Choctaw County Death Index

Choctaw County death records are on file at the health department in Butler. The county sits on the state line with Mississippi. This means some people who lived in Choctaw County may have died across the state line. You can get copies of death records for anyone who died in Choctaw County from 1908 to now. This page shows you how to get them in Alabama.

Choctaw County Health Department

The Choctaw County Health Department gives out death certificates in Choctaw County. The office is on South Mulberry Avenue in Butler. Staff use the state ViSION system to look up death records. They can find deaths that took place anywhere in Alabama, not just in Choctaw County.

You do not have to go to the county where the death took place to get a record. The Choctaw County health department can pull records from the whole state database in Alabama.

How to Get Death Certificates

There are three ways to get Choctaw County death certificates:

In Person

To get a death record in person, bring your ID to the health department in Butler. Fill out the form with the name and date of death. The staff will search for the record. They print copies while you wait. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes in Choctaw County. You pay when you pick up your copy.

By Mail

To get a death record by mail, write a letter with the facts about the death. Put in the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the place of death if you know it. Add your name and address so they know where to send the copy. Send a check or money order made out to Alabama Department of Public Health. Mail it to the address above. Wait one to two weeks for the copy in Choctaw County.

Online

You can order Choctaw County death records online through VitalChek. The site is linked from the Alabama Center for Health Statistics page. You pay by card. There is a service fee on top of the state fee. You can track your order on the site.

Eligibility

Not all death records are open to the public in Alabama. Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21 says who can get copies of Choctaw County death records.

Records more than 25 years old are public in Choctaw County. Anyone can ask for them. You do not need to prove you are kin or give a reason.

Records less than 25 years old are not public in Alabama. Only some people can get them. The spouse of the person who died can get a copy. So can parents, children, siblings, and grandchildren. Estate lawyers and funeral homes can get them for their work. Government workers can get them for official duties. If you are not on the list, you need a court order to get the record in Choctaw County.

Fees

The state sets death record fees for all counties in Alabama:

You save by getting more than one copy at a time in Choctaw County. The first copy costs $15. Each extra copy in the same order is just $6. Fees are not refunded if no record is found in Alabama.

Choctaw County Health Department handles death certificate requests through the ViSION system.

Certificate Contents

A Choctaw County death certificate has standard facts set by state law in Alabama. The first part lists basic info like the full name, birth date, death date, and place of death. It also has the home address, Social Security number, race, and sex of the person who died.

The second part has medical facts about the death. This shows the cause of death and other health issues that may have led to it. It says if an autopsy was done. The name of the doctor or coroner who signed it is there.

The third part tells what was done with the body in Choctaw County. It says if there was a burial or cremation. The funeral home name is on it. So is the place where the remains were laid to rest in Alabama.

State Law

Death records in Alabama fall under the Alabama Vital Statistics Act of 1992. The law is in Title 22, Chapter 9A of the Alabama Code. These parts apply to Choctaw County death records:

Section 22-9A-14 says every death must be filed within five days in Alabama. The funeral home sends in the form. A doctor or coroner fills in the medical part.

Section 22-9A-21 keeps death records private for 25 years in Choctaw County. After 25 years, they become public.

Section 22-9A-22 says a certified copy has the same legal force as the original in Alabama.

Old Records

Alabama started keeping death records on January 1, 1908. There are no state records for deaths before that date in Choctaw County. The state did not reach full compliance until 1925. Some deaths from 1908 to 1925 may not be on file in Alabama.

To find a death from before 1908 in Choctaw County, you can try other sources. Church records often list deaths. Cemetery logs show when people were buried. Family bibles have death dates too. The Choctaw County Probate Court may have estate files. The Alabama Archives can help with old records in Alabama.

Other Sources

The health department is the main place to get death records in Choctaw County. But other offices have files that may help.

The Choctaw County Probate Court keeps estate and will files that show death dates. You can search court records online at Alacourt.com.

Choctaw County sits on the Mississippi state line. If someone who lived in Choctaw County died across the line, you need to ask Mississippi for the record.

Old newspapers ran obituaries. Local libraries may have copies you can search in Alabama.

Cities in Choctaw County

Choctaw County has several small towns. Butler is the county seat. Gilbertown, Lisman, Pennington, and Silas are also in Choctaw County. None of these towns has more than 50,000 people. All residents go to the county health department to get death records in Choctaw County.

Nearby Counties