Ector County Obituary Records

Ector County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Odessa, Texas. Home to the Permian Basin's oil industry, Ector County has vital records dating from 1903 and serves as the county seat for the Odessa metropolitan area. If you need to request a certified death certificate, search obituary notices from Odessa, or trace family history for someone who died in this West Texas county, this page explains the county clerk process and the resources available.

Ector County Clerk Death Records

The Ector County Clerk's office in Odessa is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Ector County from 1903 to the present are held here. The clerk processes in-person and mail requests. Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193, records less than 25 years old require qualified applicant status. Records 25 years or older are open to the public.

Ector County's population grew rapidly during the oil booms of the 20th century, and the county clerk holds a large volume of mid-century death records. The clerk's website at co.ector.tx.us provides current information on vital records services. The office also handles property records, marriage records, and other county documents.

Searching Ector County Obituaries Online

Order Ector County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. For genealogy research, FamilySearch at familysearch.org has indexed Texas death records including Ector County entries. The Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov holds microfilm of early county vital records.

The Odessa American is the main local newspaper. Obituary notices from this paper appear on Legacy.com at legacy.com. Odessa and the broader Permian Basin are also served by the Midland Reporter-Telegram, which carries regional obituary notices.

Requesting Ector 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: Ector County Clerk, P.O. Box 707, Odessa, TX 79760. Additional copies are $4 each. In-person requests at the Odessa courthouse are often processed the same day. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.

Historical Ector County Obituary Records

Ector County death records from the early 1900s reflect the early ranching era. Records from the 1920s onward document the dramatic growth driven by oil discovery in the Permian Basin. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch includes digitized Texas death collections with Ector County entries. The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland and the Ector County Library in Odessa hold historical materials relevant to genealogy research in this region.

The Ector County Clerk's website provides information on vital records requests and county services in Odessa.

The Ector County Clerk in Odessa maintains death certificates and vital records for this Permian Basin county from 1903 forward.

Texas Law and Ector County Death Records

Under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 193.003, death certificates must be filed within 10 days of death. Ector County records under 25 years 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 Ector County.

Cities in Ector County

Odessa is the largest city in Ector County and has its own obituary records page.

Ector County Obituary Resources

Contact the Ector County Clerk at (432) 498-4130, order online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov, search at FamilySearch and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov. Recent obituaries from Odessa appear on Legacy.com.

Nearby Counties

Ector County is located in the Permian Basin of West Texas near Midland.