Alabama Vital Records

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Alabama Vital Records Online Links
After locating a person in the Alabama Vital Record Indexes, original records should always be consulted. Very few digitized images of originals are available online.

Alabama Quick Links:

 * Alabama Links from the SLC FHL Online Favorite Links for the World - Free
 * Alabama Loose Records Index by the Alabama Department of Archives and History - Free
 * Alabama Databases from Rootsweb.org - Free
 * USGenWeb.org Alabama Site - Free
 * Record Search look through the Canada, USA, and Mexico Collections for Alabama - Free
 * Vital Records Search and Information Directory for Alabama - Free/$
 * Wee Monster Links for Alabama Birth &amp; Marriage and Death Records - Free/$
 * Linkpendium Links for Alabama Genealogy and History, including individual Counties - Free/$
 * Progenealogists Links for the United States. Try "Ctrl F" then search for Alabama or AL - Free/$
 * Ancestry.com Alabama Birth, Marriage &amp; Death Records - $
 * Address to Order Alabama Certificates - $

Introduction to Vital Records
Alabama Vital Records include birth, marriage, divorce, and death registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or extract of the original record may be purchased from the Alabama Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office where the event occurred. An overview of United States Vital Records offers additional insight into researching vital records in general. See also Alabama Statewide indexes and collections at the FHL.

African American
African-American research in Alabama falls into two periods: pre- and post-Civil War. Post-Civil War research consists of the same record used to research non-African-Americans. Pre-Civil War slavery research consists of slave importation declarations, plantation records, emancipation records, apprenticeship bonds for freedmen, census records, plantation owners’ family records, church records, cemetery records, military records, probate and court records.

Alabama Indians
When researching Alabama Indians, it is important to identify the tribe to which an ancestor may have have belonged. Most North American Indian records are arranged either by tribal name or by locality of residence.

Birth Records
1881 to 1908

The State of Alabama requested registration of births at the county level in 1881. However, most counties were slow to comply. These early birth registers usually do not list the name of the child. Many records are missing, were never created, or were destroyed during this time period.

1908 to Present 

The State of Alabama did not require birth registration at the state level until 1908. The recording of vital records gradually increased with time and was generally complied with by 1927. Most of the early birth registers and certificates do not list the name of the child, but may contain the sex, race, place and date of birth, parents, and possibly the physician or midwife attending the birth. By the 1920's, it was more common to find the child's name in the record. Some sources for online indexes are at Alabama Vital Records Online. Alabama Vital Records State Department of Health has instructions for ordering copies of birth certificates.

Adoption Records
Adoption Research. After a legal adoption is completed, Alabama law requires the creation of a new birth certificate. The original birth certificate and evidence of adoption are placed in a "sealed file." The new certificate is then substituted for the original birth certificate in the State Department of Vital Statistics files.

As of August 1, 2000, original birth records became available to adoptees once they reach the age of 19. The law allows all adult adoptees whose original birth certificate and court records were placed in a "sealed file" to obtain a copy of the birth certificate and any other documents held in the file.

The birth parent may indicate a preference for 1) unrestricted contact, 2) contact through an intermediary, or 3) no contact. If the birth parent chooses no contact, an Updated Medical History form must be completed and placed in the file. The Alabama Department of Public Health has detailed information on obtaining copies of these sealed birth records.

Marriage Records
Before the Statewide registration of marriages in Alabama began in 1936, the Clerk of the Probate Court in each county issued licenses and recorded marriages. The county marriage records usually began within ten years of the creation of the county.

1799 - March 3, 1817 Mississippi Territory

Early marriage records for that part of the Mississippi Territory that would become the Alabama Territory began in 1799. Licenses and bonds were registered in the Orphans Court in the county of the bride's residence.

1818 - 1936 Alabama Territory/State 

Early marriage licenses and bonds were registered in the Orphans Court in the County of the bride's residence. In 1844 the Orphans Court was renamed the Probate Court. From 1888 on, bonds were only required if the groom was under the age of 21 or the bride was under the age of 18.

The county marriage records usually began within ten years of the creation of the county. The Family History Library has microfilms of the county marriage records for most Alabama Counties. These films may be ordered and viewed at a nearby Family History Center.

1936 - Present

Alabama began keeping statewide Marriage Records in August of 1936. For current fees and instructions for obtaining copies of the state’s records, contact the Alabama Department of Public Health. For marriages prior to 1936, contact the Probate Court in the County where license was issued. The Family History Library has films of the statewide Marriage Certificates for 1936–1992; and an Index for 1936–1959 that may be ordered and viewed at a nearby Family History Center.

There are a number of books with Statewide Indexes to Alabama marriages in the FHL collection that may be viewed at the FHL or borrowed from other libraries through interlibrary loan.

Alabama Marriages to 1825

Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920

Divorce Records
Early - 1950

In the early 1800's, the legislature, circuit courts, and city courts granted divorces. Alabama divorces were also settled or tried in county chancery courts until 1915 when the chancery courts were merged with the county circuit court. The state legislature finalized early divorces for a period and these early records were published in the Senate and House Journals.

For divorce records prior to this time, contact the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where divorce was granted.

1950 - Present

Statewide Divorce Records for Alabama began January of 1950. There is an online index for Alabama Divorces for 1950-1959.

Death Records
January 1908 - Present


 * Alabama Vital Records Online has a number of quick links to death indexes for Alabama.
 * Alabama Statewide Deaths from 1908-1974 are available on Record Search
 * The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is online and contains records of deaths for those who had social security numbers and the death was reported to the United States Social Security Administration. Most records start in 1962, but the file does contain a few records of deaths from 1942 until 1961.

The Alabama Center for Health Statistics began filing death certificates in January of 1908 for persons who died in Alabama. Death Certificates contain personal information on the deceased from an informant, usually a relative. The information was sent to the county, who sent a copy to the state. Death record information may include:


 * Name and location of the cemetery where buried
 * Country or state and sometimes the town and county of birth for the parents
 * Married name of spouse
 * Names of parents, often with maiden surname of the mother
 * Name of the informant, who is often a child or other family member
 * Age of the deceased usually in years, months, and days
 * Whether the deceased was single, married, widowed, or divorced at the time of death

The Family History Library has microfilms of statewide Death Records from 1908 to 1974 and Death Indexes from 1908 to 1959 that may be viewed at a nearby Family History Center.

Alabama. Department of Health (Montgomery, Alabama). Deaths, 1908–1972; Index to Deaths, 1908–1969. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1993.

Substitute Records

 * Alabama Church Records
 * Alabama_Cemtery Records
 * Federal Census:
 * Alabama Census Alabama had some pre 1850 census that included every name!
 * Alabama History
 * Alabama Newspapers: obituary, birth and marriage announcements, death notices
 * Alabama Military Records:
 * Alabama Obituaries

Lost / Missing Records
When record loss occurs there is usually an attempt to reconstruct the records. Land records are reconstructed to establish clear or legal title and for tax purposes.

Nearly half of the counties in Alabama have had burned courthouses. A number of them have burned several times. However, not all records were lost.

Tips

 * The information given on a birth or death certificate is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to determine the accuracy of the record.


 * If you are unable to locate a vital records recorded by civil governments; search for a church records of christening, marriage, death or burial. A family Bible may have been used to record family births, marriages and deaths.


 * African Americans,records may be in separate vital records files with separate indexes.


 * Privacy laws restrict access to the records of living individuals, the individual must apply for their records, parents may be permitted to obtain a record for a child.


 * If a baby's survival was questioned, a birth certificate may not have been created.


 * Check PERSI for your difficult to find family member.


 * Vital Records are listed in the "Place Search"of the Family History Library Catalog. Search "Alabama" for state level records, and search the name of the county for vital records kept at the county level.

Archives, Libraries &amp; Societies

 * Alabama Archives and Libraries
 * Alabama Societies
 * County Historical and Genealogical Societies of Alabama may be a rich resource for additional records and information

SOURCES:

Barefield, Marilyn Davis, Researching in Alabama a Genealogical Guide.Southern Historical Press, 1987.

"Nancy Dupree, Reference Consultant for Alabama Department of Archives and History." Telephone interview. 14 Jan. 2009.

"Vital Records - Home." Alabama Center for Health Statistics Vital Records. Alabama Department of Public Health, 2009. Web. 04 Aug. 2009. &lt;http://www.adph.org/vitalrecords/Default.asp?id=1558&gt;.

Davis, Robert S., and Mary Bess Paluzzi. "Alabama." Ancestry's Red Book American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd Edition. Provo: Ancestry.com, 1992. 21-34.

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