Find Odessa Death Records
Odessa obituary and death records are maintained by the Ector County Clerk in Odessa, Texas. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal purposes or want to trace a family member who died in the Odessa 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.
Odessa Overview
Where to Find Odessa Obituary Records
Odessa is the Ector County seat, so the county clerk's office is located in the city. All death records for events in Odessa are filed with Ector County. There is no separate city vital records office in Odessa. The clerk accepts in-person and mail requests for certified death certificates. Midland, in adjacent Midland County, has its own separate clerk's office. Staff at the Ector County Clerk's office can help walk you through the application process and confirm which documents you need to bring.
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 | Ector County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 300 N. Grant Ave., Odessa, TX 79761 |
| Phone | (432) 498-4130 |
| County Page | Ector County Death Records |
Note: Odessa is the Ector County seat. The county clerk handles death records for the city and the entire county. For Midland, contact the Midland County Clerk instead.
Searching Odessa Death Records Online
The Texas DSHS online portal at ovra.txapps.texas.gov handles certified death certificate orders for Odessa and all of Texas. You need the full name of the deceased and the 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. The Texas death index covers Ector County records and includes Odessa deaths from the statewide registration period starting in 1903. 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 Odessa American. Search by name to find recent obituary postings with service dates, surviving family, and funeral home contact information.
How to Request Odessa Death Certificates
Mail requests to: Ector County Clerk, 300 N. Grant Ave., Odessa, TX 79761. 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 Odessa 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 Odessa Obituaries
Odessa was established in 1881 along the Texas and Pacific Railway and served primarily as a cattle shipping point. Oil discoveries in the Permian Basin in the 1920s and 1930s transformed the city. The Odessa Meteor Crater, one of the few meteorite impact sites in the U.S., is nearby. Death records from the statewide registration period (1903 onward) are held at the Ector County Clerk's office. FamilySearch has digitized portions of the Texas death index for Ector County.
The Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov holds historical records for Odessa and the Permian Basin region. For deaths before 1903, cemetery records and church registers in the area are the main sources. The Ector County Historical Commission and the Ector County Library's local history and genealogy collection in Odessa hold additional resources, including old copies of the Odessa American and other newspapers that can help locate obituaries and death notices dating to the early 20th century.
The Ector County Clerk's office in Odessa handles all death certificate requests and vital records for Ector County.
The Ector County Clerk in Odessa maintains death certificates and vital records for this Permian Basin county from 1903 forward.
Odessa Obituary Resources
Contact the Ector County Clerk at (432) 498-4130 for death certificate requests and records questions. Order online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov, or search historical records at FamilySearch and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov. Recent obituaries from the Odessa 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 Ector County death records page.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities also have death records available through their county clerk offices.