How to get an Alabama marriage certificate

In Alabama, order a certified marriage certificate from the Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics.¹ Marriages before August 1936 are held by the county probate office.² The first copy costs $15² and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6². 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 day².

Last checked November 5, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

Ways to order
What an Alabama marriage certificate costs
How long it takes
Who can order an Alabama marriage certificate
ID you need
What the application asks for
Which office holds a marriage record
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.	$15² first, $6² each extra copy	–	Card¹
By mail	$15² first, $6² each extra copy	7 to 10 days¹	Check and money order²
At a local office: Alabama county health departments	$15² first, $6² each extra copy	Same day²	–
At a local office: County probate court	Set by each office, for example $3⁴ or $5³	–	–
By phone	$15² first, $6² 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 $15²
Each additional copy in the same order $6²
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 site²

By mail

Run by: Alabama Center for Health Statistics²
Fees: First copy $15²
Each additional copy in the same order $6²
Processing time: 7 to 10 days¹
Expedited service: $15. Available²
Payment: Check and money order²
Make payable to: Center for Health Statistics²
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 $15²⁸
Each additional copy in the same order $6²
Processing time: Same day²
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: County probate court

Run by: County probate court²
Fees: Per copy $3⁴
First copy $5³
Each additional copy in the same order $3³

Good to know

Fees and practice vary by county.¹¹

Find a local office¹⁰

By phone

Run by: VitalChek Network, Inc.⁵
Fees: First copy $15²
Each additional copy in the same order $6²
Payment: Card⁵
Hours: Any time¹
Phone: 888-279-9888¹

What an Alabama marriage certificate costs

First certified copy: $15²
Each additional copy, same order: $6²
Expedite fee: $15²
If no record is found: The fee is kept as a search fee¹²
Fees in effect since: Fee section last amended by Act 2009-569¹³

Types of copies

Copy	Accepted for	Fee
Certified copy²	Treated by statute as the same as the original for all purposes¹⁴	$15²
Certificate of Failure to Find²	–	$15²

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 day²

Who can order an Alabama marriage certificate

Anyone may order a certified copy.²

Records open to the public after: 0 years¹⁵
Social Security number on the copy: The SSN entered on the marriage form does not appear on certified copies.¹⁶

ID you need

Photo ID: Not required²
ID copy with a mail order: Not required¹⁷

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.²

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

Which office holds a marriage record

Certified copies come from the office that recorded the signed license, and also from the state vital records office¹; the years each office holds are listed below. Marriage license vs certificate explains the difference and which copy agencies ask for.

Forms

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds: August 1936 to today²
Older records: Probate office of the county where the license was issued²

Special situations

If no record is found: You receive a Certificate of Failure to Find and the fee is kept.¹² Details
Use abroad: Apostille or Exemplified copy: $25.00 each; marriage 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
A new marriage is on file at the state only after the probate court forwards it.¹¹

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 marriage certificate?

The first copy costs $15 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6.²

How long does it take to get an Alabama marriage certificate?

By mail: 7 to 10 days. At a local office: same day.¹²

Can I order an Alabama marriage certificate 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.²

Where are older Alabama marriage certificates kept?

Probate office of the county where the license was issued.²

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
Marriage-certificates pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated June 2, 2026
Marriage certificateDale County Probate Office
Document recordingMobile County Probate Court
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
Marriage FAQsAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated June 12, 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)
Adult marriage certificate form and instructionsCalhoun County Probate Court
Live origin retCDC National Center for Health Statisticsdated April 23, 2026read from the Internet Archive copy of this official page
Spanish application for a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate (ADPH-HS14S)Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated October 1, 2024
Forms pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statisticsdated February 21, 2025