Clarke County Death Records
Clarke County death certificates are on file at the health department near Grove Hill. The state has kept death records in Alabama since 1908. You can get a copy of any death record for someone who died in Clarke County. This page shows how to get copies, what they cost, and who can ask for them under state law in Alabama.
Clarke County Quick Facts
Clarke County Health Department
The Clarke County Health Department is where you go to get death certificates in Clarke County. The office is on Highway 84 East, just outside Grove Hill. Staff use the state ViSION system to look up death records. They can find deaths that took place anywhere in Alabama, not just in Clarke County.
| Physical Address | 22600 Highway 84 East Grove Hill, AL 36451 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 477 Grove Hill, AL 36451 |
| Phone | (251) 275-3772 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | Alabama Public Health - Clarke County |
You do not have to go to the county where the death took place. The Clarke County health department can pull records from the whole state database in Alabama.
How to Request Records
There are three ways to get Clarke County death certificates:
In Person
To get a death record in person, bring your ID to the health department. Fill out the form with the name of the person who died and the date of death. Staff will search for the record and print it. This takes about 20 minutes in Clarke County. You pay the fee when you pick up your copy.
To get a death record by mail, send a letter to the health department. Put in the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the place of death if you know it. Write your name and address so they can send the copy to you. Send a check or money order made out to Alabama Department of Public Health. Use the mailing address above. Wait one to two weeks for the copy in Clarke County.
Online
You can order Clarke County death records online through VitalChek. Go to the Alabama Center for Health Statistics site and click the link. You pay by card. There is a service fee on top of the state fee. The site lets you track your order.
Who Can Request
Under state law, not all death records are open to the public in Alabama. Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21 sets the rules for who can get a copy of Clarke County death records.
Records more than 25 years old are public in Clarke County. Anyone can ask for them. You do not need to show a reason or prove you are kin.
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 too. So can government workers who need them for their job. If you are not on the list, you need a court order to get the record in Clarke County.
Fees
The state sets death record fees for all counties in Alabama:
| First Copy | $15.00 |
|---|---|
| Additional Copies | $6.00 each (same order) |
| Expedite | $15.00 extra |
| Amendment | $20.00 |
You save by getting more than one copy at a time in Clarke 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.
Clarke County Health Department issues death certificates through the state system.
What Certificates Show
A Clarke County death certificate has standard facts set by state law in Alabama. The first part lists basic info about the person who died. This means the full name, birth date, death date, and place of death. It also has the home address, Social Security number, race, and sex.
The second part has medical facts about the death in Clarke County. 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. 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.
Alabama 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 Clarke 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 Clarke 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.
Historical Records
Alabama started keeping death records on January 1, 1908. There are no state records for deaths before that date in Clarke 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 Clarke 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 Clarke 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 Clarke County. But other offices have files that may help.
The Clarke County Probate Court keeps estate and will files. These often show when someone died in Clarke County. You can search court records online at Alacourt.com.
Old newspapers ran obituaries. Local libraries may have copies you can search in Alabama.
Cities in Clarke County
Clarke County has several towns. Grove Hill is the county seat. Jackson, Thomasville, and Coffeeville are also in Clarke County. None of these towns has more than 50,000 people. All residents go to the county health department to get death records in Clarke County.