillo area appear on Legacy.com, where you can search by name and date range. For full county contact details, hours, and additional guidance, see the Potter County death records page.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities also have death records available through their county clerk offices.