Angelina County Death Records
Angelina County obituary and death records are held by the County Clerk in Lufkin, Texas, covering deaths from 1903 to the present. If you need to find a death certificate, look up an obituary notice, or trace a deceased person in Angelina County, this guide walks you through the search process, where to go, what to bring, and what other resources exist for this East Texas county.
Angelina County Overview
Angelina County Clerk Vital Records
The Angelina County Clerk in Lufkin is the local registrar for vital statistics. The office holds death certificates for deaths that occurred within Angelina County from 1903 onward. The clerk handles both in-person and mail requests. To request a certified copy, you must be a qualified applicant - meaning an immediate family member, legal representative, or person with a direct and tangible interest in the record.
If the death occurred in Lufkin or another incorporated city within Angelina County, the city may also hold records for that period. For most rural deaths and deaths from before cities took over registration duties, the county clerk is the right place to go. The Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193 governs access - records become public after 25 years from the date of death.
| Office | Angelina County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 908, Lufkin, TX 75902 |
| Phone | (936) 634-8339 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Website | angelinacounty.net |
Note: The physical courthouse is in Lufkin - use the P.O. Box for mail requests but confirm the street address for in-person visits by calling ahead.
The Angelina County Clerk website provides information on vital records services and how to contact the office in Lufkin.
The Angelina County Clerk maintains death certificates and obituary-related vital records for this East Texas county from 1903 forward.
Search Angelina County Obituaries Online
The fastest online option for ordering a certified death certificate from Angelina County is the Texas DSHS online ordering portal. This system connects to statewide vital records and lets you place orders from anywhere. You'll need the name of the deceased, the date of death, and county. Payment is collected online at the time of the request.
For obituary notices and genealogy research, FamilySearch has an extensive Texas collection that covers Angelina County. Their database includes indexed death records, scanned certificates, and links to microfilm holdings at the Texas State Library. The Lufkin Daily News has published obituary notices for many decades, and back issues may be available through the Kurth Memorial Library in Lufkin or through Texas newspaper archives.
You can also check Legacy.com Texas obituaries for recent death notices from Lufkin and the surrounding Angelina County area. Legacy.com pulls notices from multiple Texas newspapers and keeps an indexed archive you can search by name. The East Texas Research Center at Stephen F. Austin State University in nearby Nacogdoches also holds regional genealogy resources.
How to Get an Angelina County Death Certificate
You can get a death certificate from Angelina County in person or by mail. For in-person requests, go to the County Clerk's office in Lufkin. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and be ready to state your relationship to the deceased. The fee is $21 for the first certified copy. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $4.
For mail requests, write a letter or fill out an application form explaining who you are and what record you need. Have your signature notarized. Include a photocopy of your ID, your payment, and a return address. Mail to: Angelina County Clerk, P.O. Box 908, Lufkin, TX 75902. Processing can take one to three weeks depending on the clerk's workload. You can also order through the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit in Austin for state-held records. Check the DSHS requirements page before submitting any request to make sure you have everything needed.
Note: Certified copies are required for legal purposes like name changes, estate settlement, and life insurance claims - plain copies are not accepted in most official proceedings.
Historical Angelina County Death Records
Angelina County has been recording deaths since 1903. The Texas State Library in Austin holds microfilm records for many Texas counties including Angelina. You can visit the library in Austin or check what's available through the Texas State Library online catalog. Some microfilm collections can be borrowed through interlibrary loan via your local public library.
FamilySearch is an excellent free resource for historical Angelina County obituary research. Their Texas death index spans many decades and includes records from both the county clerk and state vital statistics. Many records have been digitized and are viewable online without cost. The Library of Congress Texas guide at loc.gov lists major research repositories for Texas genealogy including East Texas collections.
Church records and cemetery indexes can supplement official death records for Angelina County. Many East Texas congregations kept detailed burial registers. Local historical societies in Lufkin may also hold obituary clippings and funeral home records that predate formal state registration or fill in gaps in early county records.
Texas Law and Angelina County Obituary Access
Texas requires death certificates to be filed within 10 days of death under Health and Safety Code Section 193.003. The attending physician or medical examiner certifies the cause of death. The funeral director usually handles filing the document with the local registrar - in this case, the Angelina County Clerk or the city of Lufkin if the death occurred within city limits.
The 25-year rule under Chapter 191 of the Health and Safety Code controls public access. Death records are closed for 25 years after the date of death. After that, any person may request a copy without proving family relationship. This rule applies at both the county and state level. Delayed registrations under Section 193.007 cover deaths that were not reported within the required window - less common today but worth knowing about for older genealogy research.
Angelina County Obituary Resources
The Texas vital records portal links to ordering options and explains what records are available through the state. The Texas DSHS death records page gives an overview of the state's holdings and ordering process. For genealogy research, start with FamilySearch Texas vital records and cross-reference with the Texas State Library microfilm index.
Obituary notices for the Lufkin and Angelina County area can be found on Legacy.com Texas. Local funeral homes in Lufkin often post obituary notices on their own websites as well, which can provide biographical details beyond what appears in a formal death certificate. The DSHS mailing address for state-level requests is at dshs.texas.gov/vs/addresses.
Nearby Counties
Angelina County is surrounded by several East Texas counties. Each has its own county clerk holding local death records.