Find Decatur Death Records
Decatur death records are kept by the Morgan County Health Department. You can get death certificates at their office on Highway 31 South in Alabama.
Decatur Quick Facts
Morgan County Health Department
The Morgan County Health Department handles Decatur death certificates. This is where you go for a certified copy. The office is right in Decatur on Highway 31 South. You do not have to travel far. Staff can search the state database and print your copy while you wait in Decatur.
Bring a valid photo ID when you visit in Alabama. You should know some basic facts about the deceased. Have their full legal name ready. Know when they died. Know the county where death took place. A Social Security Number helps staff find the record faster in Decatur.
| Office | Morgan County Health Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 3821 Hwy. 31 South Decatur, AL 35603 |
| Phone | (256) 353-7021 |
| Vital Statistics | (256) 560-6592 |
| Clinical Services | (256) 560-6507 |
| Environmental Health | (256) 560-6563 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
Limestone County Health Department
Part of Decatur extends into Limestone County. If someone died in that section, the death would be under Limestone County records. You can ask at the Limestone County Health Department in Athens. However, it does not matter much in Alabama. All county offices link to the same state system. Any county can pull up any Decatur death record.
| Office | Limestone County Health Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 1115 W. Market Street Athens, AL 35611 |
| Phone | (256) 232-3200 |
How to Get Death Certificates in Decatur
Decatur residents can get death certificates through several paths. Your choice depends on how fast you need it. It also depends on whether you can visit an office in person in Alabama.
Walk Into the Health Department
Going to Morgan County Health Department is the fastest way. Staff at the vital records window can search and print your copy while you wait. Expect about 15 to 30 minutes in Decatur. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. They take cash, checks, and money orders in Alabama.
Visit Any Alabama County Office
You are not limited to Morgan County. Every health department in the state can access Decatur death records through the ViSION system. If you are in Birmingham for work or passing through Montgomery, you could ask for a Decatur death certificate there. The fees are the same in Alabama.
Mail Your Request
Send a mail request to the Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery. Fill out the form and include a check made out to Center for Health Statistics for $15 per copy. Mail it to P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Extra copies in the same order cost $6 each. Allow about 7 to 10 days for processing in Alabama.
Use VitalChek Online
VitalChek is the official online service for Alabama vital records. You can order at vitalchek.com or call 1-888-279-9888. They take credit and debit cards. VitalChek adds service fees on top of the state price for Decatur death records. Regular orders take 7 to 10 days. Rush options cost more in Alabama.
Who Can Request Decatur Death Certificates
State law limits who can get recent death records. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death certificates stay sealed for 25 years. After 25 years pass, anyone can ask for a copy in Decatur.
For deaths within 25 years, only certain people can get a copy. This includes:
- Parents of the person who died
- Spouse or surviving spouse
- Adult children of the deceased
- Brothers and sisters
- Grandchildren
- Attorneys or legal reps
- The informant on the form
Others may qualify by showing a property or personal interest in the record. Insurance firms processing death claims fall into this group. Government agencies can get records for official work in Alabama. Researchers may access death data through formal written deals with the state. Firms seeking bulk data or mailing lists cannot get restricted Decatur death certificates in Alabama.
Decatur Death Certificate Fees
The fees for death certificates come from the State Board of Health. They are set under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23. These fees are the same at any county health department in Alabama or at the state office in Montgomery.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Search fee with one certified copy | $15.00 |
| Each additional copy in same order | $6.00 |
| Expedited processing | $15.00 extra |
| Amendment or correction | $20.00 |
These fees are not refundable. If the search cannot find a match, you get a Certificate of Failure to Find instead of a Decatur death certificate. You still pay the $15. Online orders through VitalChek have extra charges in Alabama.
Morgan County Death Records
Decatur is the county seat of Morgan County. This is where county offices are based. Most of the city falls within Morgan County, though part extends into Limestone County in Alabama.
The Morgan County Coroner handles death investigations in Decatur. The coroner looks into deaths from violence, accidents, suicide, or sudden unexplained causes. Murder, car wrecks, drowning, and similar deaths go through this office. When an autopsy is needed, the coroner works with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences lab in Alabama.
The Morgan County Probate Court keeps related records that can help with family research or estate matters. These include wills, probate files, and guardianship records in Decatur. The probate office is in the Morgan County Courthouse downtown in Alabama.
Historical Death Records for Decatur
Alabama started keeping death records on January 1, 1908. Full compliance took time. By 1925, roughly 90 percent of deaths were being registered. All death records from 1908 on are in the state system and available through any county health department in Decatur.
Finding death info from before 1908 takes more work. Some county health officers kept death registers starting in 1881, but coverage was not even across Alabama. Morgan County records from this time, if they exist, would be on microfilm at the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery.
Sources for pre-1908 death info in the Decatur area include:
- Probate court wills and estate records
- Cemetery records and headstone inscriptions
- Church burial records from local congregations
- Old newspaper obituaries from the Decatur Daily
- Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 through 1880
FamilySearch has a free database called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. It has over 1.8 million indexed names. You can search and view scans of original Decatur death certificates at no cost. The Alabama Archives in Montgomery also gives free access to Ancestry.com if you use their research room in Alabama.
Search Death Records
Use the search tool below to find death records in Decatur, Morgan County, or other parts of Alabama.
Nearby Alabama Cities
Decatur sits in north central Alabama along the Tennessee River. These other cities have their own pages with death record info:
Morgan County
Decatur is the county seat of Morgan County. A small part of the city also goes into Limestone County. For full info about death records in this area, visit the Morgan County page in Alabama.