To get a death certificate in Alabama, submit an application to the Center for Health Statistics at the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), which has kept death records for the state since 1908. A certified copy costs $15 and covers one certificate plus the search itself. You can order in person at a county health department, by mail, or online through VitalChek, the state’s authorized vendor. Deaths that occurred within the last 25 years are restricted records, meaning only certain people can request a copy; older records are open to the public.
Who Can Request a Copy
For 25 years after the date of death, Alabama limits certified copies to specific categories of requesters.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 22-9A-21 – Disclosure of Information from Vital Records Those who qualify include:
- The deceased’s mother, father, spouse, or an adult son, daughter, brother, or sister. A father not named on the record has to show custody, child support, or a paternity determination.2Legal Information Institute. Alabama Administrative Code 420-7-1-.22 – Who May Obtain Certified Copies of Vital Records
- An attorney, executor, administrator, funeral director, or other designated agent acting for the family. The State Registrar can ask for written authorization.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 22-9A-21 – Disclosure of Information from Vital Records
- The person listed as the informant on the certificate.2Legal Information Institute. Alabama Administrative Code 420-7-1-.22 – Who May Obtain Certified Copies of Vital Records
- Anyone who can show the record is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right, such as a creditor of the estate or a non-family beneficiary named in a will.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 22-9A-21 – Disclosure of Information from Vital Records
Once 25 years have passed, the record is public and anyone can apply.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 22-9A-21 – Disclosure of Information from Vital Records
What to Put on the Application and Bring With You
ADPH’s application (Form HS-14) asks for enough information to locate the correct record. Fill in what you know, even for fields that are not strictly required, because it speeds up the search.3Alabama Department of Public Health. Application for Alabama Vital Record
- Full legal name of the deceased
- Date and county of death
- Sex, race, and date of birth or age
- Social Security number
- Spouse’s name and parents’ names
- Your relationship to the deceased and, if you are not immediate family, why you need the record
ID for Restricted Records
For deaths within the last 25 years, you have to prove who you are. One primary photo ID works: a driver’s license (Alabama or out-of-state), state non-driver ID, U.S. or foreign passport, military ID, or tribal ID, among others. Primary IDs must be current or expired no more than 60 days.4Alabama Department of Public Health. Identification Required to Request Alabama Restricted Vital Records
No photo ID? ADPH accepts two secondary documents instead, such as a utility bill less than six months old, a work ID, vehicle registration, property tax bill, voter registration card, health insurance card, or a hunting or fishing license.4Alabama Department of Public Health. Identification Required to Request Alabama Restricted Vital Records
If you send someone else to pick up the record, they need written authorization from you plus their own valid ID.2Legal Information Institute. Alabama Administrative Code 420-7-1-.22 – Who May Obtain Certified Copies of Vital Records
Three Ways to Order
In Person
Any county health department office in Alabama, or the Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery, will take a walk-in request. This is the fastest route; most county offices print the certified copy while you wait. Bring your completed application, ID, and payment.
By Mail
Send your application, a photocopy of your ID (for restricted records), and payment to:5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Alabama
Center for Health Statistics
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5625
Make the check or money order payable to the Center for Health Statistics. Cash is not accepted by mail. Plan on 7 to 10 business days for processing and return delivery.
Online Through VitalChek
VitalChek is the state’s authorized third-party vendor and takes orders online or by phone. It charges a service fee on top of the $15 state fee, so the total for a first copy runs roughly $30.6Alabama Department of Public Health. Death Certificates Standard online orders take about 5 to 7 business days; expediting adds $15.
Fees
The $15 fee covers a search and one certified copy if the record is located, or a Certificate of Failure to Find if it is not. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $6.7Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 22-9A-23 – Fees
How Many Copies You Will Actually Need
Families often order too few. Nearly every institution that touches the deceased’s affairs will want its own certified copy, and buying extras up front at $6 each is cheaper than opening a new $15 order later.
Situations that typically call for a certified copy include:
- Each life insurance policy claim
- Each bank or investment account being closed or transferred
- Retitling a home, vehicle, or business interest
- Filing for Social Security survivor benefits (the funeral home usually reports the death itself, but a claim may need a copy)
- Opening probate
A reasonable starting point for most families is 10 to 15 copies. The exact number depends on how many accounts, policies, and assets the deceased held, so lean toward more rather than fewer on the first order.
Fixing a Mistake on the Certificate
Corrections split into two tracks depending on what is wrong.
Personal Information
Errors in the deceased’s name, date of birth, marital status, or other demographic fields are handled through a written amendment sent to the Center for Health Statistics along with supporting documentation. The original entry is not erased; the amendment is attached to the record as an affidavit noting what was corrected.8Alabama Department of Public Health. Death Certificate Corrections/Changes
The amendment fee is $20 and includes one certified copy of the corrected record. Additional copies are $6 each, and $15 will expedite the request.8Alabama Department of Public Health. Death Certificate Corrections/Changes
Cause of Death
Only the certifier who signed the record, whether a physician, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, coroner, or medical examiner, can change the medical section. Family cannot request those changes directly.9Alabama Department of Public Health. Amendment Packet for Alabama Birth and Death Certificates When the cause is listed as “pending” while an autopsy is completed, the certifier files a Supplemental Medical Certification once results come back, often electronically through Alabama’s Electronic Death Registration System. There is no fee for medical corrections.8Alabama Department of Public Health. Death Certificate Corrections/Changes
Using the Certificate Abroad
If you need to present an Alabama death certificate in another country, most foreign governments require an apostille, an internationally recognized authentication. In Alabama, the Secretary of State issues apostilles, not ADPH. A standard certified copy from the Center for Health Statistics carries the signature of the current State Registrar, which is what the Secretary of State needs before attaching the authentication. The fee is $5 per document, and you mail the certified copy with the Secretary of State’s submittal form to:10Alabama Secretary of State. Authentications
Alabama Secretary of State
P.O. Box 5616
Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5616
The Secretary of State keeps that certified copy and returns it with the apostille attached, so order enough copies to cover your other needs before sending one off for authentication.