Birth and Death Certificates
Bexar County birth and death certificates are handled through more than one government office, and the correct office depends on the type of record, where the event occurred, and in some cases when it occurred. This article explains the records handled by the Bexar County Clerk’s Vital Statistics Department, records directed to the City of San Antonio City Clerk, how to check the Vital Records Index, how the County Clerk’s mail request process works, where certificate changes are handled, and the office information residents may need before making a request.
Who Handles Bexar County Records
The first step in requesting a birth or death certificate is determining which government office has responsibility for the record. Bexar County’s official Birth and Death Certificates page identifies a limited group of historical records that may be obtained from the Bexar County Clerk’s Office Vital Statistics Department. The same page directs other birth and death records to the Office of the City Clerk of San Antonio.
This distinction matters because submitting a request to the wrong office can add unnecessary steps. The Bexar County Clerk does not serve as the repository for every birth or death that occurred anywhere in the county during every period. Its certificate service is particularly relevant to certain older births and deaths associated with rural or unincorporated parts of Bexar County.
The City of San Antonio City Clerk serves as the local registrar for births, deaths, and fetal deaths occurring in Bexar County. Its Birth and Death Records service page provides separate request information for birth certificates and death certificates and also provides access to the county’s Vital Records Index.
County Clerk Record Coverage
The Bexar County Clerk’s Vital Statistics Department maintains specific categories of older vital records. Before preparing a County Clerk request, compare the event with the categories identified by the county.
Birth Records Held by County
The County Clerk states that it may provide birth records for the following events:
Births, including home births, in unincorporated parts of Bexar County before 1967.
Births that occurred in the rural part of Bexar County before 1967.
Births that occurred at Wilford Hall Military Medical Center, formerly Lackland Air Force Hospital, before 1967.
These categories make the event location especially significant. A person researching an older birth should not assume that a pre-1967 Bexar County birth automatically belongs with the County Clerk. A hospital birth from that period may instead be associated with the City Clerk’s records, while an older rural or unincorporated-area birth may fall within the County Clerk’s collection.
Death Records Held by County
The County Clerk identifies a narrower category for death records: deaths that occurred at home in rural Bexar County between 1903 and 1967. The location and circumstances of the death therefore matter when determining whether the County Clerk is the appropriate office.
The county specifically states that births or deaths occurring in a hospital during this historical period are available through the Office of the City Clerk of San Antonio. That distinction can prevent a common mistake: choosing an office based only on the fact that the event occurred somewhere in Bexar County.
Records Handled by City Clerk
The City Clerk is the local registrar for Bexar County vital records and maintains a broader collection than the limited historical categories identified by the County Clerk. According to the city’s official records page, birth records are available from 1897, death records from 1873, and fetal death records from 1952.
The Bexar County Clerk also identifies several categories that can be obtained from the City Clerk’s Vital Records Division. These include hospital births, home births that occurred within San Antonio city limits, deaths in Bexar County before 1903, birth records beginning in 1873, and fetal death records beginning in 1952.
Because the County Clerk and City Clerk pages describe their holdings from different administrative perspectives, the most practical approach is to focus on the event itself: what kind of record it is, the year, whether the event occurred in a hospital or at home, and whether the location was rural, unincorporated, or within San Antonio.
Birth Records Through the City
The City Clerk’s birth certificate service is the appropriate starting point for many Bexar County births that do not fit the County Clerk’s specific historical categories. The city’s official page provides the requirements, fees, and submission instructions for a birth certificate request.
Applicants should use the official city instructions rather than assuming that the County Clerk’s mail procedure applies to City Clerk requests. The two offices operate separate services, and instructions provided by one office should not be treated as interchangeable with the other.
Death and Fetal Death Records
The City Clerk also provides death certificate request information. Its records include death records dating from 1873 and fetal death records dating from 1952. The city additionally provides instructions specifically for funeral home requests involving death certificates or burial transit permits.
Residents seeking an ordinary death certificate should use the city’s public death certificate request information rather than the funeral-home procedure unless they are acting through the type of operation covered by that separate service.
Checking the Vital Records Index
For people who are uncertain whether a birth or death record is available through the City Clerk, the City of San Antonio provides an official Vital Records Index search. The city states that the index shows what records are available for purchase.
The index is useful as a record-availability check. It should not be confused with the certificate itself. Finding an entry in the index does not mean the user has obtained a certified birth or death certificate. The city directs users who want to purchase records to the separate birth certificate and death certificate services.
This distinction is particularly helpful for older records. When a family member is unsure of the exact year or is trying to determine whether the City Clerk has a record in its collection, checking the index can help establish whether an available record appears in the city system before proceeding with a certificate purchase.
County Clerk Mail Requests
The County Clerk provides a specific mail process for copies of birth and death certificates that are held by its Vital Statistics Department. The county instructs applicants to complete the “Request a Birth/Death Certificate” application, have the application notarized, and mail it to the County Clerk’s Vital Statistics Department.
Application and Notarization
The notarization step is part of the County Clerk’s stated mail procedure and should not be skipped. A person preparing a mailed request should complete the County Clerk’s designated application rather than sending only a letter asking for a certificate.
Applicants should also make sure they are using the County Clerk procedure only for records that fall within the County Clerk’s holdings. Completing and notarizing a County Clerk application does not change which government office maintains the underlying record.
Mailing the Request
The official Birth and Death Certificates page directs mailed certificate applications to the Bexar County Clerk, attention Vital Statistics Department, at the County Clerk’s mailing address listed at the end of this article. The County Clerk’s separate contact information identifies the Vital Statistics service location in the Paul Elizondo Tower.
Those addresses serve different practical purposes. The certificate page provides the address for mailing the completed notarized application, while the County Clerk’s contact pages identify where the Vital Statistics section is located. Applicants using the mail procedure should follow the mailing instructions attached to that procedure rather than substituting another County Clerk office address.
County Clerk Office Services
The Bexar County Clerk is responsible for a wide range of county records, but birth and death certificate requests belong specifically to its Vital Statistics function. The official County Clerk Services page identifies birth and death certificates as one of the services available through the office and directs users to the dedicated certificate information.
This separation within the County Clerk’s Office matters when seeking help. Other County Clerk sections handle matters such as civil filings, criminal filings, deed records, marriage licenses, probate, and recordings. Those divisions are not substitutes for Vital Statistics when the issue concerns a birth or death certificate maintained by the County Clerk.
The County Clerk’s general site also lists Vital Statistics as a distinct department contact. Residents who need office information can refer to the official County Clerk contact page, which identifies the Vital Statistics location and department phone number.
Choosing the Correct Office
The most useful way to decide where to begin is to match the record to the event details rather than choosing an office solely because “Bexar County” appears on the certificate request.
Older Rural Births
For a birth before 1967 in a rural or unincorporated part of Bexar County, the County Clerk’s Vital Statistics Department may hold the record. The same applies to qualifying births at Wilford Hall Military Medical Center before 1967.
Hospital Births
The County Clerk’s guidance directs hospital births from the relevant historical period to the City Clerk. A hospital location is therefore an important clue when deciding which office to use, even if the hospital was located within Bexar County.
Home Births
Home births require attention to both location and date. The County Clerk lists home births in unincorporated or rural Bexar County before 1967 among its records. The City Clerk’s information covers home births occurring within the city limits and also provides a separate government process for registering a home birth when a baby is born without a medical professional in San Antonio or Bexar County.
The city explains that in such a situation, the parent must register for a birth certificate. The city’s birth and death records page provides information about the required information and how that registration process begins.
Older Death Records
For deaths, the County Clerk’s stated historical category is limited to deaths at home in rural Bexar County between 1903 and 1967. Deaths in Bexar County before 1903 are among the records the County Clerk directs to the City Clerk.
The City Clerk states that its death records are available from 1873. People researching nineteenth-century or very early twentieth-century deaths should therefore pay close attention to the City Clerk’s collection rather than assuming those records are maintained by the County Clerk.
Certificate Changes and Corrections
Requesting an existing certificate and changing information on a birth certificate are different processes. The Bexar County Clerk states that most changes to a birth certificate are handled through the Texas Department of State Health Services.
This means the County Clerk’s certificate service should not automatically be treated as the office that changes the underlying state vital record. A person seeking a copy of an existing county-held record may be dealing with the County Clerk, while a person seeking to alter information on a birth certificate may need the state agency identified by the county.
Keeping those tasks separate can prevent requests from being directed to the wrong office. Ordering a copy, searching for an available record, registering a home birth, and requesting a change to a birth certificate are distinct government functions even though all involve vital records.
Common Requesting Mistakes
Assuming One Office Has Everything
A frequent source of confusion is treating “Bexar County vital records” as a single collection maintained by one office. The County Clerk and City Clerk have different responsibilities and historical holdings. The record’s year, location, and type should be reviewed before selecting an office.
Ignoring Hospital Versus Home Location
For older records, a hospital event and a home event can lead to different offices. The County Clerk specifically distinguishes rural home records from hospital records during the period covered by its historical holdings.
Skipping the Index Search
When using the City Clerk system, the Vital Records Index can help determine whether a record is shown as available for purchase. Searching the index before proceeding can be useful when the record is older or the requester is uncertain about availability.
Treating an Index Entry as a Certificate
The City of San Antonio describes the Vital Records Index as a way to see what records are available for purchase. It is not a substitute for ordering the birth or death certificate itself.
Mailing an Unnotarized County Application
The County Clerk’s published mail instructions require the “Request a Birth/Death Certificate” application to be notarized before it is mailed. Applicants following the County Clerk mail process should include that step when preparing the request.
Using the Wrong County Clerk Division
The County Clerk has many departments and service counters. Vital Statistics is the section associated with the birth and death records described by the county. Civil filing, criminal filing, recordings, marriage licenses, deed records, and other County Clerk operations perform different functions.
Confusing Copies With Corrections
A request for another copy of a certificate is not the same as changing the information recorded on the certificate. The County Clerk directs most birth certificate changes to the Texas Department of State Health Services, while certificate-copy requests are handled according to the office that maintains the applicable record.
Preparing Before a Request
Before choosing a government office or submitting an application, identify the basic facts that determine where the record belongs. For older records in particular, knowing only the person’s name may not be enough to choose between County Clerk and City Clerk services.
Useful event details to establish include the type of record, the approximate year, whether the event was a birth or death, whether it occurred at home or in a hospital, and whether an older home event occurred in a rural, unincorporated, or city location. For a historical birth at a military medical facility, determining whether it occurred at Wilford Hall Military Medical Center before 1967 is also relevant to the County Clerk’s stated holdings.
After identifying the likely record holder, use the instructions published by that office. The County Clerk’s mail process requires its designated application and notarization. The City Clerk maintains its own request information for birth and death certificates. The city’s Vital Records Index can be used separately to check records shown as available for purchase.
Office Hours and In-Person Information
The Bexar County Clerk’s official page lists regular hours for the Courthouse, Paul Elizondo Tower, and Cadena-Reeves Justice Center as Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except county holidays. The County Clerk also lists extended Wednesday hours through 5:45 p.m. for those locations.
The Vital Statistics section is listed at the Paul Elizondo Tower. Because the County Clerk also maintains multiple departments at different buildings and suites, people planning an in-person visit should distinguish the Vital Statistics location from the County Clerk’s general administrative office at the Courthouse.
The City of San Antonio’s birth and death records page serves as the official entry point for City Clerk certificate requests. It separates birth certificate requests from death certificate requests and provides the requirements and fees for each service. Using the service page associated with the exact record type helps prevent confusion with other City Clerk functions such as home-birth registration or funeral-home requests.
Birth and Death Record Offices
Bexar County Clerk – Vital Statistics Department
Physical address: Paul Elizondo Tower, 101 W. Nueva, Suite B110, San Antonio, Texas 78205
Mailing address: Bexar County Clerk, Attn: Vital Statistics Dept., 100 Dolorosa, Suite 104, San Antonio, Texas 78205
Phone: 210-335-3009
Office of the City Clerk – Vital Records Division
Phone: 210-207-7253
Texas Department of State Health Services
1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756
Phone: 512-458-7111 or 888-963-7111
Birth and Death Certificates FAQs
Can unmarried parents handle paternity paperwork through the City Clerk?
Yes. The City of San Antonio City Clerk’s birth and death records services include information for filing an Acknowledgement of Paternity, commonly called an AOP. The city explains that an AOP allows parents who are not married to establish legal paternity. This is a separate process from simply requesting a copy of a birth certificate, so parents who need to establish paternity should follow the city’s official birth and death records guidance for the AOP filing process rather than treating it as a standard certificate order.
Are there special death record procedures for funeral homes?
Yes. Funeral homes have a separate service through the City of San Antonio for requesting death certificates or burial transit permits. Funeral home staff should use the funeral-home instructions provided through the City Clerk rather than relying on the general public request procedure. The city keeps this process separate because it covers professional requests connected with death registration and burial documentation.
Should I use the same instructions for every certificate request?
No. The government pages separate birth certificate requests, death certificate requests, paternity filings, home-birth registration, and funeral-home requests into different services. Each process can have its own requirements and fees. Before submitting paperwork or payment, open the service that matches the exact task you need to complete. The Bexar County Clerk Services page also directs certificate users to the dedicated Vital Statistics service instead of the office’s unrelated recording, court, probate, or property-record functions.