Yes, marriage records are public in Texas. The state’s Public Information Act presumes government records are open, and anyone can search statewide marriage indexes online for free, order a verification letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services, or request a certified copy of the license from the county clerk who issued it.1State of Texas. Texas Government Code 552.021 – Availability of Public Information
What Access Actually Means
Texas Government Code Chapter 552 gives any person the right to inspect government records and bars officials from asking why you want them.1State of Texas. Texas Government Code 552.021 – Availability of Public Information Marriage records fall under that rule, with Health and Safety Code Chapter 194 covering how county clerks handle them.2State of Texas. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 194 – Marriage and Divorce Records
What “public” looks like in practice depends on which of three things you want:
- An index entry, which lists both spouses’ names, ages, marriage date, and the county where the license was filed. Anyone can download these from DSHS at no charge.3Texas Department of State Health Services. Marriage/Divorce Indexes
- A verification letter from DSHS, which confirms a marriage occurred but does not reproduce the license.
- A certified copy of the license, which contains the full recorded details and comes only from the county clerk who issued it.4Texas State Law Library. Marriage Licenses
Private details like Social Security numbers are redacted from copies released to the public, even though the underlying application collected them.
Searching the Statewide Index for Free
DSHS maintains downloadable marriage application indexes covering 1966 through 2021.3Texas Department of State Health Services. Marriage/Divorce Indexes Each entry shows the file number, both spouses’ names, their ages at the time, the marriage date, and the county of filing. You can browse them year by year on the DSHS website at no charge. Ordering a full index file from DSHS costs $10 for the first year and $5 for each additional year.5Texas Department of State Health Services. Costs and Fees
For older records or genealogical work, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission keeps its own statewide marriage indexes. TSLAC does not hold original certificates but can point you to the right county. County records are also on microfilm through Regional Historical Resource Depository libraries, and the TSLAC locations in Austin and Liberty act as FamilySearch affiliates with access to restricted genealogical collections.6Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Genealogy Resources
Searching the index first is usually the right starting move, because the certified copy you may eventually want has to come from a specific county, and the index tells you which one.
Ordering a Verification Letter From DSHS
A verification letter is the quickest way to get official confirmation that a marriage took place. To request one, complete DSHS Form VS-142.9 (Marriage/Divorce Application).7Texas Department of State Health Services. Vital Applications and Forms You will need:
- Both spouses’ full legal names, including any maiden names used at the time
- The approximate date of marriage
- The county where the license was filed
- A photocopy of valid identification, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport
Mail the completed form to the DSHS Vital Statistics Unit in Austin with a $20 check or money order payable to DSHS.5Texas Department of State Health Services. Costs and Fees
One limit to know: DSHS does not issue certified copies of the license itself. If you need the full document, the county clerk is your source.
Ordering a Certified Copy From the County Clerk
Contact the county clerk’s office in the county where the marriage was recorded. Most offices accept requests in person, by mail, and sometimes online. Fees vary. Dallas County charges $10 for a marriage license search and certified copy,8Dallas County. Dallas County Clerk – Vital Records Fees and Payment Information while Denton County charges $16.9Denton County. Vital Records Fee Schedule These fees are set under Texas Local Government Code Section 118.011 and include small add-ons for records preservation and electronic filing. Call the specific clerk’s office before sending payment to confirm the exact amount and accepted payment methods.
In-person requests are often filled the same day. Mail requests typically take around 10 business days, though workload varies. Have the exact names, marriage date, and county ready to avoid failed searches.
The recorded license shows what the clerk filed: the applicants’ names, the date the license was issued, the county of issuance, the ceremony date, and the officiant’s name.10State of Texas. Texas Family Code 2.009 – Issuance of License Information from the underlying application, such as dates of birth, addresses, and Social Security numbers, is not part of what the public sees.
Informal Marriages Are Also on File
Texas allows couples to register a common-law marriage by filing a Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage with the county clerk. The form captures each party’s full name (including maiden surname), address, date of birth, place of birth, and Social Security number, along with a sworn statement that they agreed to be married, lived together as spouses, and held themselves out as married in Texas.11State of Texas. Texas Family Code FAM 2.402 – Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage Once filed, that declaration is a public record at the county clerk’s office and carries the same legal weight as a formal marriage license. If you are searching for a Texas marriage and only find a declaration rather than a license, that is still the record.