To find divorce records in Texas, you have two main options: request a full certified copy of the Final Decree of Divorce from the district clerk in the county where the divorce was granted, or request a Divorce Verification from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vital Statistics Unit, which confirms a divorce happened but does not include its terms. Which office you contact depends on what you actually need the record to prove.
Decide Which Document You Need
These are two very different records, and mixing them up is the most common reason a request comes back useless.
A Final Decree of Divorce is the full court order signed by the judge. It sets out how property was divided, which parent has custody, whether anyone pays spousal support, and any other terms of the case. The original lives at the district clerk’s office in the county where the divorce was granted. If you need the actual terms of a divorce, this is the document to request.
A Divorce Verification (sometimes called a Report of Divorce) is a much simpler document issued by DSHS. It confirms that a divorce occurred and lists basic facts like the names of the parties and the date the marriage ended. It says nothing about custody, property, or support. Verifications are useful for proving marital status quickly, but they are not a substitute for the decree.
DSHS keeps a statewide index of divorces reported since 1968, which is also helpful if you know a divorce happened somewhere in Texas but aren’t sure which county handled it.
What to Gather Before You Search
A few details will save you a failed search and a lost fee:
- Full legal names of both spouses, including maiden names or any name changes. A misspelling is the most common reason a search returns nothing.
- Approximate date of the divorce. The year is usually enough, but a more specific date helps when the names are common.
- The county where the divorce was granted. You need this to contact the right district clerk. If you don’t know it, start with the DSHS statewide index or the online case search below.
Check every detail against personal records before you file anything. DSHS fees are non-refundable even when no record is found.
Search Court Records Online First
Before paying for anything, try re:SearchTX, the free statewide search tool at research.txcourts.gov. It pulls case information from all 254 Texas counties. You can look up divorce cases by party name and see basic case data, hearing information, and, in many counties, scanned court documents.
How much you’ll see depends on the county. Larger counties tend to have more records digitized; smaller or rural counties may show only case index information. Many district clerks also run their own online portals with case search features, which sometimes go deeper than the statewide tool for that particular county. Searching is free on both. Getting a certified copy still requires a mail or in-person request with payment.
Request the Full Decree From the District Clerk
Certified copies of divorce decrees are only available from the district clerk who serves as custodian of the court records for that case. The clerk’s office maintains the original signed decree along with every motion, exhibit, and filing.1Northern District of Texas. Marriage/Divorce Records
Fees vary by county, usually charged per page or per document. Call or check the website of the specific district clerk’s office before you go, both to confirm current fees and to see what payment methods they accept. Many offices take in-person requests with same-day or next-day turnaround, which makes the district clerk the faster route when you already know the county.
Under the Texas Public Information Act, government records are presumed public and the clerk cannot ask why you want a record.2Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Open Records Policy Anyone can generally request a divorce case file at the county level, subject to the sealing rules discussed below.
Request a Verification From DSHS
To get a divorce verification from the state, submit the Marriage/Divorce Application, Form VS-142.9, by mail or online.3Texas Department of State Health Services. Vital Applications and Forms The fee is $20 per verification.4Texas Department of State Health Services. Costs and Fees
By Mail
Print and complete Form VS-142.9, then mail it to the Vital Statistics Unit in Austin with a check or money order payable to DSHS. Don’t send cash. An unsigned check or a submission without payment comes back unprocessed. Mail-in processing currently averages 25 to 30 business days from the date DSHS receives the application.5Texas Department of State Health Services. Processing Times
Online
The Texas.gov portal accepts electronic applications for divorce verifications through the DSHS Online Vital Records Application. You’ll pay by credit card and get confirmation immediately. Online processing currently averages 20 to 25 business days, slightly faster than mail. Either way, DSHS sends the verification or a search-results notification by U.S. Mail. If you’re working against a legal deadline, plan for the full window; these numbers are averages, not guarantees.
Who Can Request a Verification
DSHS limits certified copies of verifications to what the state calls a “properly qualified applicant.” Under state regulations, that means the person named in the record, an immediate family member by blood, marriage, or adoption (including children, spouses, parents, siblings, and grandparents), a legal guardian, or an authorized legal representative such as an attorney acting on the person’s behalf.6Legal Information Institute. 25 Texas Admin Code 181.1 – Definitions Government agencies and other individuals can qualify if they can show a direct, tangible interest tied to a statutory requirement or personal property right.
The county rule is looser. Because divorce case files are court records rather than vital records, district clerks generally make them available to any member of the public.
When a File Is Sealed
A judge can restrict access to a divorce file when privacy or safety concerns justify it. Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 76a, the general rule for sealing court records, explicitly excludes cases that originate under the Family Code, so sealing a divorce file works through the family court itself.7South Texas College of Law Houston. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 76a – Sealing Court Records A party asking to restrict access usually files a motion for a protective order, and courts have broad discretion in family cases to protect children, prevent harassment, or shield sensitive financial data.
When a file is sealed or restricted, only the parties, their attorneys, and authorized court personnel can view the contents. Anyone else would need a later court order to see the record.
Fixing an Error in a Decree
Typos and clerical mistakes in final decrees show up more often than people expect: a misspelled name, a wrong date, a transposed digit in an account number. Texas courts correct these through a judgment nunc pro tunc, a Latin phrase meaning “now for then.” Under Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 316 and 329b, a court can correct a clerical error in a judgment at any time, even after the normal 30-day window of authority over the case has closed.8Texas Courts. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure
The line to watch is between clerical and judicial errors. A clerical error is a mistake in recording what the court actually decided; for example, the judge ordered $500 per month in support but the decree says $50. A nunc pro tunc fixes the paperwork to match the court’s original intent. A judicial error is a mistake in the judge’s actual decision, and fixing that requires an appeal or a bill of review. If you find a clerical error, file a written motion with the court identifying the specific mistake. The sooner you catch it, the cleaner the fix.
Using a Texas Decree Abroad
If a foreign government needs to recognize a Texas divorce, you’ll likely need an apostille, a certificate that authenticates the document for international use. Two steps. First, request a certified copy of the decree from the district clerk in the county where the divorce was granted, and tell them it’s for apostille purposes.9Texas Department of State Health Services. Records for Foreign Governments (Apostille) Then send the certified copy to the Texas Secretary of State’s office for the apostille itself. DSHS does not handle apostille fees or processing; that falls to the Secretary of State. Check that office’s website for current fees and instructions before mailing anything, since processing times can run several weeks.