Access Butler County Death Records

Butler County death records are available through the county health department in Greenville. You can request certified copies of Butler County death certificates for anyone who died in the county from 1908 forward. The health department uses the Alabama ViSION system. They can also pull death records from other Alabama counties.

Butler County Health Department

The Butler County Health Department is your stop for death certificates. It is near the airport in Greenville. Greenville is the county seat in Butler County.

The health department is part of the Alabama Department of Public Health. Staff can search the statewide vital records database. They print certified copies for you in Butler County.

Requesting Death Certificates

There are three ways to get Butler County death certificates. Pick whichever works best for your situation.

In Person

The fastest option is walking in. Bring a photo ID. Head to the health department on Airport Road. Fill out the request form. Give them the name of the deceased. Give them the date of death. They search the database. They print your copy on the spot. Plan for about 20 minutes in Butler County.

By Mail

Write a letter with the full name of the person who died. Include the date of death. Include the place of death if known. Add your name and address. Add a check or money order for the fee. Make it payable to Alabama Department of Public Health. Mail it to the address above. Wait one to two weeks for a response in Alabama.

Online

Order online through VitalChek. Go to the Alabama Center for Health Statistics website. Find the link to order vital records. You pay by credit card. You can track your order. VitalChek adds a service fee beyond the state fee in Butler County.

Eligibility Requirements

Not everyone can get Butler County death certificates. Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21 sets the rules.

Butler County death records more than 25 years old are public. Anyone can request them without showing a reason in Alabama.

Butler County death records less than 25 years old are restricted. You can get one if you are the spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, or grandchild of the deceased. Lawyers working on estates qualify. Funeral directors qualify too. Government workers doing official duties can get them. A court order allows anyone to get a copy in Butler County.

Not sure if you qualify? Call the health department. They handle these questions regularly in Alabama.

Fees for Death Certificates

Fees are set by the state. They are the same in every Alabama county. The fee structure is as follows:

Need more than one copy? Get them all at once to save money. First copy is $15. Extras in the same order are just $6 each. Many people need multiple copies for banks, insurance, and legal purposes in Butler County.

The fee is not refundable. Even if the search finds nothing, you pay the fee. You get a Certificate of Failure to Find in Alabama.

The Butler County Health Department processes death certificate requests through the state ViSION system.

Information on Death Certificates

Butler County death certificates contain standard information. Here is what you get.

The top part shows basic facts. It shows the full legal name. It shows the date of birth. It shows the date of death. It shows where death occurred. It also has the home address, Social Security number, race, and sex in Butler County.

The middle section covers medical information. This includes the cause of death. It includes contributing conditions. It shows whether an autopsy was done. The doctor or coroner who certified the death signs here in Alabama.

The bottom part tells about disposition. It shows if the body was buried or cremated. It names the funeral home. It gives the location of remains. This helps if you are looking for a grave site in Butler County.

Alabama Law on Death Records

Butler County death record rules come from the Alabama Vital Statistics Act of 1992. It is in Title 22, Chapter 9A of the Alabama Code.

Section 22-9A-14 requires every death to be registered within five days. The funeral home files the certificate. A doctor or coroner fills out the cause of death. If the cause is not known right away, they mark it pending in Alabama.

Section 22-9A-21 sets the 25 year privacy period. Butler County death records stay confidential for 25 years. Then they become public. During those 25 years, only eligible people can get copies in Butler County.

Section 22-9A-22 says certified copies are legally the same as the original document. Banks, courts, and insurance companies have to accept them in Alabama.

Older Records

Alabama started statewide vital records on January 1, 1908. For deaths before that, there are no state Butler County death certificates.

Registration was not fully in place until 1925. Records from 1908 to 1925 may or may not exist. The state says 90% compliance happened by 1925 in Alabama.

For pre-1908 deaths in Butler County, check church records. Check cemetery logs. Check family bibles. The Probate Court has old estate files with death dates. The Alabama Department of Archives and History can help with historical research in Butler County.

Other Record Sources

Besides the health department, other offices have Butler County death related records.

The Butler County Probate Court keeps estate and will records. If someone died with property, there is probably a probate file. These files have death dates. They have estate details in Butler County.

Court records are available through Alacourt.com. Search for civil and criminal cases related to deaths in Alabama.

Local newspapers ran obituaries. Libraries may have old issues to search in Butler County.

Cities in Butler County

Butler County has several communities. Greenville is the county seat. It is the largest city. Other towns include Georgiana and McKenzie. None have a population over 50,000. All residents use the county health department for Butler County death records in Alabama.

Nearby Counties