Texas Certificate of Fetal Death (VS-113): Filing, Corrections, Copies

The Texas Certificate of Fetal Death (VS-113) is filed by the funeral director or, when no funeral home is involved, the hospital or birthing center where the delivery occurred. The attending physician certifies the cause of death on the medical portion, and the completed form is submitted electronically through TxEVER to the local registrar within five days of delivery.

When Form VS-113 Is Required

A VS-113 must be filed for any fetal death where the fetus weighs 350 grams (about 12.3 ounces) or more. When the weight cannot be determined, the trigger is a gestational age of 20 weeks or more, measured from the first day of the last normal menstrual period to the date of delivery.¹ Weight is the primary standard; gestational age is a fallback.

Losses below both thresholds do not require a VS-113, though the hospital may still document them internally.

Who Files and Who Certifies

Texas law places the filing duty on the person in charge of interment or removal of the body from the registration district. In practice, that is the funeral director when a funeral home handles arrangements.² The funeral director completes the non-medical sections of the certificate, pulling information from the facility where delivery occurred.

When no funeral home is engaged and the hospital or birthing center handles disposition, that institution takes on the full filing responsibility.¹

The medical certification is a separate job. The attending physician — the one who managed the pregnancy or delivery — completes the cause-of-death section and signs it. A physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse may certify instead if the death occurred under their care in connection with treatment of the contributing condition.²

If the attending physician is unavailable, an associate physician, the facility’s chief medical officer, or a physician who performed an autopsy can certify in their place, but only with the attending physician’s or PA/APRN’s approval, access to the medical history, and a death from natural causes. If the fetal death occurred without medical attendance, or if it falls under the jurisdiction of a medical examiner or justice of the peace, the filer must notify that authority. For inquest cases, the official conducting the inquest has five days after receiving the certificate to complete the medical certification.²

What Information Goes on the Form

The VS-113 breaks into three main blocks. The funeral director or institutional staff handles the first two; the physician handles the third.

Fetal information (Lines 1–18B). Name given to the fetus if any, sex, date and time of delivery, weight, place of delivery, and facility name. If delivery occurred outside a hospital, the street address is recorded instead.
Maternal and paternal demographics (Lines 26A–32). The mother’s full legal name, name before first marriage, birthplace, current residence, age, and education. The same categories apply to the father; unavailable paternal information is marked “unknown.”
Pregnancy and cause-of-death details (Lines 34–53). Prenatal care history, number and outcomes of previous pregnancies, method of delivery, conditions contributing to the fetal death, and the physician’s certification of cause. Unknown WIC enrollment status is marked “unknown.”

The mother’s residence field drives how DSHS assigns the record to a county for health statistics. If the mother lives in a different county from where delivery occurred, both are recorded, but the residence county controls the statistical assignment.

Filing Through TxEVER and the Five-Day Deadline

The certificate is filed electronically through TxEVER, the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registration system.³ Funeral homes and medical facilities with TxEVER access enter the information directly. The certificate must be filed with the local registrar of the registration district where the fetal death occurred — or where the body was found, if the place of death is unknown — within five days of delivery.¹

When TxEVER access is not available, filers use the physical pink VS-113 form. The medical certifier or funeral home completes it, brings it to the local registrar in the county where delivery occurred, and the registrar reviews it for completeness, keeps a copy, and mails the original to the state office.⁴ Once the state accepts the record, it becomes part of the permanent public health database.

The Burial-Transit Permit

A burial-transit permit is a separate document authorizing final disposition. In Texas, it is required when the fetus will be transported out of state, shipped by common carrier within the state, or cremated. The local registrar will not issue the permit until the VS-113 has been filed with at least the fetus’s name (if given), date and place of delivery, and the funeral director’s information.¹

Transport within Texas by private vehicle, rather than a common carrier, does not require a permit; a copy of the Report of Death form is enough. There is no fee for the permit itself. For cremations tied to a medical examiner or justice of the peace inquest, that official’s separate authorization is also required.¹

Correcting a Filed Certificate

Errors on a filed VS-113 are fixed through an amending certificate. Texas law allows amendments to complete missing information or correct inaccuracies proven by satisfactory evidence. The amendment uses a form prescribed by DSHS and, once accepted, attaches to and becomes part of the permanent record. DSHS has 30 business days after receiving the amending certificate to notify the applicant whether it was accepted.⁵

Typical corrections include a misspelled name, father’s information initially recorded as “unknown,” or a revised cause of death after additional medical findings. The sooner the error is caught, the lighter the documentation burden; amendments filed long after registration often require more supporting evidence.

The Separate Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth

The VS-113 is not the only document connected to a stillbirth. Texas law gives parents the option to request a separate Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth, a commemorative document that is distinct from the fetal death certificate and does not serve as proof of a live birth.⁶ The person filing the VS-113, whether a funeral director or hospital staff, must inform parents that this certificate exists and how to request it.

Parents contact the DSHS Vital Statistics Unit directly to request one. A fetal death certificate must already be on file before the request can be processed. The fee is $20.⁷

Ordering Certified Copies

Once the VS-113 is registered with the state, families and authorized representatives can order certified copies three ways: online through the Texas.gov vital records portal, by mail using the Application for Death Record (Form VS-142), or in person at the DSHS Vital Statistics office in Austin or a local registrar’s office.⁸ Online orders are usually the fastest. In-person orders in Austin can often be processed the same day, though some take 24 hours or more.

Applicants need valid government-issued identification and must meet DSHS eligibility rules. The first certified copy of a death record costs $20, and additional copies ordered at the same time are $3 each.⁹ Local registrars may charge different amounts, so confirm the fee with the office you plan to use.

1
Texas Department of State Health Services. Fetal Death Registration Handbook
2
Justia. Texas Code Health and Safety Code Chapter 193 – Death Records
3
Texas Department of State Health Services. Basic Fetal Death Registration for Funeral Homes
4
Texas Department of State Health Services. Local Registrars and Fetal Death Registration
5
State of Texas. Texas Health and Safety Code 191.028
6
State of Texas. Texas Health and Safety Code 192 – Birth Records
7
Cornell Law. 25 Texas Administrative Code 181.22 – Fees Charged for Vital Records
8
Texas Department of State Health Services. Death Records
9
Texas Department of State Health Services. Costs and Fees