Texas Birth Index definition

The Texas birth index is a registry listing all the birth records registered between 1903 and 2010 by the Texas Department of Health Services. It offers an invaluable means of tracing vital records for both genealogical purposes and finding out key information that can be used to source a missing texas birth certificate.

The index itself is managed by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). It functions alongside an index of other vital statistics such as records of deaths, marriages, and divorces.

What Information is Stored Within the Texas Birth Index

The Texas birth index holds information on more than 15 million births recorded between 1903 and 2010. In addition to this, there are a small number of delayed birth registrations (those not officially recorded at a person’s birth and that were created later) which are listed alphabetically and date as far back as 1880.

Each record includes the following essential data about a child born in Texas:

• Name
• Sex
• Date of birth
• County of birth
• Name of the mother
• Name of the father
• Birth certificate file number

It is, however, not possible to order a birth certificate replacement or certified copy from the Texas birth index. This can be done instead through our replacement birth certificate service.

County Codes in Texas

Each county in Texas is listed under a special code. This number appears on the state birth index and can be used to trace records and identify a county of birth.

Each county’s number can be seen in the table below.

Texas Birth Records Before 1903

It is possible to find birth records that date from before 1903 in some cases. This can be done by checking local county records or by seeing if the person in question was recorded under the delayed birth indexes.

How to Access and Search the Texas Birth Index

Accessing the Texas Birth Index can be done online via either ancestry.com (birth records from 1903-1997) familysearch.com or the TSLAC. However, in order to identify the records you’re searching for you’ll need to provide some key data.

The Texas birth index allows users to search and access information about modern birth records recorded in the state using the following search parameters:

• The first and last name of the person
• The names of the person’s parents
• The date of birth

Be aware, however, some of the older records may contain small errors such as the mother’s and father’s names being entered in the wrong section. If this happens simply swap the parent’s names around in the appropriate search field.

Whether you’re tracing your family tree or are trying to identify your birth parents following adoption, the Texas birth index is a helpful tool to help individuals find the records of an in-state birth.