Death Records in Texarkana
Death records for the Arkansas side of Texarkana are held by the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock. Texarkana is a unique city that straddles the Arkansas-Texas state line, with State Line Avenue marking the boundary between the two states. The Arkansas side of Texarkana is in Miller County. Residents who lived on the Arkansas side have their death records filed with Arkansas. Those who lived on the Texas side have records filed with Texas. Researchers sometimes need to check both states, depending on where a person resided. The Miller County Circuit Clerk handles Arkansas-side probate records.
Texarkana Death Records Overview
Where to Get Texarkana Death Records
Because Texarkana sits on the state line, the first thing to determine is which state the deceased lived in. State Line Avenue divides the two states. Residents of the Arkansas side have their death certificates filed with and held by Arkansas. Residents of the Texas side have records held by Texas.
For the Arkansas side, contact the Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records Section, at 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205 (Slot 44). Phone: (501) 661-2336. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-in service before 4:00 p.m. is same-day. Mail requests take 4 to 6 weeks. VitalChek online orders take 3 to 5 business days.
Arkansas fees: $10.00 for the first certified copy, $8.00 for each additional copy at the same time. Include a valid photo ID with every request.
Note: For Texas-side residents, contact the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section, in Austin. Texas has its own fee structure and access rules. If you are unsure which side a person lived on, check both states. Family members sometimes lived on one side and were buried on the other.
The Miller County Circuit Clerk in Texarkana handles Arkansas-side probate cases. If a person lived on the Arkansas side and left an estate, probate would go through Miller County Circuit Court.
Miller County Courthouse and Probate Records
The Miller County Courthouse is in Texarkana, on the Arkansas side. Probate and estate cases for Arkansas-side Texarkana residents are filed here. Records can include wills, letters testamentary, estate inventories, and final distribution decrees. These are public records once filed.
The Arkansas State Archives holds historical records for Miller County, including materials from the 19th and early 20th centuries that predate the state's online case management system.
The State Archives collection for Miller County includes county court records and other materials that can supplement what is available at the courthouse itself.
Miller County court cases, including probate filings for Texarkana-area deaths, can be searched online at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. This free portal covers active and closed cases. Older paper records may require a visit or written request to the Miller County Circuit Clerk. For a full overview of Miller County resources, see the Miller County death records page.
Historical Death Records in Texarkana
Arkansas statewide death registration began in February 1914. Texas began statewide registration in 1903. For deaths in Texarkana before those dates, neither state system has records. You need to use local and church sources.
Church records are a strong starting point. Texarkana had active churches on both sides of the line well before formal death registration began. Many kept detailed burial and membership records. Some of these are held in church archives, while others are at the Arkansas State Archives or the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
The dual-state nature of Texarkana means that a death may appear in Texas newspaper records even if the person was technically an Arkansas resident, or vice versa. Cross-checking both states' historical sources is often necessary for thorough research.
The National Archives holds federal mortality schedules from 1850 through 1880 for Miller County, Arkansas, and Bowie County, Texas, which is the Texas-side county. These can help identify deaths from that era on either side of the line.
Cemetery Records for Texarkana
Cemeteries in the Texarkana area serve both sides of the state line. Some residents of the Arkansas side are buried in Texas cemeteries, and some Texas-side residents are buried in Arkansas. This cross-state pattern is common in border communities and can complicate cemetery research.
Find a Grave covers cemeteries on both sides of the Texarkana area. You can search by name and filter by county or state. Miller County, Arkansas and Bowie County, Texas are the two counties to check. Volunteers have indexed many local cemeteries, including photos of grave markers.
Find a Grave is particularly useful for Texarkana research because it covers both states in a single search, making cross-border burial research much easier than it would be with state-specific tools alone.
The Miller County Historical Society and local genealogical groups have done indexing work in area cemeteries. Their records may be available through the Miller County Library or the Arkansas State Archives.
Obituaries and Death Notices for Texarkana
For Texarkana obituaries, the primary source is the Texarkana Gazette. It covers both sides of the city and has been the main paper for the region for many decades. The Gazette publishes obituaries for residents of both the Arkansas and Texas sides.
Legacy.com aggregates obituaries from Arkansas and Texas papers, including those serving the Texarkana area. You can search by name and filter by state. Because of the dual-state nature of Texarkana, checking both Arkansas and Texas on Legacy.com is worth doing.
The Arkansas State Archives holds microfilm of Arkansas newspapers including those that covered Texarkana and Miller County over many decades. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission holds similar holdings for the Texas side. Both may have relevant obituaries for Texarkana-area deaths going back into the early 20th century.
Who Can Access Texarkana Death Records
Access rules differ between Arkansas and Texas, and which rules apply depends on which state the deceased lived in.
For Arkansas records, death certificates less than 50 years old are restricted under Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 18. Eligible requesters include the surviving spouse, parents, children, and siblings, as well as legal representatives with documented authority. Records 50 years or older are open to the public.
For Texas records, the Texas Department of State Health Services has its own access rules. Texas uses a 25-year restriction for death certificates. Eligible requesters include direct-line family members and legal representatives. The rules and fees are different from Arkansas, so check with the Texas office directly.
For any Arkansas request, bring or include a valid government-issued photo ID. The Arkansas Department of Health may ask for supporting documents when the relationship to the deceased is not clear from the application.
Online Search Tools for Texarkana Deaths
Several tools can help you research Texarkana death records from either state online.
For Arkansas records, VitalChek is the authorized ordering portal for the Arkansas Department of Health. Order certified death certificates online and receive them in 3 to 5 business days. Texas also uses VitalChek for its vital records orders, so the same site handles both states.
Miller County court records and Arkansas-side probate filings are searchable free at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. Search by party name or case number to find estate cases tied to Texarkana deaths on the Arkansas side.
The CDC's Arkansas guide is at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/arkansas.htm. The CDC's National Vital Statistics page at cdc.gov/nchs/nvss provides aggregate data for both states but not individual records.
Genealogy Resources for Texarkana
Texarkana genealogy requires resources from both Arkansas and Texas. The dual-state nature of the city means you will often need to check platforms and collections for both states.
FamilySearch is free and holds death indexes, federal mortality schedules, and digitized county records for both Miller County, Arkansas and Bowie County, Texas. Search by name and filter by state to find relevant results for either side of the city. FamilySearch is a practical first step for any Texarkana genealogical research.
Federal mortality schedules from 1850 through 1880 cover both Miller County and Bowie County. These are searchable through FamilySearch and the National Archives. They list name, age, and cause of death for individuals who died in the census year and are among the best pre-registration sources available.
For Arkansas court records, the statewide search is at arcourts.gov. For Texas court records, each county maintains its own portal, and the Texas Courts Online system covers some county-level filings. Cross-checking both states is often necessary to get a complete picture of a Texarkana-area estate.
Nearby Cities and County Records
These nearby cities and counties also have death records resources for the region.