How to Get a Copy of Your Texas Divorce Decree (and What a Verification Letter Is)
Texas family law · Last reviewed September 29, 2026
Texas splits divorce records between two offices. The decree itself, the document most people need, comes only from the district clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. The state's Vital Statistics office can confirm that a divorce happened, but it cannot give you a copy of the decree.
The certified decree comes from the district clerk
The Department of State Health Services says it plainly:
Certified copies of divorce decrees are only available from the district clerk.
The Final Decree of Divorce is what banks, title companies, passport offices and the Social Security Administration usually ask for, especially when you need to prove a name change or show how property was divided.
What it costs
District clerk copy fees are set by Government Code § 51.318(b):
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certificate and seal, per certified copy | $5 |
| Plus each page (paper) | $1 |
| Noncertified copy, per page | $1 |
| Searching the records when you don't have the cause number | $5 |
A ten-page decree would cost about $15 certified ($5 plus $10 in page fees). Counties may add their own charges for mailing or online ordering; check your clerk's website.
How to request it
Contact the district clerk in the county that granted the divorce, in person, by mail or through the clerk's online records system if it has one. Have the names of both spouses and, ideally, the cause number. If you don't know which county handled the divorce, the state's divorce indexes, described below, can help you find it.
The state's divorce verification letter
The Vital Statistics Section of the Department of State Health Services issues letters confirming whether a divorce was recorded with the state. It is careful about what these letters are:
Vital Statistics issues letters verifying if a marriage or divorce was recorded with the State of Texas based on the application for marriage or divorce sent to our office by local clerks. Verification letters are not considered legal substitutes for marriage licenses or divorce decrees.
What to know:
- Cost: $20 per verification.
- Years: divorces from 1968 on. The state has no verifications for divorces before 1968.
- How to order: online through Texas.gov, by mail with form VS-142.9, or in person at Vital Statistics in Austin.
- Indexes: the Vital Statistics Section "does maintain public indexes of Texas marriages since 1966 and Texas divorces since 1968," which you can search before ordering, or to find the county that granted a divorce.
State law actually bars the Vital Statistics unit from issuing a certified copy of a divorce report (Health and Safety Code § 194.004(b)(2)). If an agency asks for a "certified divorce certificate," what it almost always needs is the certified decree from the district clerk.
Private websites sell "Texas divorce records." Some simply forward your request to the state or county for an added fee. None can give you a certified decree that the district clerk wouldn't.
Are Texas divorce records public?
Generally, yes. Divorce files in district court are public court records unless a court seals them. Some protections apply:
- Sensitive data such as bank account numbers, Social Security numbers and minors' names must be redacted from filed documents under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21c.
- Early confidentiality in the largest counties. In a county with a population of 3.4 million or more, divorce pleadings stay confidential until the respondent is served or the 31st day after filing, whichever comes first (Family Code § 6.411).
- Sealing requires a court order under the standards of Rule 76a.
Name changes: get a certificate
If you asked to return to a former name, the decree changes it. Family Code § 6.706(a):
(a) In a decree of divorce or annulment, the court shall change the name of a party specifically requesting the change to a name previously used by the party unless the court states in the decree a reason for denying the change of name.
The court "may not deny a change of name solely to keep the last name of family members the same" (§ 6.706(b)).
Rather than carry the whole decree to the DMV or the Social Security office, you can get a one-page change of name certificate from the court clerk. The fee is $10 (§ 45.106(c)).
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a copy of my divorce decree in Texas?
Request it from the district clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. A certified copy costs $5 plus $1 a page under Government Code § 51.318.
What is a Texas divorce verification letter?
A $20 letter from the Department of State Health Services confirming that a divorce was recorded with the state. It covers divorces from 1968 on and is not a legal substitute for the decree.
Can I get a certified divorce certificate from the State of Texas?
No. State law bars Vital Statistics from certifying divorce records. The certified document is the decree, from the district clerk.
Are divorce records public in Texas?
Generally yes, unless a court seals them. Sensitive data must be redacted, and in the most populous counties pleadings stay confidential until service or the 31st day after filing.
How do I change my name back after a Texas divorce?
Ask for it in your divorce. The court must restore a name you previously used unless it states a reason not to. Afterward, a $10 change of name certificate from the clerk is the easiest proof.