Find Birth Records in Leon County

Leon County birth records are kept by the County Clerk in Centerville. Anyone who needs a certified copy of a birth certificate from Leon County can contact the Clerk by visiting in person or sending a mail request. The county has maintained birth and death records since 1903, and marriage and land records go back to 1846.

Leon County Clerk

The Leon County Clerk serves as the local registrar for vital statistics. The office records and stores birth records, death records, marriage records, and other official documents. Certified copies of birth certificates are available to qualified applicants. The Clerk's office is located at the Leon County Courthouse in Centerville.

Leon County was created from Robertson County in 1846 and named for Martín De León, a Mexican empresario. Records go back well before statewide registration began. Marriage and land records date to 1846, and probate records to the same year. Birth and death records in the formal statewide system start from 1903.

To request a birth certificate from the Leon County Clerk, you need to prove you are a qualified applicant under Texas law. Under Texas Government Code Section 552.115, birth records are restricted for 75 years. Qualified applicants include the person named on the record, their spouse, parents, children, siblings, or grandparents, as well as legal representatives.

Requesting Leon County Birth Certificates

You can get a Leon County birth certificate from the local County Clerk or from the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section in Austin. Both offices can issue certified copies. The state office also offers online ordering through Texas.gov.

For a mail request to the state office, fill out the Texas Birth Certificate Application (Form VS-140) and send it to DSHS-VSS, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040. Mail orders take about 6 to 8 weeks. Online orders through the state portal take about 20 to 25 business days. If you need faster service, walk-in is available at the DSHS office at 1100 West 49th Street in Austin, where same-day service is typical during normal business hours.

When filling out the form, make sure you include the full name of the person on the record, date of birth, the county where the birth occurred, the mother's full maiden name, and the father's full name if it appears on the certificate. Sections 1, 2, 5, and 6 of Form VS-140 must be completed. Section 6 requires notarization. You must also attach a copy of your valid photo ID.

Note: The application form must be an original document. The state will not accept photocopies, forms with alterations, strike-throughs, or write-overs.

Leon County Birth Certificate Fees

A certified copy of a Texas birth certificate costs $22.00. Each additional copy you order at the same time is also $22.00. This fee applies to orders through the state DSHS office. The Leon County Clerk may charge a similar or different local fee, so call ahead to confirm.

Different certificate types are available. The long form birth certificate is a copy of the original on file and shows any corrections made over the years. It is required for passports and many federal applications. The short form is an abstract that shows current information and is accepted for school registration and most other uses. A verification letter confirms only that a birth record exists in Texas, showing the name, date of birth, and county. It is not a substitute for a certified copy when legal identity proof is needed.

If you need to correct a Leon County birth record, use Form VS-170. Corrections to a child's or parent's information cost $15 each. Corrections that require a new birth certificate cost $25. You can find full correction instructions at the DSHS website.

Leon County Vital Records

Leon County has one of the longer histories among Texas counties. It was organized in 1846 from Robertson County. The records held at the County Clerk's office span nearly 180 years. For genealogical research, birth records that are more than 75 years old are available to the public without restriction.

The FamilySearch wiki at familysearch.org provides a useful overview of what records exist for Leon County. You can find guidance there on where to look for specific record types and time periods. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission also holds historical vital records. Birth records at the county level are available from 1903 to present. Between 1873 and 1876 some Texas counties recorded births informally, though Leon County records from that period may be limited.

Leon County Clerk records include:

• Birth and death records from 1903
• Marriage records from 1846
• Land records from 1846
• Probate records from 1846

For old records tied to family history, delayed birth registrations filed between 1939 and 1975 may also be on file. These were created to help people born before 1903 establish their birth for Social Security and other official purposes.

Texas Birth Records Law and Resources

Texas birth records are governed by the Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 192. This law sets out the rules for registering births, what a birth certificate must include, and who is responsible for filing it. The attending physician or midwife must file the birth certificate with the local registrar no later than five days after the birth.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section is the central repository for all Texas birth records. The main website at dshs.texas.gov has forms, fee schedules, processing times, and a list of qualified applicants. The state has held records since 1903, covering all 254 Texas counties including Leon County.

Texas.gov provides a statewide online ordering portal for birth certificates from Leon County and all other Texas counties.

Nearby Counties

Leon County is surrounded by several Central Texas counties. Each county has its own Clerk handling local birth records.