Find Birth Records in Longview

Longview birth records are filed and maintained by the Gregg County Clerk, which serves as the local registrar for vital statistics in Longview and throughout Gregg County. The county courthouse is located right in downtown Longview, making in-person requests straightforward. Gregg County birth records go back to 1873, with consistent statewide records from 1903 onward.

Where Longview Birth Records Are Kept

Longview is in Gregg County. The Gregg County Clerk holds birth records, marriage records, court records, and land records for the county. Birth records have been maintained since 1873, with consistent statewide registration from 1903 forward. The county courthouse is located in downtown Longview at 101 E. Methvin Street.

County Clerk Connie Wade's office handles vital records requests for Gregg County. You can request a certified birth certificate in person at the courthouse, or by mail. In-person requests are the fastest option and generally let you leave with the certificate the same day.

Gregg County was created from Upshur County in 1873 and has no known history of courthouse disasters, so records are largely intact. The county also serves communities around Longview. If your birth occurred anywhere in Gregg County, this office holds your record.

How to Get a Longview Birth Certificate

Getting a Longview birth certificate requires identifying yourself as a qualified applicant, completing an application, and submitting the request with payment. The county clerk accepts in-person and mail requests. You can also order through the Texas DSHS state office or online through Texas.gov.

Texas restricts birth records to qualified applicants for 75 years after the birth date. Under Texas Government Code Section 552.115, only the person on the record, their spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or a legal representative can get a certified copy. You must show valid government-issued photo ID with your request.

Use the Texas VS-140 form from the Texas DSHS website for mail requests. Sections 1, 2, 5, and 6 must be completed. For mail-in requests, Section 6 must be notarized and you must include a copy of your photo ID. Online requests go through Texas.gov. Track order status at dshs.texas.gov/orderstatus or by calling 888-963-7111.

For your request, have these items ready:

• Full name on the birth record
• Date of birth and county (Gregg County)
• Full maiden name of the mother
• Your name, address, and relationship to the person
• Valid photo ID (copy for mail requests)
• Payment by check or money order

Longview Birth Certificate Fees

Gregg County charges $23.00 per certified birth certificate. Additional copies ordered at the same time run $4.00 each. These are the county-level fees for in-person and mail requests.

State-level requests through the DSHS Vital Statistics Section cost $22.00 per certified copy. Additional copies ordered together are $22.00 each. Online orders take 15 to 25 business days. Standard mail orders to the state take 6 to 8 weeks. Expedited overnight orders to the state are processed in about 20 to 25 business days.

For state mail requests, send to DSHS-VSS, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040. Expedited orders go via overnight courier to DSHS-VSS MC 2096, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756. Acceptable payment for state orders includes check, cashier's check, money order, and credit or debit card for online orders.

Note: Military members with current deployment orders may be exempt from state fees under Texas Government Code 437.217. Bring your military ID and deployment orders to request the exemption.

Birth Certificate Types for Longview Residents

Texas offers different birth certificate formats. The one you need depends on what you plan to do with it. Most legal or federal purposes require the long form. Everyday uses like school enrollment or employment often only need the short form.

The long form is a full copy of the original birth record. It includes the hospital, doctor, parent details, and any correction history. This is what you need for a U.S. passport or Texas driver's license. The Gregg County Clerk can issue long form certificates for births that took place in Gregg County. If the birth happened in another Texas county, Gregg County can issue only an abstract (short form) through the state remote system going back to 1926.

The short form is an abstract showing only current core information: name, date, place, sex, and parent names. It does not reflect any correction history. It's accepted by schools, employers, and most state agencies. The heirloom certificate is decorative only. A verification letter simply confirms the record exists and is not a legal substitute for a certified copy.

Longview Birth Records and Texas Law

Birth registration in Texas is governed by Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 192. Each birth must be registered within five days. Hospitals in Longview file birth certificates with the Gregg County Clerk, who then forwards copies to the DSHS Vital Statistics Section in Austin.

Gregg County records go back to 1873. The FamilySearch Gregg County genealogy guide notes that the county holds birth, marriage, court, and land records from that year, with death records from 1900. For those researching older Longview-area births, this resource along with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission are useful starting points.

If you need to correct a Longview birth certificate, use Form VS-170 available through the DSHS Vital Statistics Section. Corrections to child or parent information cost $15. Delayed birth certificate registration for births not filed within the first year is handled under Texas Administrative Code Title 25, Rule 181.60.

Texas DSHS Birth Records Resource

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section holds statewide birth records since 1903 and provides the official processing pathway for all Texas birth certificate requests, including those from Longview and Gregg County.

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 192 governs how Longview births are registered and how certified copies can be requested. The DSHS portal is the official state resource for all vital records questions and orders.

Gregg County Birth Records

Longview is the county seat of Gregg County, and all birth filings for the city run through the Gregg County Clerk. Visit the Gregg County birth records page for full clerk details, office information, and additional county-level resources.

View Gregg County Birth Records