Tex. Health & Safety Code Section 191.026
Local Records


(a)

The local registrar shall secure a complete record of each birth, death, and fetal death that occurs in the local registrar’s jurisdiction.

(b)

The local registrar shall consecutively number birth and death certificates in separate series, beginning with the number “1” for the first birth and the first death in each calendar year. The local registrar shall sign each certificate to attest to the date the certificate is filed in the local registrar’s office.

(c)

The local registrar shall copy in the record book required under Section 191.025 (Record Books and Certificates) each certificate that the local registrar registers, unless the local registrar keeps duplicates under Subsection (d) or makes photographic duplications as authorized by Chapter 201 (General Provisions), Local Government Code, or the provisions of Chapter 204 (Microfilming of Records), Local Government Code, derived from former Chapter 181, Local Government Code. Except as provided by Subsection (e), the copies shall be permanently preserved in the local registrar’s office as the local record, in the manner directed by the state registrar.

(d)

The local registrar may permanently bind duplicate reports of births and deaths, if the duplicates are required by local ordinance, and index them in the manner that the state registrar indexes records under Section 191.032 (State Records).

(e)

The local registrar may, after the first anniversary of the date of registration of a birth, death, or fetal death, destroy the permanent record of the birth, death, or fetal death maintained by the local registrar if:

(1)

the local registrar has access to electronic records of births, deaths, and fetal deaths maintained by the vital statistics unit; and

(2)

before destroying the records, the local registrar certifies to the state registrar that each record maintained by the local office that is to be destroyed has been verified against the records contained in the unit’s database and that each record is included in the database or otherwise accounted for.
Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1997, 74th Leg., ch. 17, Sec. 2, eff. April 25, 1997.
Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0539, eff. April 2, 2015.

Source: Section 191.026 — Local Records, https://statutes.­capitol.­texas.­gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.­191.­htm#191.­026 (accessed Apr. 20, 2024).

191.001
Definitions
191.002
Powers and Duties of Department
191.003
Powers and Duties of Executive Commissioner and Department
191.004
State Registrar
191.005
Vital Statistics Account
191.006
Records of Persons in Hospitals and Institutions
191.007
Regulation by Certain Municipalities
191.008
Sorting Collected Data
191.009
Use of Diacritical Marks
191.010
Death Information for Department of Public Safety
191.0011
Reference in Other Law
191.011
Death Information Provided to Secretary of State
191.021
Registration Districts
191.022
Local Registrars
191.023
Consolidation of County and Municipal Maintenance of Birth and Death Records
191.024
Reports of Information
191.025
Record Books and Certificates
191.026
Local Records
191.027
Review of Certificate by Local Registrar
191.028
Amendment of Certificate
191.029
Certificates or Report Sent to State Registrar
191.0031
Certified Copies by Mail
191.031
Review of Certificates by State Registrar
191.032
State Records
191.033
Addenda
191.034
Notation of Death on Birth Certificate
191.036
Spanish Surname Information
191.0045
Fees
191.0046
Fee Exemptions
191.0047
Birth Information for Department of Family and Protective Services
191.0048
Voluntary Contribution to Texas Home Visiting Program
191.0049
Birth Record Issued to Foster Child or Youth or Homeless Child or Youth
191.051
Certified Copies
191.052
Certified Copy as Evidence
191.056
Copies Collected by National Agency
191.057
Records with Addenda
191.071
Criminal Background Check Required
191.00491
Birth Record Issued to Victims and Children of Victims of Dating or Family Violence

Accessed:
Apr. 20, 2024

§ 191.026’s source at texas​.gov