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Texas Divorce Records: How to Look Up and Get Copies

Reviewed by the Amicably document team · Updated August 12, 2026

Texas does not keep divorce records in one place. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) can tell you whether a divorce was recorded anywhere in the state, but it cannot hand you the decree itself. The actual court file, including a certified copy of the Final Decree of Divorce, exists only at the district clerk's office in the county where the divorce was granted.

Which one you need depends on why you are asking. This guide covers both paths, what each one costs and takes, and how to tell which record actually solves your problem.

Two different kinds of Texas divorce records

People searching for a "Texas divorce record" usually mean one of two very different documents. Confusing them is the single most common reason a request gets rejected or delayed.

There is no third option and no shortcut: DSHS does not hold decrees, and no statewide office can print you a certified copy of one. Every certified copy traces back to a single county courthouse.

Getting a state divorce verification letter

DSHS Vital Statistics maintains a public index of Texas divorces recorded with the state since 1968. If your divorce predates 1968, the state has no record to verify and you will need the county court file directly.

To order a verification letter:

1. Order online through Texas.gov, the fastest method DSHS lists, available any time.
2. Order by mail using the DSHS application form, a copy of a valid driver's license, passport, or state ID, and payment.
3. Order in person at a local DSHS office or the Vital Statistics headquarters in Austin.

Standard mail requests are processed and mailed roughly six to eight weeks after DSHS receives them; paying for expedited service and sending the application by overnight mail brings that down to about twenty to twenty-five business days. Whichever way you order, remember what you are getting: a letter confirming a divorce exists in the state's index, not the decree itself.

Getting a certified copy of the decree

A certified copy of the Final Decree of Divorce, the document with the terms of your case, comes only from the district clerk in the county where the case was filed and finalized. Every Texas county sets its own process and its own fee.

1. Identify the county. You need the county where the divorce was granted, not where you live now. If you are unsure, the decree's own case number usually names the court and county.
2. Choose a method. Most district clerks accept requests in person, by mail, or, in a growing number of counties, through an online records portal. In person is typically fastest, sometimes same day if the file is readily available.
3. Provide identifying information and pay the fee. Bring or send a valid photo ID, both spouses' full names, and the approximate date of divorce (the case number speeds things up but usually is not required). Fees vary by county and by how many pages are certified.

Related: if you are still assembling your original packet rather than looking up an old one, see our guide to how to file for divorce in Texas, and to the official Texas divorce forms that become part of that same court file.

Finding the case: which county, which court

Texas divorces are filed with the district clerk, not the county clerk, in the county where at least one spouse meets the residency requirement. If you do not remember the exact county or court, a few starting points usually narrow it down:

• The county where you or your ex-spouse lived at the time of the divorce is the most likely filing county.
• Larger counties, including Harris and Dallas, publish online case-search tools on the district clerk's website that let you look up a case by party name before you request copies.
• Smaller counties may require a phone call or a written request to the district clerk's office rather than an online search.

Once you know the county, the request itself follows the same in-person, mail, or online pattern described above.

How long the whole process takes depends heavily on which path you choose and whether you are going through the county or the state:

1. Same dayIn-person request at the district clerk's office where the case was filed, if the file is on hand.
2. A few business daysMailed request to the district clerk; turnaround depends on that office's workload.
3. 20 to 25 business daysExpedited, overnight-mail order for a DSHS state verification letter.
4. 6 to 8 weeksStandard mail order for a DSHS state verification letter.

Are Texas divorce records public?

In general, yes. A divorce case file is a court record, and Texas court records are open to public inspection unless a judge has sealed them or a specific category of information is protected. That openness is why many district clerks allow public online case searches by party name in the first place.

There is a narrow but important exception: survivors of family violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking can register with the Texas Attorney General's Address Confidentiality Program and receive a substitute address that appears on court records, including a divorce decree, in place of their actual home address. Outside that kind of protective filing, expect the underlying case file to be viewable at the courthouse, even if the full text is not posted online.

Which record you actually need

Matching the record to the reason you need it saves a round trip:

Agencies that ask for a "certified copy" almost always mean the county court document with the judge's signature and clerk's seal, not the DSHS letter. When the required document is genuinely ambiguous, calling the requesting agency before you order either record avoids paying twice.

A decree involving children also carries the conservatorship and possession and access terms set for the family, on top of the property division; a certified copy is the only way to get a document that reflects the exact terms a judge signed, rather than a general statement that a divorce occurred.

Frequently asked questions