Ancestry.com Texas

Did you know?

Free access to Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) records that have been digitized by Ancestry is available to Texas residents. 


Go to https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/ancestry and follow the instructions given on that page!  I have a membership with Ancestry.com, but I followed these steps to successfully create a free account for access to these Texas records only for my husband.

1.  Enter your Texas zip code at the bottom of the web page linked to above, and click Submit.

2. This will open a page like the one below.  Do a search first - ideally a last name - as you need to search for something to get to the next page, in order to create the free account.  I chose to search a unique last name in my family tree (my native Houstonian mother's maiden name, as her grandfather by that name settled in Texas about 1880).  Enter your search term, and then click the Search button:

3.  You will get a page with some results.  None may pertain to your family, but at this stage, it does not matter.  Click on the name of the result (NOT on "View image"!).  In this case, I actually got a relevant result - Anton Guokas is my great-grandfather's brother, so I clicked on "Texas, Prison Employee Ledgers, 1861-1938" opposite his name:

4.  At this point, you should see a screen inviting you to create a free account. Click the link to sign up with your e-mail address.  Do not click on any “Start A Free Trial” button. If you have an existing Ancestry.com Texas or paid account you may proceed to the “Sign In” link in the upper right corner.

5.  Enter your name and e-mail address, create a password (no rules!), and click the Continue button:

6. You can now access the result you clicked on, and view its image, save it and create a family tree, print it, and in some cases share it, and search for other records from TSLAC.  You'll see your name appearing in the upper right corner.  Note, however, that you can't access many of the links below it on the right without a paid Ancestry.com account.  Some, such as the 1940 Census and the Find A Grave index, ARE free, but most will required a paid membership.

For more information, check the Frequently Asked Questions on the Ancestry.com Texas web page.  To avoid frustration getting lots of results for records you can't access without a paid membership, it is recommended that you go to the Ancestry.com Texas web page, enter your zip code, and then sign in in the upper right-hand corner each time you use the site..