Are Alabama Vital Records Open to the Public?

It depends. Not all Alabama vital records are open to the public. According to Alabama Vital Statistics Laws and Rules, public vital records can be made available to anyone who can provide enough information to facilitate a search (and satisfy all other requirements) to request them. However, some are restricted and open only to immediate family members (or legal representatives) of the person named on the record.

What are Vital Records in Alabama?

Alabama vital records are documents that provide an official account of vital events that occur within state limits. They include records of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and related occurrences. These records typically feature information regarding the record holder as well as details of the event, and they can be used for various purposes.

How Do I Obtain Alabama Vital Records Online?

Persons searching for Alabama vital records online may utilize the online resources provided by official state custodians or opt for third-party alternatives. Typically, inquirers are required to provide pertinent information to facilitate the search, some of which include:

• Name on the Record
• Date of the Event
• Location of the Event
• Father's name (if applicable)
• Mother's maiden name (if applicable)
• Relationship to the person on the record
• Acceptable identification (if applicable)
• Daytime phone number
• Address where the certificate should be sent (For mail-in requests)

How Do I Obtain Alabama Vital Records?

When submitting a request for an Alabama vital record, the requestor will need to complete and submit the vital records request application form, along with the full payment for the record search and copy. In addition, the requestor must provide an acceptable form of identification for restricted records before receiving the document.

The Center for Health Statistics of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) maintains vital records dating back to 1908. Requests for these records can be made online, by mail, or in person at any local county health department. Online submissions are handled by third-party websites and will incur additional fees dictated by the service provider.

Some third-party aggregate sites also manage and disseminate publicly available vital records. These sites are generally not limited by geographical record availability and may serve as a reliable jump-off point when researching specific or multiple records. However, third-party sites are not government-sponsored. As such, record availability may differ from official channels. To find a document using the search engines on third-party sites, the requesting party will be required to provide the following:

• The location of the record in question, including the city, county, or state where the case was filed.
• The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile.

What is the Difference Between a Certified Copy and an Informational Copy?

A certified copy of an Alabama vital record is issued by the ADPH on security paper and will contain an embossed government seal. These documents are issued to eligible applicants and can be used for legal and identification purposes. An informational copy is typically a notification given to ineligible applicants and cannot be used for legal intentions.

Are Alabama Marriage Records Public Information?

Yes. Marriage records in Alabama are public records. Thus, any requestor who can provide adequate information for a record search and pay all applicable fees can request and obtain a marriage record in Alabama.

How Do I Obtain Alabama Marriage Records?

The Center for Health Statistics of the ADPH records marriages that occurred in the state from August 1936. Before this date, researchers must obtain information on marriages from the Probate Judge in the county where the license was issued.

Marriage record searches cost $15, including one certified copy of the marriage certificate or a "Failure to Find" certificate if the researcher cannot find the record. Additional copies cost $6 each if ordered at the same time. Requests for marriage records can be made online, by mail (to the state office), or by walk-in (at any county health department).

To make mail requests for public marriage records, complete the vital records request application form and submit it along with the proper fee (check/money order payable to State Board of Health) to:

Alabama Vital Records
Alabama Department of Public Health
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625

To make walk-in requests for marriage records, complete the vital records request application form and deliver it, along with the complete fee, to the nearest county health department. Most marriage certificates can be issued while the applicant waits.

How to Get an Alabama Marriage Certificate

As of August 29, 2019, prospective spouses in Alabama are no longer required to submit a marriage license application to their county's probate court. Instead, prospective partners can fill out the Alabama marriage certificate form and submit it for recording to a county probate court. Before submitting their application to a county probate court, applicants must have it notarized. County probate courts also charge a filing fee. The filing fee may range from $73 to $89. This depends on the county probate court. The applicants' marriage will become official after the probate court records and approves their application, and they will receive an Alabama marriage certificate.

Marriage records are public records under Alabama state law, and the public has unrestricted access to these records. A record seeker can locate and get marriage records if they can provide sufficient information regarding the record and the necessary costs through ADPH. The ADPH maintains records of marriages going all the way back to August 1936. Meanwhile, the probate office of the county where the marriage license was issued maintains marriage records made before August 1936.

For a marriage certificate, the ADPH search fee is $15. One certified copy of a marriage certificate or "certificate of failure to find" is included with the charge; each additional certificate requested costs $6. The ADPH accepts both by mail and in-person requests for existing marriage records in the state. For more information about how to find marriage records in Alabama, visit the marriage certificate webpage on the ADPH website.

Are Alabama Divorce Records Public Information?

Alabama State laws classify Alabama divorce records as open records. Therefore, these records can be requested by anyone who provides enough information for a record search and pays all requisite fees.

How Do I Find Alabama Divorce Records?

The ADPH Center for Health Statistics has records of divorces in the state; therefore, these are from January of 1950. Records of divorces that occurred earlier are obtainable from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the divorce decree was issued.

Searches for divorce records cost $15, and this will include a certified copy of the divorce decree or a Certificate of Failure to Find. Additional copies of a divorce record (ordered at the same time) cost $6 each. Divorce records can be applied online by mail-in applications to the State Office or walk-in applications at any county health department.

Mail applicants must include a completed vital records request an application form and a check or money order for the complete fee, payable to the State Board of Health. Send form and payment to:

Alabama Vital Records
Alabama Department of Public Health
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625

Walk-in applications can be made at any county health department. Deliver a completed vital records request application form and the complete fee in-person to the office. Most divorce certificates can be issued while the applicant waits.

How to Get a Certified Divorce Certificate in Alabama

Interested parties can obtain a certified divorce certificate in Alabama from the ADPH Center for Health and Statistics. The ADPH maintains divorce certificates and other dissolution of marriage records from 1950 to the present.

Under state laws, there are no restrictions to who can request and obtain dissolution of marriage records, including divorce certificates in Alabama. Therefore, anyone can get certified divorce certificates through the ADPH if they can provide enough information to search for the record and pay the necessary search fee. The ADPH accepts both in-person and mail-in requests. Record seekers can acquire a divorce certificate from the county's circuit court where the divorce was concluded if the certificate was recorded before 1950.

Are Alabama Birth Records Public Information?

Alabama birth records, which are less than 125 years, are classified as restricted records. Public access to these records is restricted to specific individuals and entities who must prove their eligibility to receive copies of the documents. The individuals who can order birth certificates in Alabama are:

• The person named on the record who might need a birth certificate replacement.
• A parent or legal guardian
• Husband or wife of the person named on the record
• Son or daughter of the person named on the record
• Sister or brother of the person named on the record
• A legal representative of an authorized person

Meanwhile, records older than 125 years are not restricted and are available to any member of the public who can provide enough information for the search of the document. Applicants must pay all applicable fees before receiving an Alabama birth record, and an acceptable form of identification must be presented for restricted documents.

How Do I Obtain Alabama Birth Records?

The Center for Health Statistics of the ADPH retains records of Births in the state since January 1908. A fee of $15 is charged and this covers the birth certificate search and a certified copy of the certificate or a Certificate for Failure to Find. Additional documents of the duplicate records ordered at the same time will cost $6 each. Requests for birth records can be made online, by mail, or by a walk-in application.

Mail requests should be made by completing the vital records request application form and sending it in, with the proper fee (money order/check, payable to State Board of Health) and a copy of an acceptable form of identification to:

Alabama Vital Records
Alabama Department of Public Health
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625

Walk-in requests can be made by going to any county health department and submitting a completed application form and the full payment. The applicant must provide acceptable identification if the record is restricted (i.e., less than 125 years old). Most birth certificates can be issued while the applicant waits.

Is a Birth Certificate Public Record in Alabama?

No, according to Alabama state laws, birth certificates are private information. This is because they are certified copies of the record and can be used for official purposes. Hence, the aforementioned eligibility requirements apply.

In the event that an original birth certificate gets misplaced or destroyed, record holders can request a replacement birth certificate from Alabama vital record office.

Record seekers should note that there are identification requirements for obtaining a copy of an original birth certificate. The purpose of these identification requirements is to confirm the requester's identity and eligibility to obtain the requested certificate. The search fees for a birth certificate is $15. The fee covers one certified copy a birth certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find". record seekers are charged $6 per each additional copies requested.

Records seekers are advised to include as much information as possible when requesting birth certificates to aid in identifying the birth certificate. These particulars comprise, but are not restricted to, the registrant:

• Full name
• The date of birth
• Sex
• The name of the county or city of birth
• The name of the hospital of birth (for births outside "home")

Alabama vital records office accepts both in-person and by-mail requests for birth certificates. For a mail-in request, record seekers must download and complete the Mail-In Application (also available in Spanish). A completed mail-in application, identification requirements, and appropriate fee can be sent to the ADPH to obtain a replacement birth certificate. For an in-person request, eligible persons can visit any county health department in Alabama to request a certified birth certificate. The Alabama vital records office website provides a helpful online resource containing the addresses of all county health departments and a reference map record seekers can use.

Are Alabama Death Records Open to the Public?

Alabama death records under 25 years are considered restricted and not open to the general public. These records are only available to specified parties, who must show eligibility to receive these records. These specified parties are:

• A parent of the person named on the record.
• Spouse of the person named on the record.
• An adult child of the person named on the record
• Adult Sibling of the person named on the record
• A grandchild of the person named on the record when demonstrating entitlement
• The legal representative of family or estate

Death records older than 25 years are public records and are open to general members who can provide enough information for the death record search and meet any other requirements. To perform a public death records search by name, the requester must pay all required fees and meet identification requirements (where required) before processing begins on any request.

How Do I Find Alabama Death Records?

The ADPH Center of Health Statistics has records of death certificates filed for deceased persons in the state from January 1908. A death certificate search costs $15, and the applicant will receive a certified copy of the Death Certificate or a Failure to Find certificate. Requests for additional copies of the same record that are made simultaneously will cost $6 each. Application for copies of death records can be made online, by mail (to the State Office), or Walk-in (at any county Health Department). Applicants requesting restricted records must provide an acceptable form of identification before processing begins on the record.

For walk-in applications, requesters must complete the vital records request application form and return it to the nearest county health department, along with the complete fee. If the applicant requests a restricted record (records less than 25 years old), they must provide an acceptable form of identification before processing the application. Most death certificates can be issued while the applicant waits.

Is a Death Certificate Public Record in Alabama?

The answer to the question "are death certificates public record in Alabama" is no. under Alabama state laws, death certificates are kept confidential for 25 years from the date of death. Only select individuals are allowed to access confidential death certificates,] upon payment of the appropriate fees. These include:

• The decedent's father or mother named on the certificate
• The decedent spouse named on the certificate
• The decedent child(ren)
• The decedent sibling(s)
• The descendant grandchild(ren),
• Informant(s) listed on the certificate
• A legal representative of the decedent's estate.

How Do I Find Sealed Vital Records?

Vital records filed by the ADPH are both restricted and unrestricted, depending on the type and age of the record. Restricted records are available to select entities, and open documents are available to the general public. For papers with limited access, an application to unseal the records must be made with the court, which ordered the sealing of the document by being sealed.

What are Vital Statistics in Alabama?

According to Alabama Vital Statistics Laws § 22-9A-1, vital statistics are data derived from certificates and reports of vital events in the state. Vital events include birth, deaths, induced pregnancy terminations, marriages, divorce, and related reports. Vital statistics are studied and analyzed to identify crucial trends in a geographical region. These include infant mortality rates, natality rates, causes of death, marriage, and divorce.

In Alabama, the state's Department of Public Health's Center for Vital Statistics serves as the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics. The center is not only responsible for collecting and tabulating health-related statistical data. The center also maintains and operates the vital records system in the state. Hence, interested persons can access and find vital statistics of the state of Alabama through the ADPH's Center for Vital Statistics. The center provides several online resources for viewing state vital statistics remotely. These include the state Statistical Query System which provides the frequencies of Alabama residents' births and death. Other recent publications on vital statistics are also available on the Center for Health Statistics webpage.