How to Find a Cause of Death in Texas (2026)

To find someone's cause of death in Texas, look to the death certificate, which records the medical cause, or to a medical examiner's autopsy report for deaths that were investigated. A Texas death certificate stays confidential for 25 years, so the cause of death is restricted to immediate family and qualified requesters during that window, then becomes public.

How Do You Find Someone's Cause of Death in Texas?

You find a cause of death in Texas through one of two official documents: the death certificate, which carries the medical cause certified by the attending physician or medical examiner, or the autopsy report produced when a medical examiner investigates the death. Most people start with whichever they are eligible to obtain.

If you are an immediate family member, the fastest route is ordering a certified death certificate from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The cause of death is printed on that record.

If a medical examiner investigated the death, the autopsy report is a separate document that contains a detailed cause and manner of death. For deaths older than 25 years, the death certificate itself becomes a public record that anyone may order.

For a broader look at how cause-of-death access works across the country, see our overview, Are Cause of Death Records Public?

Is the Cause of Death Public in Texas?

Not right away. Texas is a closed-record state for recent deaths. Under Texas Government Code Section 552.115 and the Health and Safety Code, a death certificate, including its cause-of-death field, is confidential for 25 years from the date of death.

During that 25-year window, the cause of death on the certificate is released only to a qualified applicant, not to the general public. On and after the 25th anniversary of the death, the record becomes public information and anyone may order a certified copy with the cause of death included.

This mirrors the access rule on our parent page, Texas Death Records, which explains the 25-year confidentiality period in full. Distributing information that Chapter 552 makes confidential is an offense under Texas Government Code Section 552.352, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, confinement in the county jail for up to six months, or both, so DSHS applies the eligibility rules closely.

There is one important exception to the general restriction. When a medical examiner investigates a death, the autopsy report is treated as a public record in Texas, which can make the cause of death obtainable even when the certificate itself is still confidential.

Where the Cause of Death Is Recorded

The cause of death lives in two distinct documents, and knowing the difference tells you where to look.

The Death Certificate

Every Texas death is registered with a death certificate filed through DSHS Vital Statistics. The certificate includes a medical certification section where the cause of death is recorded. For most natural deaths, the attending physician certifies that cause.

Because the cause of death sits inside the confidential certificate, it carries the same 25-year restriction as the rest of the record.

The Autopsy Report

When a death is unnatural, violent, unexplained, or happens without a physician in attendance, a Texas medical examiner steps in. Under Chapter 49 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the medical examiner must hold an inquest and keep full and complete records giving the name of the deceased, the place where the body was found, the date, and the cause and manner of death (art. 49.25, Sec. 11). A 2025 recodification, House Bill 1610, replaces Chapter 49 with a new Chapter 49A on April 1, 2027, so Chapter 49 is the law that governs until then.

The full report and detailed findings of the autopsy are part of that record. Autopsy photographs and x-rays are excepted from public disclosure under Chapter 552, but the report itself documents the cause of death.

How to Request Records That Show the Cause of Death

The request path depends on which document you need and whether you are eligible.

To order a death certificate with the cause of death, an immediate family member or someone with a direct, tangible interest applies to DSHS Vital Statistics by mail, in person, or online through Texas.gov. The first certified copy costs $20, with each additional copy ordered at the same time costing $3.

To request an autopsy report, contact the medical examiner's office in the county where the death occurred. Not every Texas county has a medical examiner; smaller counties use justices of the peace who act as coroners and may order an inquest.

If you only need to confirm that a death occurred, DSHS issues a death verification letter to anyone. The letter lists the name, date of death, and county, but it does not include the cause of death and is not a legal substitute for a certified copy.

Finding the Cause of Death for Older or Historical Deaths

Older Texas deaths are easier to research because the confidentiality period eventually lapses. Once a death certificate reaches its 25th anniversary, it becomes public, and anyone may order a copy showing the cause of death.

Texas death records date back to 1903. DSHS publishes birth and death indexes that let researchers locate a record by name and date, which is a useful first step for genealogy work before ordering the full certificate.

For deaths in any era, the Social Security Death Index, drawn from the Social Security Administration's Death Master File, confirms the fact of death and lists the date. It never includes a cause of death, and the public version excludes anyone who died within the previous three calendar years.

Obituaries and newspaper archives are another practical route. They frequently describe a cause of death, name the funeral home, and point you toward the records that will confirm it.

Texas Cause of Death Records at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Access rules and fees can change. Confirm the current requirements with the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Section or the relevant county medical examiner's office before relying on them.

Sources

This page draws on the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Section, the Texas Government Code and Health and Safety Code, the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Social Security Administration.