Birth Records In Alabama
An Act of 1881 provided that all births and deaths in the state of Alabama were to be registered with a county health officer, but the legislation was adhered to carelessly at best. State-level registration of births and deaths in Alabama began January 1st, 1908. The state, however, did not achieve a 90% completeness of birth registration until 1927, and of death registration until 1925. For birth and death records prior to 1908, and marriages prior to 1936, write to the clerk of the county in question. For birth and death records after 1908, and marriages after 1936, write the Alabama Vital Records State Department of Public Health.
The Alabama Center for Health Statistics began filing birth certificates in 1908 for persons born in Alabama.
Restrictions: By Alabama law, birth certificates are confidential records with restricted access for 125 years from the date of birth. They may obtained by the following persons, upon payment of the proper fee:
- Person Named on the Certificate
- Mother/Father (or Legal Guardian)
- Husband/Wife of Person Named on Certificate
- Son/Daughter of Person Named on Certificate
- Sister/Brother of Person Named on Certificate
- Legal Representative of an Authorized Person
Cost: The fee to search for a birth certificate is $12.00, which includes one certified copy of the birth certificate or “Certificate of Failure to Find.” For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $4.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to “Vital Records.” Please do not send cash. Fees are not refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service.
Information Required: Please provide as much of the following information as possible for us to locate the birth certificate:
- Full name of person as listed on the certificate
- Date of birth
- Sex
- County (or city) of birth
- Hospital of birth – if not in a hospital state “home”
- Full maiden name of mother
- Full name of father
- Your name
- Your signature
- Your relationship to the person whose certificate you are requesting
- Address where the certificate is to be mailed
- Your daytime phone number
Send To: Send the above information and the appropriate fee to:
Alabama Vital Records
P. O. Box 5625
Montgomery, Al
36103-5625
http://adph.org/vitalrecords/index.asp?id=1559
