Knox County Obituary Records
Knox County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Benjamin, Texas. Located in the Rolling Plains of Northwest Texas, Knox County has vital records dating from 1903.
Knox County Overview
Knox County Clerk Death Records
The Knox County Clerk's office in Benjamin is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Knox 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.
Knox County lies in the Rolling Plains of Northwest Texas. Benjamin is a very small community that serves as the county seat. Knox City is the largest town in the county, though still quite small. The county has seen population decline over the decades as farming and ranching operations became more mechanized. For most requests, the DSHS online system is a far more practical option than traveling to the courthouse in Benjamin.
| Office | Knox County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 196, Benjamin, TX 79505 |
| Phone | (940) 459-2215 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
Searching Knox County Obituaries
Order Knox County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS statewide index covers Knox 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 may carry obituary notices for Knox County residents. The Knox County News serves as the local paper and is worth checking for older obituary records when researching families from this area.
Note: The DSHS statewide index covers Knox County death records from 1903. Online ordering avoids a trip to the Benjamin courthouse.
Requesting Knox County Death Certificates
Mail a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Knox County Clerk, P.O. Box 196, Benjamin, TX 79505. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.
Historical Knox County Obituary Records
Knox County death records from the early 1900s reflect the cotton farming and ranching communities of the Texas Rolling Plains. The county was organized in 1886, and many early settlers came from Southern states seeking new farmland. Cotton was a major crop for much of the 20th century before declining farm prices led to population loss. Early records document families from Tennessee, Arkansas, and other Southern states alongside longer-established Texas families. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch has indexed Texas death collections with Knox County entries. Cemetery records in Benjamin and Knox City are useful for genealogy research.
The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section maintains the statewide death record index that includes Knox County entries from 1903 to the present.
The Knox County Clerk in Benjamin maintains death certificates and vital records for this Northwest Texas county from 1903 forward.
Texas Law and Knox 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 Knox County.
Knox County Obituary Resources
Contact the clerk at (940) 459-2215, order online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov, search at FamilySearch and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov. Obituaries appear on Legacy.com.
Nearby Counties
Knox County is located in the Rolling Plains of Northwest Texas between Wichita Falls and Lubbock.