How to Get a Death Certificate 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
In Alabama, certified death certificates are issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health's Center for Health Statistics, which began filing death certificates in 1908. 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.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Alabama, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Alabama.
Who issues death certificates in Alabama?
Certified copies come from the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Center for Health Statistics, which began filing death certificates in 1908. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.
How much does a certified copy 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.
Who can order a copy in Alabama?
Death certificates more than 25 years old can be obtained by anyone. Newer ones are restricted to specified people, including the informant listed on the certificate and close relatives, and identification is required.
How do I order more copies in Alabama?
- In person: at any county health department in Alabama, where most death certificates can be issued while you wait.
- Online or by phone: through VitalChek, the state’s service provider, with a credit or debit card (1-888-279-9888).
- By mail: to the Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625, with a check or money order payable to “Center for Health Statistics.”
What else should I know before I order?
Because the extra-copy price only applies to copies ordered at the same time, it pays to order your full count in one request.
What should I do next?
Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Alabama and our general guide to death certificates.
Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.
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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