McLennan County Birth Records

McLennan County birth records are kept by the County Clerk in Waco, Texas. The Clerk serves as the local registrar for vital statistics and can issue certified birth certificates to qualified applicants. Records go back to 1903 in the statewide system, and county records date to 1850 when McLennan County was organized.

McLennan County Clerk

The McLennan County Clerk is the local registrar for vital statistics for one of the major metro counties in Central Texas. The Clerk's office maintains birth and death records, marriage licenses, land filings, and probate documents. Waco is the county seat and a regional center for the surrounding area.

McLennan County was created from Limestone and Milam Counties in 1850 and named for Neil McLennan, an early settler of the area. Marriage records date from 1850, land records from 1850, and probate records from 1850. Birth and death records in the statewide system begin in 1903.

Under Texas Government Code Section 552.115, birth records less than 75 years old are restricted to qualified applicants. These include the registrant, their spouse, parents, children, grandparents, siblings, and legal representatives.

How to Get a McLennan County Birth Certificate

You can get a McLennan County birth certificate from the County Clerk in Waco or through the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section. The state office at dshs.texas.gov handles requests for all Texas counties and offers online ordering at Texas.gov.

Mail requests go to DSHS-VSS, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040 and take about 6 to 8 weeks. Online orders take about 20 to 25 business days. Walk-in service is available at the DSHS office at 1100 West 49th Street in Austin, Monday through Friday.

Use Form VS-140. Complete Sections 1, 2, 5, and 6. Notarize Section 6. Attach a copy of your valid photo ID. Submit only an original form. No alterations or photocopied forms will be accepted.

To request in person at the county level, visit the McLennan County Clerk's office in Waco. Bring a valid photo ID and be prepared to show your relationship to the person on the record.

McLennan County Birth Certificate Costs

Certified Texas birth certificates cost $22.00 per copy through the DSHS state office. Each additional copy is also $22.00. The McLennan County Clerk may have a different local fee, so confirm before submitting a request directly to the county.

Long form certificates are full copies of the original record and are required for passports and federal identity uses. Short form certificates are abstracts of current data and are accepted for school, insurance, and most other purposes. A verification letter confirms only that a birth is on file in Texas and is not a legal substitute for a certified copy.

To correct information on a McLennan County birth record, submit Form VS-170. Most corrections cost $15. Corrections requiring a new certificate cost $25.

McLennan County Vital Records

McLennan County has maintained records since 1850 when it was organized. Marriage, land, and probate records all date from that year. Birth and death records in the statewide system start from 1903. The county includes Waco, a regional hub with significant records volume compared to rural Central Texas counties.

For genealogical research, records older than 75 years are public. The FamilySearch McLennan County genealogy page covers what records exist and where to find them. The District Clerk in McLennan County handles divorce records separately from the County Clerk.

Texas delayed birth registrations from 1939 to 1975 may include some McLennan County residents born before 1903. Contact the County Clerk or the DSHS Vital Statistics Section for information on these records.

Texas State Birth Records Resources

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section at dshs.texas.gov processes birth certificate requests for all Texas counties including McLennan County. The site has full details on how to order, fees, and processing times.

Birth registration law in Texas is in the Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 192. The privacy rules for vital records are in Texas Government Code Section 552.115.

Texas DSHS processes certified birth certificate requests for McLennan County including the Waco area, with records available from 1903 to the present.

Cities in McLennan County

McLennan County includes Waco and several surrounding communities. Birth records for all of them are handled by the McLennan County Clerk.

Other communities in McLennan County include Hewitt, Woodway, Bellmead, Lacy-Lakeview, and Hillsboro. All birth records for McLennan County go through the County Clerk in Waco.

Nearby Counties

McLennan County is in Central Texas. These surrounding counties have their own County Clerks for local birth records.