Search Plano Death Records
Plano obituary and death records are primarily filed with the Collin County Clerk in McKinney, Texas. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal purposes or want to trace a family member who died in the Plano 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.
Plano Overview
Where to Find Plano Obituary Records
Most of Plano falls within Collin County, so the Collin County Clerk's office in McKinney handles the majority of death certificate requests for the city. There is no separate Plano vital records office. A small portion of western Plano extends into Dallas County. Allen, McKinney, and Frisco also use the Collin County Clerk for death records. If you are unsure which county a death was registered in, the address at time of death determines the county, and clerk staff can help you confirm which office to contact.
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 | Collin County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 2300 Bloomdale Rd, Suite 2104, McKinney, TX 75071 |
| Phone | (972) 548-4185 |
| County Page | Collin County Death Records |
Note: If the death occurred in the western part of Plano, contact the Dallas County Clerk in Dallas instead.
Searching Plano Death Records Online
The Texas DSHS online portal at ovra.txapps.texas.gov handles certified death certificate orders for Plano 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 Collin County records and includes Plano 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 Plano Star Courier and Dallas-area papers. Search by name to find recent obituary postings with service dates, surviving family, and funeral home contact information.
How to Request Plano Death Certificates
Mail requests to: Collin County Clerk, 2300 Bloomdale Rd, Suite 2104, McKinney, TX 75071. 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 at the Texas DSHS portal or visit the McKinney 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 Plano Obituaries
Plano was established in 1872 along the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. The city remained a small farming community until the massive suburban expansion that began in the 1960s and 1970s. Collin County death records from the early 1900s onward are held at the Collin County Clerk's office in McKinney. FamilySearch has digitized portions of the Texas death index for Collin County covering the Plano area.
The Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov holds historical records for Plano and the Collin County area. For deaths before 1903, cemetery records and church registers in the area are the main sources. The Collin County Genealogical Society and the Collin County Historical Commission maintain local research collections that can be helpful for tracing Plano families back to the town's early railroad settlement days.
The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section maintains the statewide death record index that includes Collin County and Plano from 1903 to the present.
The Collin County Clerk in McKinney handles certified death certificate requests for Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, and other Collin County cities.
Plano Obituary Resources
Contact the Collin County Clerk at (972) 548-4185 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 Plano 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 Collin County death records page.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities also have death records available through their county clerk offices.