Ancestry.com Texas

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission houses a vast collection of documents related to Texas government and history and provides a variety of reference services and materials for free public use at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty.

Free access to our records that have been digitized by Ancestry is available to Texas residents. This access requires you to create a free Ancestry.com Texas account.  Continue reading for further instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Texas materials are available?

The following data collections are included free to Texans via Ancestry.com:

• Alabama, Texas and Virginia, Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
• Texas, Prison Employee Ledgers, 1861-1938
• Texas, Muster Roll Index Cards, 1838-1900
• Texas, Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1974
• Texas, Convict and Conduct Registers, 1875-1954
• Texas, Court of Criminal Appeal Indexes, 1892-1947
• Texas, Capitol Building Payroll, 1882-1888
• Texas, Memorials and Petitions, 1834-1929
• Texas, Bonds and Oaths of Office, 1846–1920
• Texas, Index Card Collections, 1800-1900
• Texas, Voter Registration Lists, 1867-1869
• Nacogdoches, Texas, Spanish and Mexican Government Records, 1729-1836
• Texas, Land Title Abstracts,1700-2008 (original records held by the Texas General Land Office)

What if I already have an Ancestry.com account?

All the records made available through the Ancestry.com Texas partnership are included in your Ancestry.com subscription. Your search results will include all of the records available on Ancestry.com.

Why am I asked to set up a paid account?

Some Ancestry.com searches may lead you to records outside the free Texas material, at which point you may be prompted to set up a paid account. If you choose not to do so, you may return to the results of your previous search.

Onsite researchers may access the entire Ancestry (Library edition) database while at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

What if I do not wish to receive email messages from Ancestry.com?

To opt out of receiving e-mail from Ancestry.com:

• Log into your account at Ancestry.com.
• At the top you will see a link for "My Account" with a dropdown arrow. Hover over the arrow to see email preferences. Click on that link.
• You will go to the page where you can select your email preferences.

Why can't I find what I’m looking for in the records?

Most of the Texas data collections have been indexed, which means you can search by name, location, or other keywords. Records that have not been indexed can be browsed page by page to see what data is available.

Texas residents may follow these steps to create an account for free access to Ancestry.com Texas collections: 

1. Click the check box below to confirm you are a Texas resident.
2. Click or tap “Continue to Ancestry.com”.
3. Type in some search terms and click “Search”. The search results will include matches from Ancestry.com Texas collections.
4. Click on any of the items shown in the search results. You will be redirected to a “Sign up” page to create a free Ancestry account or “Sign in” to an existing Ancestry account.  Do not click on any “Start A Free Trial” button. 
5. Once you have signed in, you will have full access to view Ancestry.com Texas collections.

I confirm, I am a Texas resident.