This handbook describes death registration in the Texas vital registration system. It provides instructions for completing and filing death certificates along with related permits.
A death certificate is a permanent legal record of an individual's death and is extremely important to the family of the deceased person. The information recorded on the death certificate is used for application of insurance benefits, settlement of pension claims, and to transfer title of real and personal property. Information recorded on a death certificate provides evidence of the fact of death and can be produced as evidence in a court of law.
The death certificate provides important information data on mortality that is used in a variety of medical and health-related research efforts. Mortality statistics identify the causes of death and help evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. These statistics are used to assess the general health of Texas citizens. Mortality statistics also help identify diseases found among specific groups of people and determines where medical research may have the greatest impact on reducing mortality. Statistical information is also used to allocate medical and nursing services and to follow the course of infectious diseases.
Because mortality statistics are no more accurate than the information submitted on death certificates, it is very important that all death certificates be completed and filed with accuracy and promptness.
Registration Requirements
A Certificate of Death (VS-112) must be filed within ten (10) days of the date of death for every death in Texas. It must be filed with the local registrar in the district where the death occurred or the body was found [HSC 193.003(a)]. The funeral director, or person acting as such, shall obtain an electronically filed report of death through Vital Statistics Unit Texas Electronic Death Registration system or complete a report of death before transporting the body. The report of death shall within 24 hours be mailed or otherwise transmitted to the local registrar of the district in which the death occurred or in which the body was found. A copy of the completed or electronically filed report of death as prescribed by the Vital Statistics Unit shall serve as authority to transport or bury the body or fetus within this state. [25 TAC 181.2(a)].
The death certificate must be filed electronically, as specified by the state registrar, by the person in charge of interment or disposition, or by the person in charge of removing the body from the registration district for disposition [HSC 193.002]. When arrangements for disposition of a body are made through a funeral home, a death certificate should be completed and filed by the funeral director. When a body has been donated to a hospital, medical school, or mortuary school for scientific or educational purposes, the institution is responsible for completing and filing the Certificate of Death.
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Responsibilities of the Funeral Director or Person Acting as Such
Death registration requires a cooperative effort between the funeral director or other person accepting responsibility for disposition of the body; the certifier of the cause of death, which may be the physician that attended the deceased, the medical examiner, or the justice of the peace, depending on the circumstances of the death; and the informant who provides personal, non-medical information about the deceased.
The funeral director or person acting as such is responsible for:
- Filing a Report of Death with the local registrar within 24 hours of taking custody of the body. This may be by mail mailed or otherwise transmitted to the local registrar [25 TAC 181.2(a)].
- Completing all items on the death certificate and obtaining the required information from the person best qualified to furnish the information.
The funeral director or person acting as such should notify the medical examiner or justice of the peace for investigation or inquest and cause of death certification if law enforcement or someone else has not already done so if any of the following circumstances exist [HSC 193.005, CCP Art. 49.04, CCP Art. 49.25 Sec. 6]:
- A body was found and the cause and circumstances of the death are unknown.
- The death is believed to be an unnatural death from a cause other than a legal execution (accident, suicide, or homicide).
- The death occurred in prison or in jail.
- The death occurred within 24 hours of admission to a hospital (refer to a medical examiner only CCP Art. 49.25 Sec. 6 (1) ).
- The death occurred without medical attendance.
- The physician is unable or unwilling to certify the cause of death.
- The deceased is under six (6) years of age.
Additional responsibilities of the funeral director or person acting as such:
- Cooperate with pathologists in cases involving autopsies.
- Obtain the cause of death information from the attending physician, the medical examiner, or the justice of the peace as appropriate based upon the circumstances of the death.
- Secure all necessary signatures on the certificate.
- Review the certificate for completeness and accuracy.
- File the death certificate electronically with the local registrar within ten (10) days of death [HSC 193.003(a)].
- Use all necessary permits and other forms associated with the death registration process such as the Burial-Transit Permit and Disinterment Permit.
- Cooperate with the Vital Statistics Unit (VSU) and local registrars regarding inquiries about death certificate entries.
- Call VSU or the local registrar for advice and assistance as needed.
Sometimes, two parties may provide conflicting information regarding the deceased. For example, the informant may state that the deceased is married (either common-law or by ceremony), but the family says otherwise (or vice versa). Also, there may be a conflict as to who will be listed as the surviving spouse. In these cases, the funeral director can ask for documentation or list the information provided by the informant because he or she is the funeral home customer. The funeral director has a statutory obligation to file the certificate on time. If necessary, conflicting parties can resolve their argument through the court system.
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Certifying Death
General Information
Circumstances of death determine who may certify the cause and manner of death. The certifier is responsible for verifying the date of death in Item 3 and completing the medical certification portion of the Texas Certificate of Death, Items 29 - 38. If the death is other than natural, the Medical Examiner and Justice of the Peace must also complete items 39 - 41. The certifier must complete the medical certification not later than five (5) days after receiving the death certificate or provide notification to the funeral director, or person acting as such, explaining the reason for the delay [HSC 193.005(b)(g)].
Death certificates must be filed within ten (10) days from the date of death. The funeral director may ask the family for assistance as they are often very effective in expediting the certification process. If a lengthy investigation is performed, such as an autopsy, the death certificate should be filed "Pending Investigation.".
The certifier's degree or title should also be indicated.
If the manner of death is other than natural, the justice of the peace or medical examiner should be called immediately. Physicians should not certify these types of death. A medical examiner should also be called if a death occurs within 24 hours of admission to a hospital (regardless of the manner of death). This provision does not apply to justices of the peace.
Upon receipt of autopsy results, or other information that could change the information in the medical certification on the certificate, the appropriate certifier should immediately amend the certificate. See Chapter 3 for additional information about filing an Amendment to Medical Certification of Certificate of Death.
A registered nurse or physician's assistant may pronounce death if the deceased was not on life support systems and it is permitted under the written policies of the licensed health care facility, institution, or other entity providing services to that person. A registered nurse or physician's assistant may not sign the death certificate as the certifier of cause and manner of death. Only a licensed physician, medical examiner, or justice of the peace may sign as the certifier of cause of death.
Do not confuse pronouncement and certification of death. The individual who pronounces death may not necessarily be the same person that certifies the death.
If the manner of death is natural, the attending physician should be called immediately. If the attending physician may be the personal family physician, he or she may be the best source of information regarding the cause of death in cases where the death is due to natural causes. The personal physician may have knowledge of pre-existing medical conditions. The personal physician may certify the death to the best of my knowledge even if he or she did not pronounce the death or had not seen the patient for some time.
Sometimes, the attending physician does not know why the person died and/or simply refuses to certify the death certificate. The certifier should be assured that the cause of death is his or her best opinion. If additional information becomes available at a later time, a medical amendment can always be filed at no charge. The funeral director may ask for assistance from the family, local registrar, or justice of the peace to expedite certification. If all else fails, the funeral director should call the medical examiner or justice of the peace immediately.
Deaths Certified by the Attending Physician
If the death is by natural causes, the cause of death section of the death certificate should be completed and signed by the physician that was responsible for the care and treatment of the condition or disease process that contributed to the death [HSC 193.005(a)]. This physician is generally the decedents primary care physician. He or she is the best source of information regarding the cause of death in cases where death is due to natural causes. The primary care physician may certify the death to the best of his or her knowledge even if he or she did not pronounce the death or had not seen the patient for some time. Theprimary care physician may also have knowledge of any pre-existing medical conditions.
If the death occurs under hospice care, the deceased's primary care physician may certify the death. However, if the decedent was being treated by a hospice physician for an extented period of time, the hospice doctor should complete the medical certificaton.
According to the Department of State Health Services Office of General Counsel, an intern who is not a licensed physician, but was the last physician in attendance at the time of death, may sign a death certificate for a death that occurred inside or outside the teaching hospital provided the procedure is within the scope of the hospital's approved training program for the intern.
The physician shall complete the medical certification not later than five (5) days after receiving the death certificate [HSC 93.005(b)]. An associate physician, the chief medical officer of the institution where the death occurred, or the physician who performed an autopsy on the deceased may complete the medical certification if all of the following conditions are met:
- The attending physician is unavailable.
- The attending physician approves.
- The person completing the medical certification has access to the medical history of the case and the death is due to natural causes [HSC 193.005(c)].
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Deaths Certified by the Medical Examiner or Justice of the Peace
Notify the medical examiner or justice of the peace for an investigation or inquest and cause of death certification if law enforcement or someone else has not already done so if any of the following circumstances exist [HSC 193.005, CCP Art. 49.04, CCP Art. 49.25 Sec. 6]:
- A body was found and the cause and circumstances of the death are unknown.
- The death is believed to be an unnatural death from a cause other than a legal execution (accident, suicide, or homicide).
- The death occurred in prison or in jail.
- The death occurred within 24 hours of admission to a hospital (refer to a medical examiner only CCP Art. 49.25 Sec. 6 (1) ).
- The death occurred without medical attendance.
- The physician is unable or unwilling to certify the cause of death.
- The deceased is under six (6) years of age.
The person conducting an inquest shall complete the medical certification not later than five (5) days after receiving the certificate and submit the record electronically [HSC 193.005]. The disease or condition(s) that initiated the events leading to death should be indicated on the medical certification. If the death was from external causes, state the means of death and whether the death was accident, suicide, or homicide. Complete other information as needed to properly classify the death [HSC 193.005(e)].
Deaths Certified by the County Judge
Senate bill 164, signed on May 22, 2001, requires that the county judge be notified regarding a death if a justice of the peace is not available to conduct an inquest. The county judge should be notified only in cases that require an inquest. Under these circumstances, the county judge now has the authority to sign the death certificate as the certifier only if a justice of the peace is still unavailable [CCP Art 49.07(C), CCP Art. 49.16].
In this situation Item 26 may be completed as follows:
- Insert an option box and the word "County Judge" in space next to "certifying physician".
- Indicate an "x" in the box for county judge.
- Obtain the signature and title of the county judge.
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Death of a Child Less than Six (6) Years of Age
A medical examiner or justice of the peace notified of the death of a child under age six shall hold an inquest to determine whether the death was unexpected or the result of abuse or neglect. An inquest is not required if the child's death was expected and was due to a congenital or neoplastic disease. A death caused by an infectious disease may be considered an expected death if the following conditions are met:
- the disease was not acquired as a result of trauma or poisoning;
- the infectious organism is identified using standard medical procedures; and
- the death is not reportable to Texas Department of Health under Chapter 81, Health and Safety Code [Family Code(FC) ;264.514(a)].
Deaths to children less than six (6) years of age are reported to the medical examiner or justice of the peace [Family Code(FC) 264.513].
Unidentified Persons
The justice of the peace investigating the death of a person whose body is found, and the cause or circumstances of death are unknown, shall report the death to the Missing Children and Missing Persons Information Clearinghouse of the Department of Public Safety and the National Crime Information Center within ten (10) working days [CCP Art. 49.04(d)]. The report should be made even if the body is identified.
The physician who performs a postmortem examination on the body of an unidentified person shall complete and file a death certificate. The physician shall note on the certificate the name of the law enforcement agency that submitted the body for examination along with the case number. A copy of the certificate should be sent to the Missing Children and Missing Persons Information Clearinghouse within ten (10) days of the date the physician files the certificate.
If remains are found
A current death certificate can be only filed within one year of the approximated date of death. If a current death certificate form is utilized, list "date found" as the date of death. If the death occurred over one (1) year before the remains were found, a Court-Ordered Delayed Certificate of Death should be filed.
Missing or Unrecognizable Remains
Before any certificate can be filed, the person must be declared dead by a District Court in Texas. VSU is not aware of any statute that specifies a time period to wait before having someone declared legally dead. The District Judge makes the determination based on the evidence presented to the court. If a court order is obtained, a Court-Ordered Delayed Certificate of Death must be presented to the County Probate Court Judge in duplicate. The date of death on these types of forms may be completed to show "Presumed" or "Declared" dead with the date the judge determines to be the date of death. Once the Court-Ordered Delayed Certificates of Death are signed by the judge, one copy should be filed with the county clerk and the other copy with State VSU.
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Confidentiality of Information
The fact of death (name, date, place) of an individual is public knowledge; however, the death certificate is not. A death certificate is a confidential record for the first 25 years after the date of death and may be released only to a properly qualified applicant [HSC 191.051; GC 552.115].
Penalties
It is a Class A misdemeanor for a person to knowingly reveal or induce another to reveal confidential information from a death or fetal death certificate. It is a Class C misdemeanor for a person to refuse or fail to furnish any information in the person's possession affecting a death certificate. It is also a Class C misdemeanor for a person to fail, neglect, or refuse to fill out and file a death, or fetal death certificate, with the local registrar or deliver the certificate upon request to the person with the duty to file it. It is a third degree felony to falsely obtain, use, or alter a certificate of death with a fine of up to $10,000 and 2-10 years in prison [HSC §195.005].
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Instructions for Completing a Certificate of Death
General Instructions for Death Certificates
Complete only one Certificate of Death and file it with the appropriate local registrar. Entering a duplicate record for correction into Texas Electronic Death Registration is not acceptable. Texas Electronic Death Registration will print the death certificate with the most currect form, VS-112 (Revised 1/2006), designated by the Texas Department of Health, Vital Statistics Unit (VSU).
The death certificate must be filed electronically, as specified by the state registrar, by the person in charge of interment or disposition, or by the person in charge of removing the body from the registration district for disposition [HSC §193.002]. In Addition the person completing the medical certification shall submit the information and attest to its validity using by electronic process specified by the state registrar.[HSC 193.005(h)]. This electroinic processes is Texas Electronic Death Registration
Complete each item following the specific instructions for that item. Do not leave a space blank unless specifically instructed to do so. Avoid using correction fluid. Do not make alterations, erasures, or strike-overs. Obvious changes affect the validity of a certificate. Altered certificates may be rejected by the local registrar or VSU. Avoid abbreviations except for those suggested in the item-by-item specific instructions. Verify the spelling of all names and numbers with the informant.
Detailed instructions for certifying the cause of death may be found in the Handbook on Medical Certification of Cause and Manner of Death. Refer problems not covered in these instructions to VSU or your local registrar.
Go to Item-by-Item Instructions for the VS-112 form (Revised 05/2011) for more detailed instructions.
Death Certificate Paper Specifications
Funeral homes may request from VSU Texas Electronic Death Registration paper used when a death record has to be Dropped-to-Paper from the Texas Electronic Death Registration System. Funeral Homes may also purchase their own paper but it must meet the following specifications:
- 8 1/2" X 11"
- rag bond,
- 25% new cotton fibers mill brand,
- 24 pound,
- acid free, and
- white cockle finish.
In addition, there must be at least an 3/4 inch margin from the top of the paper to the top line of the form. This margin is required for VSU to record the state file number on the death certificate.
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