Search Dale County Death Records
Dale County death records are kept at the health department in Ozark. You can get a death certificate there. The staff use the state ViSION system. This means they can pull up Dale County death certificates for deaths that took place in any part of Alabama. Records go back to 1908. Deaths more than 25 years old are open to all. Recent records stay closed to most people in Dale County.
Dale County Quick Facts
Dale County Health Department
The Dale County Health Department is the place to go for vital records in Dale County. Staff can help you get death certificates. They also help with birth records and more. The office uses the state ViSION database to look up records and print them on site. A walk-in visit takes about 20 to 30 minutes if you have the basic facts ready.
| Address | 532 W. Roy Parker Road Ozark, AL 36360 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (334) 774-5146 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | alabamapublichealth.gov/dale |
Bring a photo ID when you visit. This is a must. If the death took place in the past 25 years, you need to show you are kin to the person who died. The staff may ask for proof. You can use a birth certificate or court papers to show your tie to the person in Dale County.
How to Request Death Certificates
There are three ways to get Dale County death certificates. Each has its own pros and cons. The best choice for you depends on cost, speed, and how far you can travel.
In Person at the Health Department
Going to the Dale County Health Department in Ozark is the fastest way. You can leave with your copy the same day. Bring cash, check, or a money order to pay the fee. Call ahead to ask if they take cards. You will need the full name of the person who died. You also need their date of death or a close guess. If the death was not in Dale County, know where it took place in Alabama.
Mail Request to Montgomery
The Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery takes mail orders. You can use this for Dale County death records or records from any county in Alabama. To get started, download form HS-14 from the state health site. Fill it out and send it with a check or money order to P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Make the check out to Center for Health Statistics. Plan for 7 to 10 days, plus mail time both ways.
Online Through VitalChek
VitalChek is the state's online partner. You can pay by card and pick a fast ship option. However, VitalChek adds fees on top of the state fee. Expect to pay around $40 or more in total. Standard orders take about 7 to 10 days to arrive in Dale County.
Dale County Death Certificate Fees
Alabama sets the same fees for all 67 counties. These fees come from Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23 and State Board of Health rules. You pay the same rate in Dale County or at the state office in Montgomery.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Search fee with one certified copy | $15.00 |
| Each additional copy (same order) | $6.00 |
| Expedited processing | $15.00 extra |
| Amendment or correction | $20.00 |
The fee is not given back if no record is found. You get a Certificate of Failure to Find in that case. This shows the search was done but no match was found. Check your facts first. Make sure you have the right name and date before you pay for a search in Dale County.
Who Can Get a Dale County Death Certificate
Alabama law splits death records into two groups. It depends on the age of the record. Records from deaths more than 25 years ago are public in Alabama. Anyone can ask for them. Records from deaths in the past 25 years are not open to all. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, only some people can get them in Dale County.
For restricted Dale County death records, only certain people may request copies:
- Parents of the person who died
- Spouse of the person who died
- Adult children of the person who died
- Brothers or sisters of the person who died
- Grandchildren of the person who died
- Legal reps with the right papers
- The informant named on the record
Others may qualify if they can show a direct stake. For example, an insurance company with a claim may be able to get a copy in Dale County. Government agencies can access records for their work. The health department staff will look at your request and let you know if you qualify in Alabama.
Historical Death Records in Dale County
Alabama did not require death registration until January 1, 1908. It took years to build full compliance in Alabama. Most experts say about 90 percent of deaths were being reported by 1925. For deaths in Dale County before 1908, you must search other record types.
Probate court records are one good source in Dale County. Estate files, wills, and administration records often mention death dates. Church records of funerals and burials can also help in Alabama. Cemetery records and grave markers give death dates for many people. Old newspapers sometimes ran death notices or obituaries in Dale County.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has microfilm of early county health records. Some counties kept death registers starting in the 1880s, but the coverage was hit or miss. Archives staff can help you search these older sources if the statewide records do not have what you need for Dale County.
FamilySearch offers a free database called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. It has over 1.8 million names. You can search by name and see images of the actual certificates at no charge. This is a good starting point for genealogy research in Dale County.
Death Investigation in Dale County
When someone dies from natural causes with a doctor present, the process is simple in Alabama. The doctor signs the death certificate. The funeral home files it. But when a death involves violence, an accident, suicide, or happens suddenly without clear cause, the Dale County Coroner steps in.
The coroner looks into the case. They decide if an autopsy is needed in Dale County. Alabama uses an elected coroner system in most counties. The coroner works with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, which runs autopsy labs in Huntsville, Montgomery, and Mobile. Dale County cases typically go to the Montgomery lab for review in Alabama.
The coroner determines the cause and manner of death. This info goes on the death certificate in Dale County. Families may request copies of the coroner's report, though rules for access vary in Alabama.
Nearby Counties
Dale County sits in southeast Alabama. It is near Fort Novosel, formerly Fort Rucker. Several nearby counties also have health departments where you can request death certificates in Alabama.
Cities in Dale County
Dale County includes Ozark, Daleville, Newton, Midland City, Pinckard, Napier Field, Clayhatchee, and Grimes. None of these cities meet the 50,000 threshold for a city page. To get Dale County death records for anyone who died in these cities, visit the health department in Ozark.
If you seek death records in a nearby major city, Dothan in Houston County is about 20 miles south of Ozark. It has its own page with more info on death records in Alabama.