Birth and Death Certificates

General Information

Certificates can be ordered in-person at City Hall, online, or by mail order. Please see information below for each of these ordering methods.

Birth Certificates

The birth must have occurred in the State of Texas.

Qualified Applicants

Birth certificates are confidential records with restricted access until 75 years after the file date.  Restricted access birth certificates can only be issued to qualified applicants. Proof of relationship or legal interest must be presented for requests by the following:

• Spouse - You must provide an ID showing the same last name as your spouse and a medical or automobile insurance card also showing both names on the card, or marriage license and insurance card in both names.

• Parent - Your name must be on the birth certificate you are requesting.

• Sibling - You must share at least one parent and provide us with a copy of your birth certificate.

• Grandparent - You must provide a copy of your child's birth certificate to show the relationship to the grandchild.

• Child – The parent’s name must be on your birth certificate.

• Legal Guardian – You must provide a certified court order showing legal custody (“conservatorship”).

• Attorneys – must have a bar card and provide a certified copy of a court issued document explicitly demonstrating a need for the record.

Birth Record Types

• Long-Form: only available to those born in the Corpus Christi city limits with some exceptions. Accepted for all purposes including passports and immigration.
  
  Please note that births that occurred at Riverside Hospital in Robstown, TX before Nov. 1, 1981 or on the Naval Air Base before April 1, 1963 are registered at the Nueces County Courthouse, County Clerk’s Office. For more information: call (361) 888-0580, email filing.cc@nuecescountytx.gov, or visit the Nueces County Courthouse in-person.

• Short-Form: State abstract record available for births in Texas after 1925.  Not acceptable for genealogy, passports, or immigration.

Cost of Certified Copies

Certified Birth Certificate: $23

Birth Certificate Search Fee (non-refundable) charged to search for a birth certificate that is not found or is not purchased:  $23

Death Certificates

The death must have occurred in Corpus Christi. If not, please contact the city or county where the death occurred.

Qualified Applicants

Death certificates are confidential records with restricted access until 25 years after the file date.  Restricted access death certificates can only be issued to qualified applicants. Proof of relationship or legal interest must be presented for requests by the following:

• Spouse - Your name must be listed as surviving spouse on the death certificate.

• Parent - Your name must be on the birth certificate for your child that passed.

• Sibling - You must share at least one parent and provide us with a copy of your birth certificate for verification that you are siblings.

• Grandparent - You must provide a copy of your child's birth certificate to show the relationship to the grandchild.

• Child - The parent’s name must be on your birth certificate or you are listed as the informant on the death certificate.

• Legal Guardian - You must provide a certified court order showing legal custody (“conservatorship”).

• If you are not an immediate family member, you must be:

  • the informant named on the death certificate;

  • a beneficiary to an insurance policy or other survivor’s benefit and must provide documentation of such;

  • named on the deceased's official will and must provide documentation of such; or

  • an Attorney must have bar card and provide a certified copy of a court issued document explicitly demonstrating need for the record

Cost of Certified Copies

When purchased at the same time, the first certified copy of the death certificate is $21 and each additional copy is $4. 

Please email the following items to vitalrecords@cctexas.com:   

• A copy of your printed receipt showing your online payment 
• The reference number listed on your receipt 
• The name of the individual for whom you are requesting a certificate, and your relationship to the person on the certificate (or “self”) 
• Reason for request (driver’s license, school, passport, insurance benefits, etc.), and the address where you would like for the record to be mailed 
• A copy of your valid Driver’s License or valid ID  (Acceptable Identification (ID) - texas.gov) 
• A telephone number in the event we need to contact you for questions 

Please ensure that the information you are providing (name, Date of Birth or Death, County/City) is correct prior to submitting your request, as no refunds are available. Requests with incomplete or incorrect information will not be processed. 

*Please note: We are not responsible for orders once they are mailed.  Please contact your local post office to inquire about mail not received.*