Dothan Death Records

Dothan death records are kept by the Houston County Health Department. You can get death certificates at their office on East Cottonwood Road in Alabama.

Houston County Health Department

The Houston County Health Department handles Dothan death certificates. This is where you go for a certified copy. The office is on East Cottonwood Road, about a 10 minute drive from downtown Dothan. Staff can search the state database and print your copy while you wait in Alabama.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit in Dothan. Have the full name of the deceased ready. Know when they died. Know the county where it happened. A Social Security Number helps staff find the record faster in Alabama.

How to Get Death Certificates in Dothan

Dothan residents can get death certificates in several ways. Your choice depends on how fast you need it. It also depends on whether you can visit an office in person in Alabama.

Visit the Health Department in Person

Going to the Houston County Health Department is the fastest way. The vital records window can print your copy while you wait. This takes about 15 to 30 minutes in Dothan. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. You can pay with cash, check, or money order in Alabama.

Request from Any Alabama County

You do not have to visit Houston County. Any health department in Alabama can pull up Dothan death records through the ViSION system. If you live near another county or travel across the state, you can ask for Dothan death certificates there. All county offices charge the same fees in Alabama.

Order by Mail

You can mail your request to the Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery. Send a filled out form along with a check made out to Center for Health Statistics. Mail it to P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Include $15 for the first copy. Add $6 for each extra copy in the same order. Mail orders take about 7 to 10 days in Alabama.

Order Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the official online partner for Alabama vital records. Order at vitalchek.com or call 1-888-279-9888. They take credit and debit cards. Fast shipping is an option. VitalChek adds service fees on top of what the state charges for Dothan death records. A standard order takes 7 to 10 days in Alabama.

Who Can Request Dothan Death Certificates

Alabama law sets who can get death certificates. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death records stay sealed for 25 years. After that time, anyone can ask for a copy in Dothan.

For deaths within 25 years, you must be allowed to ask. The people who qualify include:

• Parents of the deceased
• Spouse of the deceased
• Adult children of the deceased
• Siblings of the deceased
• Grandchildren of the deceased
• Legal reps for family members
• Attorneys handling the estate
• The informant who signed the form

Others may qualify if they can show a personal or property interest in the Dothan death record. Insurance firms processing claims and government agencies doing official work can also ask in Alabama. Researchers may access death data under written deals with the state. Firms seeking mailing lists or bulk data cannot get restricted Dothan death records in Alabama.

Dothan Death Certificate Fees

Fees for death certificates are set by the State Board of Health under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23. These fees are the same at every county health department in Alabama.

Fees are not refundable. If the state searches and cannot find a match, you get a Certificate of Failure to Find instead of a Dothan death certificate. The $15 still applies. VitalChek orders have extra charges in Alabama.

Houston County Death Records

Dothan sits fully within Houston County. This is the youngest county in Alabama. It was formed in 1903 and named for Governor George Houston. Dothan is the county seat in Alabama. About half the county population lives in Dothan.

The Houston County Probate Office handles some related records in Dothan. These include wills, estate files, and guardianship records. The probate office is at the Houston County Administration Building at 462 North Oates Street in downtown Dothan in Alabama.

The Houston County Coroner looks into deaths from violence, accidents, suicide, or sudden unexplained causes in Dothan. The coroner works with the doctor or the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to find the cause and manner of death. This info then goes on the Dothan death certificate in Alabama.

Historical Death Records for Dothan

Alabama began keeping death records on January 1, 1908. Compliance took several years. By 1925, about 90 percent of deaths were being registered. Dothan death records from 1908 to now are in the state system in Alabama.

For deaths before 1908, you need to look elsewhere. Some county health officers kept death registers starting in 1881, but coverage varied. Houston County did not exist until 1903. Very early records would be in Henry County and Dale County in Alabama.

Other sources for pre-1908 death info in the Dothan area include:

• Probate court records with wills and estate files
• Cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions
• Church burial records from local congregations
• Newspaper obituaries from the Dothan Eagle
• Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880

FamilySearch has a free database called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. Over 1.8 million names are indexed. You can search and see scans of original Dothan death certificates at no cost. The Alabama Archives in Montgomery also gives free access to Ancestry.com if you visit in Alabama.

Search Death Records

Use the search tool below to find death records in Dothan, Houston County, or other parts of Alabama.

Nearby Alabama Cities

These are other cities in Alabama with death record pages. Each has info about the county health department in that area:

Houston County

Dothan is the county seat of Houston County. For more info about death records in this county, visit the Houston County page in Alabama.

View Houston County