Knox County Birth Records

Knox County birth records are kept at the County Clerk's office in Benjamin. Certified birth certificates for births in this Northwest Texas county go back to 1903. The County Clerk handles both in-person and mail requests.

Knox County Clerk and District Clerk

The Knox County Clerk and District Clerk office handles vital records for the county. Knox County is a small, rural county in Northwest Texas. The office is in Benjamin, the county seat. Staff process birth certificate requests and can look up records going back to early statehood registration.

Knox County covers a rural stretch of Northwest Texas. Birth records for births throughout the county, including the communities of Knox City, Munday, and O'Brien, are all kept at the Benjamin office. The clerk handles Delayed Birth Certificates as well, which covers births that were filed more than one year after they occurred.

Getting Knox County Birth Certificates

To request a Knox County birth certificate, visit the clerk's office in Benjamin or submit a mail request. You need to provide the full name at birth, date and place of birth, both parents' names (mother's maiden name), your relationship to the registrant, a copy of your photo ID, and payment for the fee.

Mail requests go to Knox County Clerk, 100 W. Cedar Street, Benjamin, TX 79505. Include a check or money order made payable to Knox County Clerk. Do not send cash. The office will process the request and mail back the certified certificate.

The Texas DSHS in Austin also holds Knox County birth records from 1926 onward. You can order online at dshs.texas.gov or through VitalChek. The DSHS Form VS-140 is used for mail-in applications to the state office. For births before 1926, the Knox County Clerk is the only source.

Under Health and Safety Code Chapter 192, only qualified applicants can receive a certified birth certificate. This includes the person named, their parents, siblings, grandparents, a spouse, and authorized legal representatives.

Knox County Birth Certificate Fees

Certified birth certificates in Knox County cost $22 for the first copy. Extra copies cost $3 each when ordered at the same time. These fees match state law. Mail payments should be check or money order. In-person may accept cash.

The DSHS state office charges the same fee. Online orders through VitalChek carry an added service charge. Expedited processing at the state level is available for an extra fee. Plan ahead for mail-in requests, which can take several weeks depending on volume.

Knox County Birth Record Resources

The Knox County and District Clerk website at knoxcountytexas.org provides official contact information and guidance on requesting Knox County birth certificates. The page covers what you need to bring or include in your request.

Use the official county website to confirm current office hours, fees, and any specific instructions before submitting a request for a Knox County birth certificate.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics section at dshs.texas.gov is the main state portal for ordering Knox County birth records from 1926 forward. The state system covers online, mail, and in-person ordering at the Austin office.

Both the county and state resources provide options for requesting Knox County birth records depending on what year the birth occurred.

Texas Vital Records System

Texas uses a county and state dual-custody system for birth records. The county clerk holds original records for births in their county. The state DSHS holds records from 1926 forward. For births before 1926, only the Knox County Clerk has originals.

The vital records system in Texas is governed by Health and Safety Code Chapter 192. All births must be registered within five days. The county clerk becomes the official local custodian of birth records for births in their county.

Historical Knox County birth records may also appear in genealogy resources at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission at tsl.texas.gov. Their collections include early vital records indexes and county-level birth data that predate the current state registration system.

Cities in Knox County

Knox County is a small rural county. Benjamin is the county seat. Knox City and Munday are other communities in the county. All birth records go through the County Clerk in Benjamin.

No Knox County communities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Knox County is surrounded by other small Northwest Texas counties. Check the county of birth when requesting records from the region.