Find Birth Records in Briscoe County

Briscoe County birth records are held by the County Clerk in Silverton. The office has vital records on file going back to 1903 and can issue certified copies to people who qualify under Texas law. Briscoe County is a small county in the Texas Panhandle with a few thousand residents.

Briscoe County Clerk Office

The County Clerk in Silverton is the official keeper of birth records for Briscoe County. Birth and death records date from 1903. Marriage, probate, and land records go back to 1892. Staff can help you look up a record and process a request for a certified copy.

Briscoe County is a rural Texas Panhandle county. The courthouse in Silverton handles all vital records requests for the county. If you need a birth certificate for someone born in Briscoe County, contact the clerk's office first to confirm requirements and processing times. In-person and mail-in requests are both accepted.

Requesting a Briscoe County Birth Certificate

You can request a birth certificate from the Briscoe County Clerk in person or by mail. For mail-in requests, fill out an application form, make a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and include payment. Send everything to the courthouse in Silverton. Processing times vary based on staff workload, so it can help to call ahead.

Texas limits who can get a certified copy of a birth record. Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 191, you must be the person named on the record, a parent listed on the certificate, a spouse, an adult child, a sibling, a grandparent, or a legal guardian. Attorneys and legal representatives may also qualify with proper documentation. Anyone can request a record after the 75th anniversary of the birth date.

If the record is not available at the county level, try the state office. Texas DSHS Vital Statistics at dshs.texas.gov handles statewide birth certificate requests and has records from 1903 forward. You can also order online through VitalChek.

To request a Briscoe County birth certificate, have ready:

• Full name on the birth record
• Date of birth
• Parents' full names (for long-form certificate)
• A copy of your photo ID
• Proof of relationship if you are not the registrant
• Payment for the required fee

Briscoe County Birth Certificate Fees

The state-set fee for a certified birth certificate is $23 for the first copy. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $4. Briscoe County follows this state fee schedule. Payment is usually accepted by check or money order made out to the county clerk. Call the office to confirm current payment methods before sending your request.

If you order through VitalChek, there is an additional service fee on top of the state fee. The total will be higher than ordering directly from the county. However, online ordering can be convenient if you cannot visit in person or live far from Silverton.

The state DSHS office charges $22 for the first certified copy and $3 for each additional copy at the time of order. Check the Texas DSHS website for the most current fee schedule.

Briscoe County Birth Certificate Types

Texas issues two forms of birth certificates. The long-form certificate is a full copy of the original birth registration. It shows the child's full name, date and place of birth, parents' names and birthplaces, the attending doctor or midwife, and the hospital or location. This form is required for passports and many other legal purposes. It carries an official seal and signature.

The short-form certificate is an abstract. It shows only the basic facts: name, date, county of birth, sex, and parents' names. The short form is stamped "Informational, not a valid document to establish identity." It is not accepted for passports or as a primary identity document. Most people need the long form.

For older or genealogy records from Briscoe County, FamilySearch - Briscoe County Genealogy has resources that may help. Marriage records go back to 1892, which can be useful for tracing family history in this part of the Panhandle.

Other Ways to Find Texas Birth Records

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics unit is the state's central repository for all birth records. They issue both in-county long-form certificates and out-of-county short-form abstracts. For a birth in Briscoe County, the county clerk can issue the long form. The state office can issue either form depending on availability.

If you are doing genealogy research, older records may be available through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Their holdings cover many county-level records that have been microfilmed or digitized. Visit tsl.texas.gov for more information on available archives.

Legal help is available if you have questions about obtaining vital records. TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org has guides on vital records requests and related legal topics.

Texas Birth Records Online

The Texas.gov Vital Records portal provides information on how to order birth certificates from any Texas county, including Briscoe County.

The portal links to the state DSHS office and VitalChek for online ordering, and explains the eligibility rules and required documents for requesting certified copies.

Nearby Counties

Briscoe County borders several other Panhandle counties. If the record you are looking for is not in Briscoe County, check the neighboring counties below.