Certified Copies in Alabama: Where and What It Costs
Certified copies
Ordering Certified Copies in Alabama
Where to order a certified vital record or corporate record issued in Alabama, what it costs, what the office requires, and what happens to it afterwards.
- Birth certificate
- $15.00, additional copies $6.00
- Death certificate
- $15.00, additional $6.00
- Marriage
- $15.00, additional $6.00
- Divorce
- $15.00, additional $6.00; the state does not hold decrees
Vital records
Issued by: Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics
Post to: Alabama Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625
| Record | Certified copy |
|---|---|
| Birth | $15.00, additional copies $6.00 |
| Death | $15.00, additional $6.00 |
| Marriage | $15.00, additional $6.00 |
| Divorce | $15.00, additional $6.00; the state does not hold decrees |
What Alabama requires
- Birth records less than 125 years old and death records less than 25 years old are restricted.
- Include your signature, your relationship to the person on the record and a photocopy of valid ID.
- Marriage from August 1936, divorce from January 1950.
Corporate records
A certificate of good standing and certified copies of formation documents for a Alabama entity come from Alabama Secretary of State, normally online and often the same day.
- Order from the state where the entity was formed, not where it trades.
- A certificate of good standing is a statement of current status. A certified copy of the articles is a different product; if a foreign authority asks for the formation documents, you need the latter.
- Ask for a certified or exemplified copy. A plain download from the state website carries no seal and cannot be authenticated.
What happens next
Once you hold the certified copy, authentication in Alabama goes through Alabama Secretary of State, at $5.00 per apostille. Note that Alabama also requires a county-level step for notarised documents, though a certified vital record issued by the registrar skips it.
Questions people actually ask
Where do I order a Alabama birth certificate?
From Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics. Post to Alabama Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. A certified copy is $15.00, additional copies $6.00.
Does the Alabama Secretary of State issue birth certificates?
No. Vital records come from the health department; the Secretary of State handles corporate records and, in most states, the apostille. They are separate offices with separate fees.
What will Alabama reject?
Birth records less than 125 years old and death records less than 25 years old are restricted.
Can I have it apostilled straight away?
Yes, and that is the right order. Order the certified copy first, then send it for authentication. Do not sign, stamp or laminate it in between, and do not open a sealed envelope.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
