How to get Alabama divorce records

In Alabama, order a certified divorce record from the Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics.¹ The state issues a divorce certificate, not the decree. The decree comes from the circuit clerk.² The first copy costs $15³ and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6³. You can order online, by mail, at a local office or by phone. Anyone may order a certified copy. The fastest published option is at a local office: same day³.

Last checked November 5, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

Ways to order
What Alabama divorce records cost
How long it takes
Who can order Alabama divorce records
ID you need
What the application asks for
Decree or certificate
Forms
Years held and older records
Special situations
Warnings from the office
The state office
Questions people ask
Sources

Ways to order

How	Cost per copy	Processing time	Payment
Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.	$15³ first, $6³ each extra copy	–	Card¹
By mail	$15³ first, $6³ each extra copy	7 to 10 days¹	Check and money order³
At a local office: Alabama county health departments	$15³ first, $6³ each extra copy	Same day³	–
At a local office: Circuit clerk of the county where the divorce was granted	$10⁴	–	Cash, cashier's check and money order⁴
By phone	$15³ first, $6³ each extra copy	–	Card⁵

Not offered: online directly with the vital records office and in person.¹⁵

Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.

Vendor: VitalChek Network, Inc.¹
Fees: First copy $15³
Each additional copy in the same order $6³
Payment: Card¹

Good to know

ADPH calls VitalChek an independent company and says the service costs extra.¹
Apostille and Exemplified copies cannot be ordered online.⁶

Go to the ordering site³

By mail

Run by: Alabama Center for Health Statistics³
Fees: First copy $15³
Each additional copy in the same order $6³
Processing time: 7 to 10 days¹
Expedited service: $15. Available³
Payment: Check and money order³
Make payable to: Center for Health Statistics³
Mail to: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Vital Records, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625
⁵

Good to know

Use the form only for events in Alabama; do not request two different types of certificates on the same form.⁷

Open the application or mail instructions⁷

At a local office: Alabama county health departments

Run by: Alabama county health departments¹
Fees: First copy $15³⁸
Each additional copy in the same order $6³
Processing time: Same day³
Hours: Jefferson County example: Monday-Friday 7:45am-4:15pm, Guy M. Tate Building only⁸

Good to know

Regular copies are no longer issued in person at the state office in Montgomery; use a county health department.⁵
Apostille and Exemplified copies are not available at county health departments.⁶

Find a local office⁹

At a local office: Circuit clerk of the county where the divorce was granted

Run by: Circuit clerk of the county where the divorce was granted²
Fees: Per copy $10⁴
Payment: Cash, cashier's check and money order⁴

Good to know

In Talladega a written request must give both names, about what year, and a return address.⁴

Find a local office¹⁰

By phone

Run by: VitalChek Network, Inc.⁵
Fees: First copy $15³
Each additional copy in the same order $6³
Payment: Card⁵
Hours: Any time¹
Phone: 888-279-9888¹

What Alabama divorce records cost

First certified copy: $15³
Each additional copy, same order: $6³
Expedite fee: $15³
If no record is found: The fee is kept as a search fee¹¹
Fees in effect since: Fee section last amended by Act 2009-569¹²

Types of copies

Copy	Accepted for	Fee
Certified copy³	Treated by statute as the same as the original for all purposes¹³	$15³
Certificate of Failure to Find³	–	$15³

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

How you order	Processing time
By mail	7 to 10 days¹
At a local office: Alabama county health departments	Same day³

Who can order Alabama divorce records

Anyone may order a certified copy.³

Records open to the public after: 0 years¹⁴

ID you need

Photo ID: Not required³
ID copy with a mail order: Not required²

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.³

Full names before first marriage of both spouses
Date of divorce
County where divorce was granted
Your name
Your signature
Address where the certificate is to be mailed
Your daytime phone number

Decree or certificate

The decree, the court's judgment with the terms of the divorce, comes from the clerk of the court that granted it. Alabama also keeps a state record of divorces at its vital records office¹; it shows that the divorce happened, not its terms. Divorce certificate vs decree explains which one an agency usually wants.

Forms

Application for a Birth, Death, Marriage, or Divorce Certificate (ADPH-HS14) Rev. 10/2024⁷
Solucidud so para un Nacimiento, una Muerte, una Unión, o un Certificado del Divorcio (ADPH-HS14S) Rev. 10/2024¹⁵

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds: 1950 to today³
Older records: Circuit court in the county where the divorce was granted³

Special situations

If no record is found: You receive a Certificate of Failure to Find and the fee is kept.¹¹ Details
Use abroad: Apostille or Exemplified copy: $25.00 each; divorce copies are unrestricted.⁶ Details

Warnings from the office

False application is a crime: up to three months in county jail or a fine of up to $500.⁷
ADPH describes VitalChek as an independent company, not an ADPH service, with extra fees.¹

The state office

Office: Alabama Center for Health Statistics (Alabama Vital Records)⁵
Phone: (334) 206-5418⁵
Email: Email form on the ADPH contact page⁵
Mailing address: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Vital Records, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625
⁵
Walk-in address: Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics, The RSA Tower, 201 Monroe Street, Suite 1150, Montgomery, AL 36104
⁵
Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays⁵
Website: Official website⁷

Questions people ask

How much is a certified Alabama divorce record?

The first copy costs $15 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6.³

How long does it take to get Alabama divorce records?

By mail: 7 to 10 days. At a local office: same day.¹³

Can I order Alabama divorce records online?

Yes. Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.¹

Who do I make the check or money order payable to?

Write it exactly as the office prints it: Center for Health Statistics.³

Where are older Alabama divorce records kept?

Circuit court in the county where the divorce was granted.³

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

ADPH Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records home pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated February 3, 2026
Live origin retCDC National Center for Health Statisticsdated April 23, 2026read from the Internet Archive copy of this official page
Divorce-certificates pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated August 21, 2025
Talladega CountyAlabama county circuit clerk
Contact pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated January 30, 2026
Apostille-and-exemplified-copies pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated May 26, 2026
Mail-in application PDFAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated October 1, 2024
Vital recordsJefferson County Department of Health
ADPH county health department locationsAlabama Department of Public Healthdated October 23, 2026
Vital-record-providers pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated September 9, 2026
Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 420-7-1 Vital Statistics PDF (Alabama Legislative Services…Alabama Legislative Services Agency (Administrative Code)dated December 15, 2022
Code of Alabama section 22-9A-23 (ALISON, Alabama Legislature)Alabama Legislature (Code of Alabama, ALISON)
Code of Alabama section 22-9A-22 (ALISON, Alabama Legislature)Alabama Legislature (Code of Alabama, ALISON)
Code of Alabama section 22-9A-21 (ALISON, Alabama Legislature)Alabama Legislature (Code of Alabama, ALISON)
Spanish application for a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate (ADPH-HS14S)Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated October 1, 2024