Rockwall County Obituary Records
Rockwall County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Rockwall, Texas. The smallest county by area in Texas, Rockwall County is east of Dallas and has vital records dating from 1903.
Rockwall County Overview
Rockwall County Clerk Death Records
The Rockwall County Clerk's office in Rockwall is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Rockwall 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.
Rockwall County is the smallest county by land area in Texas, covering just 149 square miles east of Dallas on Lake Ray Hubbard. Despite its small size, it is one of the wealthiest and fastest-growing counties in the state, driven by Dallas suburban expansion. Rockwall is the county seat, and the county is almost entirely suburban residential and commercial development today. The county is named for an unusual underground rock formation discovered by early settlers. The DSHS online system is available for certified death certificate requests.
| Office | Rockwall County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 569, Rockwall, TX 75087 |
| Phone | (972) 204-6300 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | rockwallcountytexas.com |
Searching Rockwall County Obituaries
Order Rockwall County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS statewide index covers Rockwall 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 Rockwall Herald-Banner and area papers.
Note: The DSHS statewide index covers Rockwall County death records from 1903. Online ordering avoids a trip to the Rockwall courthouse.
Requesting Rockwall County Death Certificates
Mail a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Rockwall County Clerk, P.O. Box 569, Rockwall, TX 75087. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.
Historical Rockwall County Obituary Records
Rockwall County death records from the early 1900s reflect a small farming community that was only lightly settled compared to its current suburban density. The county was created in 1873, the smallest county carved from the Blackland Prairie east of Dallas. Early settlers farmed cotton and grain on the fertile prairie soils. Lake Ray Hubbard, built in the 1960s as a Dallas water supply reservoir, inundated much of the original farmland and transformed the county into a lakeside suburb. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch has indexed Texas death collections with Rockwall County entries. Early records are modest in number given the county's historically small population.
The Rockwall County Clerk's website provides information on vital records requests and county services in Rockwall.
The Rockwall County Clerk in Rockwall maintains death certificates and vital records for this DFW-area county from 1903 forward.
Texas Law and Rockwall 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 Rockwall County.
Rockwall County Obituary Resources
Contact the clerk at (972) 204-6300, 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
Rockwall County is located east of Dallas in the DFW metropolitan area.