Kaufman County Obituary Records
Kaufman County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Kaufman, Texas. Located southeast of Dallas and part of the greater DFW metropolitan area, Kaufman County has vital records dating from 1903. If you need a certified death certificate, want to find obituary notices, or trace family history for someone who died in this region, this page covers the county clerk process and the resources available.
Kaufman County Overview
Kaufman County Clerk Death Records
The Kaufman County Clerk's office in Kaufman is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Kaufman 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 25 years or older are open to the public.
Kaufman County has grown rapidly as a suburb of Dallas. Communities like Terrell, Forney, and Seagoville are among the largest in the county. The clerk's office handles property records, marriage records, and other county documents. The DSHS online system is a convenient option for certified death certificate requests without visiting the Kaufman courthouse.
| Office | Kaufman County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 806, Kaufman, TX 75142 |
| Phone | (972) 932-4331 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | kaufmancounty.net |
Searching Kaufman County Obituaries
Order Kaufman County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS statewide index covers Kaufman County from 1903. For genealogy, FamilySearch at familysearch.org and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov are the main free resources. Legacy.com at legacy.com carries obituary notices from the Terrell Tribune and area papers.
Note: The DSHS statewide death index covers Kaufman County from 1903. Online ordering avoids a trip to the Kaufman courthouse.
Requesting Kaufman County Death Certificates
Mail a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Kaufman County Clerk, P.O. Box 806, Kaufman, TX 75142. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.
Historical Kaufman County Obituary Records
Kaufman County death records from the early 1900s reflect the cotton and grain farming communities of the Blackland Prairie southeast of Dallas. Terrell was one of the more prosperous towns in the county, and early records document a largely agricultural population. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch has indexed Texas death collections with Kaufman County entries. The Kaufman County library system holds local newspaper archives useful for obituary research in this area.
The Kaufman County Clerk's website provides information on vital records requests and county services in Kaufman.
The Kaufman County Clerk in Kaufman maintains death certificates and vital records for this DFW-area county from 1903 forward.
Texas Law and Kaufman County Death Records
Under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 193.003, death certificates must be filed within 10 days. Records under 25 years are restricted per Chapter 193. Older records are public. Section 193.007 covers delayed registration. The DSHS at dshs.texas.gov/vs/death maintains the statewide index including Kaufman County.
Kaufman County Obituary Resources
Contact the clerk at (972) 932-4331, order online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov, search at FamilySearch and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov. Recent obituaries appear on Legacy.com.
Nearby Counties
Kaufman County is located southeast of Dallas in the greater DFW metropolitan area.