Bexar County Obituary Records

Bexar County obituary and death records are split between two offices in San Antonio, depending on when the death occurred and where it took place. The Bexar County Clerk holds rural death records from 1903 to 1967. The San Antonio Office of the City Clerk holds death records from 1873 to the present for events that occurred inside San Antonio city limits. Understanding which office has the record you need is the first step in any Bexar County death records search. This page walks you through both offices, their contact details, and all the other resources available for tracing obituary records in this large South Texas county.

Bexar County Death Records Offices

Bexar County has a dual-office system for death records that researchers need to understand before making a request. The Bexar County Clerk's Vital Statistics Department in downtown San Antonio holds death records for events that occurred in the unincorporated parts of the county from 1903 to 1967. Deaths that took place in rural areas of Bexar County outside city limits during that period are your reason to contact the county clerk first.

The San Antonio Office of the City Clerk, Vital Records Division, holds a broader set of records. That office issues certified death certificates for events that occurred anywhere in Bexar County from 1873 to the present. If the death happened inside San Antonio city limits, or at a hospital within city limits, the City Clerk is the right office regardless of year. For post-1967 deaths in any part of the county, go to the City Clerk. The Texas DSHS also holds statewide death records going back to 1903, and you can order those through the Texas Vital Statistics online ordering system.

Searching Bexar County Obituaries Online

The easiest starting point for most Bexar County obituary searches is the Texas DSHS online ordering system. You can submit a death certificate request at dshs.texas.gov/vs and have the record mailed to you without visiting an office. Payment is required at the time of the request. For older records and genealogy research, FamilySearch is a strong free option. The FamilySearch database includes indexed Texas death records and links to digitized images where they exist.

For recent obituary notices, Legacy.com carries death notices from San Antonio-area newspapers. Search Legacy.com Texas obituaries by full name to find recent notices from the San Antonio Express-News and other area publications. The Texas State Library in Austin at tsl.texas.gov holds microfilm of early Bexar County vital records that researchers can view on-site or request through interlibrary loan.

Requesting Bexar County Death Certificates

To request a certified death certificate from the Bexar County Clerk, mail a completed application, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, proof of your relationship to the deceased, and a check or money order for $21 per copy to the Vital Statistics Department at 100 Dolorosa, Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78205. The application must be notarized. For city records, send to the San Antonio Office of the City Clerk at 719 South Santa Rosa, San Antonio, TX 78204.

You can also request Bexar County death records through the state. The DSHS death records page explains the state-level process. Texas charges $21 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. The DSHS mailing address and additional details are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/addresses.

Only qualified applicants can obtain certified copies. Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193, qualified applicants include immediate family members, legal representatives, and others who can show a direct and tangible interest in the record. Death records older than 25 years are available to the general public without restriction.

Historical Bexar County Obituary Records

Bexar County has death records going back to 1873. The San Antonio City Clerk holds death certificates for events within city limits from that date forward. Early records capture cause of death, the name of the informant, and burial location. Many of these older records have been microfilmed and are accessible through the Texas State Library. FamilySearch also has indexed records from several Texas death collections that include early Bexar County entries.

The San Antonio Express-News archive carries obituary notices going back many decades. Some are available through subscription newspaper databases at public libraries. The San Antonio Public Library system has genealogy resources on-site. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas and other local historical societies have also compiled cemetery records and death indexes for parts of Bexar County.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section maintains statewide death record indexes and accepts requests for certified copies of Bexar County death certificates.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit in Austin coordinates with both the Bexar County Clerk and the San Antonio City Clerk for death records from 1903 forward.

Texas Law and Bexar County Death Records

Texas death certificates must be filed within 10 days of death under Section 193.003. The physician, medical examiner, or funeral director is responsible for completing and filing the certificate. Records less than 25 years old are restricted to qualified applicants. After 25 years, death records are public under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193.

Delayed registration of deaths is covered by Section 193.007. This matters for older Bexar County records where a death was not filed promptly. Researchers who find a gap in records should check if a delayed certificate was later filed. The DSHS keeps a statewide index that may show such entries even if the county office does not have a local copy.

Changes to birth or death records in Bexar County are generally handled through DSHS at 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756, Phone: 512-458-7111. The county and city offices do not have authority to amend records on their own.

Bexar County Obituary Resources

Several resources help with Bexar County death records and obituary searches. The DSHS vital records page at dshs.texas.gov/vs is the main state portal. The online ordering system at ovra.txapps.texas.gov processes requests without a visit to any office. Requirements for who may request records are explained at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.

FamilySearch maintains a free genealogy database that includes Texas death indexes. Search for Bexar County ancestors on familysearch.org. Legacy.com at legacy.com aggregates San Antonio newspaper obituary notices. The Texas State Library holds microfilmed early county records accessible at tsl.texas.gov.

Nearby Counties

Bexar County borders several other South Texas counties. Death records for those areas are held by their respective county clerks.