Red River County Obituary Records

Red River County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Clarksville, Texas. Located in the far northeast corner of Texas along the Red River, Red River County has vital records dating from 1903.

Red River County Clerk Death Records

The Red River County Clerk's office in Clarksville is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Red River 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.

Red River County is one of the oldest counties in Texas, established in 1836 at the Republic's founding. It sits along the Red River at the Texas-Oklahoma border in the far northeast corner of the state. Clarksville is the county seat, a small city that was once an important stop on early Texas immigration routes. Agriculture -- cotton, soybeans, and cattle -- remains the backbone of the economy. The clerk's office handles property records, marriage records, and other county documents. The DSHS online system is available for certified death certificate requests.

Searching Red River County Obituaries

Order Red River County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS statewide index covers Red River 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 Clarksville Times and area papers.

Requesting Red River County Death Certificates

Mail a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Red River County Clerk, P.O. Box 679, Clarksville, TX 75426. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.

Historical Red River County Obituary Records

Red River County has some of the deepest roots of any county in Texas. It was among the original counties created when the Republic of Texas was formed in 1836. Clarksville was an early commercial center for settlers moving into Northeast Texas from Arkansas and the Deep South. The county's population in the antebellum era included enslaved people who worked cotton plantations, and post-Civil War records show the emergence of Black Texan communities throughout the county. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records, some of which predate the 1903 statewide system. FamilySearch has indexed Texas death collections with Red River County entries, and local genealogy researchers at the local historical commission hold older records.

The Red River County Clerk's website provides information on vital records requests and county services in Clarksville.

The Red River County Clerk in Clarksville maintains death certificates and vital records for one of Texas's oldest counties from 1903 forward.

Texas Law and Red River 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 Red River County.

Red River County Obituary Resources

Contact the clerk at (903) 427-2401, 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

Red River County is located in the far northeast corner of Texas along the Oklahoma border.