How Alabama Death Records Work

Alabama death certificates stay restricted for 25 years — immediate family, legal representatives, or the informant only. Once a death is 25 years old, anyone can order the certificate. No informational copies inside the 25-year window; after it, the record is open to any requester.

Any county health department in the state can issue a certificate for any Alabama death, often while you wait — the $15 search fee includes one copy. Content reviewed July 30, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.

Where to Order

Alabama Center for Health Statistics (ADPH)
Official Free
The official custodian. Application forms, current fees, eligibility rules, and processing times — order direct and skip the third-party markup.
🌐 alabamapublichealth.gov
CDC — Where to Write for Vital Records
Official Free
The federal directory of every state's vital records office — the authoritative answer to 'where do I order' for any state and any year.
🌐 www.cdc.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

How long are Alabama death records restricted?
Alabama death certificates stay restricted for 25 years — immediate family, legal representatives, or the informant only.
What can non-family requesters get?
No informational copies inside the 25-year window; after it, the record is open to any requester.
Is there a free Alabama death index online?
A free Alabama death index covering 1908–1974 is online through the big genealogy platforms; there is no state-run search.
What if I just need to confirm a death or find an obituary?
Skip the certificate entirely: newspaper obituaries (many are indexed by library databases), the Social Security death index carried on the big genealogy platforms, and probate case files in the county court that handled the estate all confirm a death without touching the restricted certificate.

Related Alabama Records

The Alabama vital records page covers the full birth-marriage-death picture; birth certificates follow their own (usually longer) privacy clock; probate lives in Alabama court records; and people search shows how death records fit a full person lookup. County pages list the local offices that issue copies.