Richardson Death Records Lookup
Richardson obituary and death records are primarily filed with the Dallas County Clerk in Dallas. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal purposes or want to trace a family member who died in the Richardson 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.
Richardson Overview
Where to Find Richardson Obituary Records
Richardson straddles Dallas and Collin counties, so there is no single Richardson vital records office. The southern portion of the city is in Dallas County, and the northern portion is in Collin County. Garland and Mesquite also use Dallas County for death records. The county of registration for a death depends on the specific address. For most central Richardson addresses, Dallas County is the right starting point, and clerk staff at either office can help confirm which county holds a specific record.
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.
| Dallas County Office | Dallas County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 509 Main St., Dallas, TX 75202 |
| Phone | (214) 653-7099 |
| County Page | Dallas County Death Records |
Note: For the northern part of Richardson, contact the Collin County Clerk in McKinney. The county line runs through the city.
Searching Richardson Death Records Online
The Texas DSHS online portal at ovra.txapps.texas.gov handles certified death certificate orders for Richardson 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 Dallas and Collin County records and includes Richardson 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 Dallas Morning News and area papers. Search by name to find recent obituary postings with service dates, surviving family, and funeral home contact information.
How to Request Richardson Death Certificates
For Dallas County portion: Collin County Clerk, 509 Main St., Dallas, TX 75202, phone (214) 653-7099. For Collin County portion: Collin County Clerk, 2300 Bloomdale Rd, Suite 2104, McKinney, TX 75071, phone (972) 548-4185. Include a completed application, photo ID copy, and $21 (first copy) by check or money order. Additional copies are $4 each. Online ordering is available through the Texas DSHS portal.
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 Richardson Obituaries
Richardson was established in 1873 along the Houston and Texas Central Railroad and incorporated in 1925. The city grew significantly in the postwar period and became known as the "Telecom Corridor" for its concentration of technology companies. Dallas County death records from the early 1900s onward are held at the Dallas County Clerk's office. FamilySearch has digitized portions of the Texas death index for Dallas and Collin counties covering the Richardson area.
The Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov holds historical records for Richardson and the North Dallas area. For deaths before 1903, cemetery records and church registers in the area are the main sources. The Richardson Public Library's local history collection and the Dallas County Heritage Society also maintain materials relevant to Richardson's early community, including records from the period when the city was a small railroad stop along the H&TC line.
The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section maintains the statewide death record index that includes Dallas and Collin counties and covers Richardson from 1903 to the present.
Richardson spans Dallas and Collin counties. Contact the relevant county clerk based on the address of the deceased.
Richardson Obituary Resources
Contact the Dallas County Clerk at (214) 653-7099 or 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 Richardson 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 Dallas County death records page.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities also have death records available through their county clerk offices.