The Texas State Genealogical Society is proud to offer family historians a heritage certificate program to recognize those with direct descent from Texas pioneers, and those with direct or collateral descent from a Texas Ranger.
Available Certificates
TxSGS offers the following certificate programs for those with pioneers and for those with notable service to Texas in their lineage.
- Texas First Families Certificate: Individuals who are direct or collateral descendants of settlers who resided in Texas prior to 19 February 1846 are eligible.
- Gone to Texas Pioneer Certificate: Individual direct descendants of settlers that resided in Texas prior to 1886 may apply.
- West Texas Pioneer Certificate: Individual direct descendants of settlers that resided in West Texas prior to 1901 may apply.
- Greer County Texas Pioneer Certificate: Applicant must prove direct or collateral descent from a settler in Greer County between 1860-1907. This county included parts of Texas and Oklahoma.
- Descendants of Texas Rangers Certificate: An applicant must be directly or collaterally descended from someone who served as a Texas Ranger and who is deceased. A collateral ancestor is a brother or sister of the Texas Ranger.
Using DNA Proof Arguments for Heritage Certificates
TxSGS is now accepting DNA as evidence of parent-child relationships for applicants for heritage certificates (First Families of Texas, and so on) and for the Early Texans DNA Project. Click to Learn More.
Application Process
- The same application form can be used for all Texas State Genealogical Society certificate programs by indicating at the top of the application form to which program you are applying .
- Applicants do not need to reside in Texas or be members of the Texas State Genealogical Society.
- Applicants must be able to prove descent with acceptable documentation for each generation and for the qualifying service or settlement.
- A supplementary family group sheet is included as well. You may make copies of it for each generation.
- A separate application must be completed for each Texas ancestor (except in the case of a husband and wife) for which a certificate is desired.
- The $30 fee must accompany each application and is non-refundable.
- Completed submissions with application form, all supporting documentation, and payment should be mailed to:
Texas State Genealogical Society
c/o Lela Evans
829 Robin Meadow Drive
DeSoto, TX 75115
- Instructions PDF and Frequently Asked Questions PDF forms.
- An index of the ancestor and applicant names from volumes one and two of Texas First Families have been indexed and are available online.