How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Alabama?
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 15, 2026
This guide covers Alabama. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
Alabama sets no required number of death certificates; the right count depends on how many banks, insurers, and agencies each need an original certified copy. What Alabama does set is the price: A certified copy costs $15, which includes the search, and each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $6. Expedited handling adds $15.
This is one of the most common practical questions after a death. Alabama sets no required number, but it does set the price, which makes the count worth deciding before you order.
Is there a set number required by Alabama?
No. The right number depends on how many banks, insurance companies, and government agencies in your situation each need their own certified copy, not on Alabama law.
What will the copies cost in Alabama?
A certified copy costs $15, which includes the search, and each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $6. Expedited handling adds $15. At those rates, ten certified copies would cost $69 in state or agency fees, before any online-vendor or shipping charges.
Does it matter when I order in Alabama?
The $6 price for additional copies applies only when they are ordered together with the first, so order the full number in your first request.
Which institutions typically require one?
Banks and credit unions, life insurers, retirement account administrators, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (if applicable) are common examples, though your own list depends on your accounts and assets. See our general guide on getting death certificates.
Can I use photocopies instead?
Generally no. Most institutions require an original certified copy, though it’s worth asking each one, since policies occasionally vary.
Where can I order more in Alabama?
Any county health department in Alabama can issue copies in person, often the same day. Details on each option are in our guide to getting a death certificate in Alabama.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Alabama Department of Public Health before you send payment.
Sources
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 15, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 15, 2026 against the state's own published fee information, application forms, and county government pages listed in the sources. Death certificate fees change often, and some official pages were read only as search extracts, so the current fee should be confirmed on the agency's page before paying. Recommended for periodic re-verification. This is general information, not legal advice
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