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How to get Texas divorce records

In Texas, get a certified copy of the divorce decree from the district clerk of the county where the divorce was granted.1 DSHS issues only divorce verification letters (divorces since 1968), not certified decrees.1 You can order at a local office. A verification letter from the state costs $202 and can be ordered online, by mail or in person; it confirms the event but is not a certified copy.

Last checked against official sources.

On this page
  1. Ways to order
  2. Verification letters from the state
  3. What Texas divorce records cost
  4. ID you need
  5. What the application asks for
  6. Decree or certificate
  7. Forms
  8. Years held and older records
  9. Special situations
  10. Warnings from the office
  11. Questions people ask
  12. Sources

Ways to order

HowCost per copyProcessing timePayment
At a local office$53 a document––

Not offered: by phone.4

At a local office

Fees
  • Per document $53

Good to know

  • Statutory per-page charge: $1 per page printed on paper3

Find a local office5

Verification letters from the state

DSHS issues only divorce verification letters (divorces since 1968), not certified decrees.1 A verification letter confirms that the event is on file. Agencies that ask for a certified copy usually will not accept it, so check what the office receiving it wants.

HowCostProcessing timePayment
Online$202 per verification letter
+ 3 possible extra charges		20 to 25 business days on average6Card7
By mail$208 per verification letter
+ 3 possible extra charges		25 to 30 business days on average6Check and money order4
In person$202 per verification letter
+ one extra charge		Same day9Check, money order and card4

Online: verification letter

Run by
Texas.gov (official State of Texas portal) - DSHS Order Vital Records application10
Fees
  • Verification letter $202
  • Approximate costs for Express delivery $1610
  • Shipping to PO Box, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S territories or commonwealths $22.9510
  • Shipping to military address outside the U.S. $4.9510
Processing time
20 to 25 business days on average6
Payment
Card7

Good to know

  • All orders are non-refundable12
  • Verification letter only; not a certified copy of the divorce decree10
  • Online verification letters can be downloaded immediately for an extra $310

Go to the ordering site11

By mail: verification letter

Fees
  • Verification letter $208
  • Expedited Processing (estimated 4 weeks) $258
  • Overnight Return Mail (for shipping within USA) $168
  • USPS Express Return Mail (for shipping to PO Box ONLY) $22.958
Processing time
25 to 30 business days on average6
Expedited service
$25. Processed and mailed about 4 weeks after receipt; must be sent by overnight service to DSHS - VSS MC 2096, 1100 W. 49th St., Austin, TX 78756; expedited return shipping is then required8
Payment
Check and money order4
Make payable to
DSHS Vital Statistics4
Mail to
Texas Vital Statistics, Department of State Health Services, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040
13

Good to know

  • Original application with signature and a photocopy of the applicant's valid ID8
  • Fees are non-refundable even if no record is found2
  • Regular: Texas Vital Statistics, Department of State Health Services, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040; Expedited overnight: Texas Vital Statistics, MC 2096, Department of State Health Services, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 7875613

Open the application or mail instructions8

In person: verification letter

Fees
  • Verification letter $202
  • Processing fee $2.252
Processing time
Same day9
Payment
Check, money order and card4
Make payable to
DSHS Vital Statistics14
Office
DSHS - Vital Statistics Section, 1100 W. 49th St., Austin, TX 78756
15
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm8

Good to know

  • Original acceptable ID must be presented14

Open the official page14

What Texas divorce records cost

State verification letter (not a certified copy)
$202
Expedite fee (state verification letters)
$258
If no record is found
The fee is kept as a search fee8

Types of copies

CopyAccepted forFee
Certified copy of the divorce decree (district clerk)9–$53
Divorce Verification16Not a legal substitute for a certified divorce decree16$202

ID you need

Photo ID
Required8
Accepted ID
  • Driver's license from a U.S. state
  • Federal or state ID card
  • Military ID card
  • U.S. passport
  • License to Carry a Handgun
  • Pilot's license17
Without that ID
Option 2: TWO (2) from Group B; Option 3: ONE (1) from Group B and TWO (2) from Group C17
ID copy with a mail order
Include a copy of your ID8

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.8

  • Full name of Spouse 1
  • Full name of Spouse 2
  • Date of event
  • Place of event (city or town, county; Texas only)
  • Ages or dates of birth at time of event
  • Social Security number (if known)

Decree or certificate

The decree, the court's judgment with the terms of the divorce, comes from the clerk of the court that granted it. Divorce certificate vs decree explains which one an agency usually wants.

Asking the court clerk

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics lists what a request for a divorce record should include:18

  • Full names of husband and wife
  • Date of divorce or annulment
  • Place of divorce or annulment
  • Type of final decree
  • Purpose for which copy is needed
  • Relationship to persons whose record is requested
  • Day time telephone number with area code

Clerks charge their own copy and certification fees, and some offer an exemplified copy, a more formal certification used for out-of-state and foreign purposes.

Forms

Years held and older records

Years held
1968 to today (state verification letters only)8
Older records
District clerk where the divorce was granted1

Special situations

Use abroad
For use abroad, get a certified decree from the district clerk, then an apostille from the Texas Secretary of State19 Details

Warnings from the office

  • A divorce verification letter is not a divorce decree1

Questions people ask

What ID do I need?

The state accepts: Driver's license from a U.S. state; Federal or state ID card; Military ID card; U.S. passport; License to Carry a Handgun; Pilot's license.17

Where are older Texas divorce records kept?

District clerk where the divorce was granted.1

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked between November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

  1. Marriage and Divorce FAQsTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  2. Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Costs and FeesTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  3. Texas Government Code chapter 51Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes)
  4. Birth Record FAQsTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  5. Order Records LocallyTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  6. Texas DSHS processing timesTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  7. Texas.gov FAQSTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  8. Mail application for marriage or divorce record VS 142.9 1.2026 (PDF)Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Sectiondated January 1, 2026
  9. Marriage and Divorce RecordsTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  10. Texas Department of State Health Services pageTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  11. Requirements for Online OrdersTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  12. Texas.gov Order Vital Records (official state portal, ovra.txapps.texas.gov)Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  13. Vital Statistics Mailing AddressesTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  14. Requirements for Mail/In-Person OrdersTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  15. Mail application for birth record VS 140 1.2026 (PDF)Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Sectiondated January 1, 2026
  16. Record TypesTexas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  17. Acceptable Identification (ID)Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section
  18. Where to Write for Vital Records: Application GuidelinesCDC National Center for Health Statisticsdated November 6, 2015
  19. Texas Secretary of State, Authentications/ApostillesOffice of the Texas Secretary of State