Childress County Obituary Records
Childress County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Childress, Texas. This Panhandle county sits at the edge of the Rolling Plains region and has death records going back to 1903. Whether you need to request a certified death certificate, search for an obituary notice, or trace family history for someone who died in the Childress area, this page explains the county clerk process and the online resources available for Childress County death records.
Childress County Overview
Childress County Clerk Death Records
The Childress County Clerk's office in Childress is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events in Childress County from 1903 to the present are held here. The clerk accepts in-person and mail requests. Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193, records less than 25 years old require qualified applicant status. Records older than 25 years are open to the public without restriction.
Qualified applicants include immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with a documented need. If you are doing genealogy research and the death occurred more than 25 years ago, no family relationship is needed. The clerk's office also handles land records, marriage records, and other county documents.
| Office | Childress County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 4, Childress, TX 79201 |
| Phone | (940) 937-6143 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
Searching Childress County Obituaries Online
The Texas DSHS online ordering system at ovra.txapps.texas.gov lets you order Childress County death certificates without visiting the courthouse. For genealogy research, FamilySearch at familysearch.org has indexed Texas death records including Childress County entries. The Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov holds microfilm of early county death records.
Legacy.com at legacy.com carries obituary notices from the Childress Index and other Panhandle newspapers. For older records, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon may hold related genealogical materials for this region.
Note: The Texas DSHS statewide death index covers Childress County from 1903 and can be searched without contacting the county clerk directly.
Requesting Childress County Death Certificates
To request a certified death certificate by mail, send a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Childress County Clerk, P.O. Box 4, Childress, TX 79201. Additional copies are $4 each when ordered at the same time. In-person requests at the courthouse are often processed the same day. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs and use the same fee structure. See eligibility requirements at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.
Historical Childress County Obituary Records
Childress County death records from the early 1900s reflect the agricultural and ranching communities of the Rolling Plains. Early certificates often note the burial location and cause of death, details that can aid genealogical research. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch includes digitized Texas death collections covering Childress County entries. Local cemeteries around Childress also maintain burial records useful for tracing family history in this region.
The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section maintains the statewide death record index that includes Childress County entries from 1903 to the present.
The Childress County Clerk in Childress maintains death certificates and vital records for this Rolling Plains county from 1903 forward.
Texas Law and Childress County Death Records
Under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 193.003, death certificates must be filed within 10 days of death. Childress County records under 25 years old are restricted under Chapter 193. Records 25 years or older are public. Section 193.007 governs delayed registration. The DSHS at dshs.texas.gov/vs/death maintains the statewide index including Childress County.
Childress County Obituary Resources
Contact the Childress County Clerk at (940) 937-6143, order online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov, search at FamilySearch and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov. Recent obituaries from the Childress area appear on Legacy.com.
Nearby Counties
Childress County is located in the Texas Panhandle at the edge of the Rolling Plains.