Val Verde County Birth Records

Val Verde County birth records are filed with the County Clerk in Del Rio, Texas, and date back to 1903. Certified copies are available to qualified applicants in person or by mail. The County Clerk is the local registrar for all birth records in the county.

Val Verde County Clerk Office

The Val Verde County Clerk maintains birth records for all births occurring within the county. Del Rio is the county seat and serves as the hub for vital records requests in Val Verde County. The county sits along the Texas-Mexico border in the Southwest Texas region. Birth records are on file from 1903, consistent with statewide registration that year.

To get a certified birth certificate from Val Verde County, you need to contact the County Clerk. You must be a qualified applicant under Texas Government Code Section 552.115. That includes the registrant, parents, siblings, spouses, grandparents, and legal representatives. Bring valid photo ID when going in person.

Note: The Tax Assessor-Collector at 309 Mills St., Del Rio, TX 78840, phone (830) 774-7530, handles property tax records. For birth certificates, contact the County Clerk directly.

Requesting Val Verde County Birth Certificates

You can request a birth certificate in person at the Val Verde County Clerk's office in Del Rio. Walk-in visits are the fastest method. Bring your ID and be ready to pay at the time of request. The clerk can usually process same-day requests for in-person visits.

For mail requests, complete the Texas Birth Certificate Application (Form VS-140) from the DSHS Vital Statistics website. The form must be notarized for mail requests. Attach a copy of your valid photo ID and include a cashier's check or money order. Personal checks are not accepted.

State-level requests can be made online through texas.gov or mailed to DSHS-VSS, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040. Online orders take 20 to 25 business days. Mail orders to the state take 6 to 8 weeks. Walk-in at the state office in Austin is available Monday through Friday for same-day service.

Birth Certificate Fees in Val Verde County

The fee for a certified copy of a birth certificate from the Val Verde County Clerk is $23.00 per copy. The Texas DSHS state office charges $22.00 per copy. Additional copies ordered at the same time cost the same per-copy rate.

For mail payments to the county, use a cashier's check or money order. Do not send personal checks or cash through the mail. Always call ahead or check the county's website to confirm fees have not changed before sending your payment.

How Births Are Registered in Val Verde County

Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 192, every birth in the state must be registered within five days. The attending physician, midwife, or hospital staff files the certificate with the local registrar. In Val Verde County, the registrar is the County Clerk in Del Rio.

The county forwards a copy of each birth certificate to the Texas DSHS office in Austin. So birth records from Val Verde County exist at both the local and state level. Either office can provide a certified copy. For historical records or questions about a specific county birth, the local clerk's office is often more accessible.

Del Rio is the largest city in Val Verde County. Births in the city go through the same county registration system. There is no separate city-level birth registration office in Val Verde County, unlike some urban Texas counties.

What Is in a Val Verde County Birth Record

A certified birth certificate from Val Verde County includes the registrant's full name, date and location of birth, and parents' names. The long form shows the original record and any amendment history. It is used for passports, legal filings, and name changes. The short form shows only current data and is accepted for most routine uses.

Standard items on a Texas birth certificate include:

• Child's full name at birth
• Date, time, and county of birth
• Sex and race
• Both parents' full names
• Mother's maiden name
• Attending physician or midwife
• Date filed and certificate number

Texas Vital Records - State Resources

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Section keeps state-level copies of all Texas birth records, including those from Val Verde County. Their Austin office handles requests from residents across all 254 Texas counties.

The DSHS website has current processing times, fee schedules, and information about ordering options. It is a good starting point before you decide whether to order from the state or county level.

DSHS Vital Statistics serves as the main state agency for Texas birth records and provides guidance on acceptable identification and application requirements for all counties including Val Verde.

Resources for Val Verde County Residents

Lone Star Legal Aid serves the Southwest Texas region and can help low-income residents with vital records issues. Call (800) 733-8394 or visit lonestarlegal.org to learn more about their services.

The State Bar of Texas lawyer referral service is at (800) 252-9690. You can also search for an attorney at texasbar.com. Self-help materials and official Texas court forms are available at texaslawhelp.org. The DSHS birth certificate amendment form VS-170 is at dshs.texas.gov.

Cities in Val Verde County

Del Rio is the county seat and the largest city in Val Verde County. Comstock and Brackettville are other communities in the area. All birth records for Val Verde County go through the County Clerk in Del Rio.

No cities in Val Verde County currently exceed the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

Val Verde County is in the far southwest corner of Texas. Nearby counties include: