Jefferson County Marriage License: Alabama Form and Filing

Jefferson County, Alabama does not issue a marriage license, and hasn’t since August 29, 2019. What people still call a “Jefferson County marriage license” is now a marriage certificate: you and your partner fill out a state form, sign it in front of a notary, and file it with the Jefferson County Probate Court within 30 days. The recording fee is $84.50. No ceremony, officiant, or witnesses are required for the marriage to be legally valid.¹

Why There’s No License to Apply For

Alabama Act 2019-340 abolished the marriage license statewide. In its place, the state created a single document, the marriage certificate, that two eligible adults complete, notarize, and file. You can still hold a wedding with an officiant if you want one, but the ceremony has no legal effect on the marriage itself.¹

Who Can Marry in Alabama

Anyone 18 or older can marry without additional consent. A 16- or 17-year-old can marry only with a parent or guardian’s separate notarized affidavit of consent filed with the certificate.² No one under 16 can marry in Alabama.³

On the form, each party swears that they are not currently married to anyone else, that they are legally competent, that they are entering the marriage voluntarily, and that they are not related by blood or adoption in a way that would make the marriage illegal. Any prior marriage must have ended by death, divorce, dissolution, or annulment.¹

Completing the Marriage Certificate Form

The official form is a fillable document on the Alabama Department of Public Health website, with separate versions for adults and for 16- and 17-year-olds.⁴ Most couples type their information in before printing it for signature.

Each spouse provides:

Full legal name and last name before first marriage
Date of birth, sex, and state or country of birth
County and state of residence
Social Security number
Number of previous marriages and how the last one ended
Both parents’ names, including each parent’s last name before their first marriage
Current mailing address and daytime phone number
Race (optional)

Check every entry against your documents before you sign. Correcting even a misspelling after recording costs $27.00 at the Jefferson County Probate Court.⁵

Getting the Form Notarized

Both parties sign in front of an Alabama notary public, who verifies identities and witnesses the signatures. The form has a separate notary block for each spouse, so each signature is notarized individually. Bring valid government-issued photo ID. If a 16- or 17-year-old is marrying, the consenting parent’s signature on the affidavit also needs its own notarization.²

Banks, shipping stores, and law offices commonly provide notary services. Many couples notarize the form and walk it straight to the probate court the same day.

Where to File in Jefferson County

Deliver the completed, notarized form and the fee to the Jefferson County Probate Court. The county has two locations:⁶

Birmingham Division: 716 North Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35203 — (205) 325-5420
Bessemer Division: 1801 3rd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020 — (205) 481-4100

Both are open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The recording fee is $84.50, and additional copies ordered at the counter are $3.00 each.⁷ Buying two or three copies while you’re there is much cheaper than ordering certified copies from the state later.

The 30-Day Filing Deadline

The signed, notarized certificate must reach the probate court within 30 days of the last party’s signature. If both spouses sign the same day, the clock starts that day. If one signs on June 1 and the other on June 5, the 30 days run from June 5.¹

When the form is filed on time, the marriage is legally valid as of the date both parties signed, not the date the court records it. Miss the 30-day window and the document is no longer good; you’ll have to complete and notarize a new form and pay the $84.50 fee again.¹

Fixing Errors After Recording

If you catch a mistake before filing, start a fresh form and have it notarized again. If the error turns up after the probate court has recorded the certificate, you file a correction through the Jefferson County Probate Court for $27.00.⁵ Supporting documents such as a birth certificate or court order may be required depending on what’s being corrected.

Getting Certified Copies Later

Once your certificate is recorded, the probate court forwards a copy to the Alabama Center for Health Statistics at the Department of Public Health, which keeps the statewide record.¹ You’ll need certified copies for name changes, insurance, and similar purposes.

The Center for Health Statistics charges $15.00 for a search and one certified copy, $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time, and $15.00 more for expedited processing.⁸ You can order by mail (Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625), in person at any county health department, or through VitalChek at 1-888-279-9888 with added service fees.

A Note on Common-Law Marriage

Alabama stopped recognizing new common-law marriages on January 1, 2017. Common-law marriages formed before that date are still valid, but no amount of cohabitation after the cutoff creates a legally recognized marriage.⁹ If you want legal recognition in Jefferson County today, the marriage certificate process is the only route.

1
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-1-9.1 – Requirements for Marriage; Validity; Construction with Other Laws
2
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-1-5 – Consent of Parents Required for Marriage of Certain Minors
3
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-1-4 – Minimum Age for Contracting Marriage
4
Alabama Department of Public Health. Forms
5
Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama. Probate Court of Jefferson County – Court Costs
6
Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama. Marriage Certificates
7
Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama. Recording Costs
8
Alabama Department of Public Health. Marriage Certificates
9
National Conference of State Legislatures. Common Law Marriage by State