Access Wise County Obituary Records
Wise County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Decatur, Texas. Located northwest of Fort Worth in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area, Wise County has vital records dating from 1903.
Wise County Overview
Wise County Clerk Death Records
The Wise County Clerk's office in Decatur is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Wise 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.
Wise County lies northwest of Fort Worth in the Barnett Shale region of North Texas. Decatur is the county seat. The county has experienced significant growth as a suburban area for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, while retaining cattle ranching and some row crop agriculture in its rural portions. Natural gas from the Barnett Shale has been an important economic factor since the early 2000s. DFW International Airport is just southeast of the county line. The DSHS online system is available for certified death certificate requests from Wise County.
| Office | Wise County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 359, Decatur, TX 76234 |
| Phone | (940) 627-3351 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | wisecountytexas.info |
Searching Wise County Obituaries
Order Wise County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS statewide index covers Wise 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 Wise County Messenger and area papers.
Note: The DSHS statewide index covers Wise County death records from 1903. Online ordering avoids a trip to the Decatur courthouse.
Requesting Wise County Death Certificates
Mail a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Wise County Clerk, P.O. Box 359, Decatur, TX 76234. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.
Historical Wise County Obituary Records
Wise County death records from the early 1900s document the farming and ranching families who settled the Cross Timbers region of North Texas. The county was organized in 1856 and was named for Henry A. Wise, governor of Virginia. Early settlers were largely from the Upper South -- Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri -- and brought their farming traditions to the blackland and sandy soils of the area. Cattle drives through the county in the 1870s and 1880s shaped early prosperity. The area was on the frontier edge for much of the mid-1800s. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch has indexed Texas death collections with Wise County entries.
The Wise County Clerk's website provides information on vital records requests and county services in Decatur.
The Wise County Clerk in Decatur maintains death certificates and vital records for this North Texas county from 1903 forward.
Texas Law and Wise 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 Wise County.
Wise County Obituary Resources
Contact the clerk at (940) 627-3351, 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
Wise County is located northwest of Fort Worth in North Texas.