Search Franklin County Death Records
Franklin County death records are at the county health department in Russellville. Staff connect to the state ViSION database. They can search and print death certificates for anyone who died in Alabama. Records go back to 1908. Franklin County death certificates more than 25 years old are public. Recent death records stay restricted in Alabama.
Franklin County Quick Facts
Franklin County Health Department
The Franklin County Health Department is the place to go for death certificates in Franklin County. It is also where you get other vital records. The office is on Highway 48 in Russellville. Staff use the Alabama ViSION system to search records. They can print certified copies on site. Walk-in visits typically take 20 to 30 minutes in Alabama.
| Physical Address | 801 Highway 48 Russellville, AL 35654 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 100 Russellville, AL 35653 |
| Phone | (256) 332-2700 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | alabamapublichealth.gov/franklin |
Bring a photo ID when you visit. This is a must. For Franklin County death certificates from the past 25 years, you also need papers that show you qualify. Family members should have proof of their tie. Legal reps need court papers in Alabama.
How to Get a Franklin County Death Certificate
There are three main ways to request Franklin County death certificates. Your choice depends on how fast you need the document in Alabama.
Walk In to the Health Department
Visiting the Franklin County Health Department in person is the fastest option. Staff can search the database. They can print your copy while you wait. Bring cash, check, or money order to pay. You need the full name of the person who died. You need their date of death. You need the county where the death took place in Alabama.
Mail a Request to Montgomery
You can send a written request to the Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery. Download form HS-14 from the state health site. Mail 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. Expect about two weeks total for Franklin County.
Order Online
VitalChek is the state's official online vendor for vital records in Alabama. You can pay by card. You can select your shipping speed. VitalChek adds extra service fees. Total cost runs around $40 or more. Standard processing takes 7 to 10 days for Franklin County.
Franklin County Death Certificate Fees
The State Board of Health sets vital records fees under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23. These fees are the same at all county health departments in Alabama. They are the same at the state office in Montgomery.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Search with one certified copy | $15.00 |
| Additional copies (same order) | $6.00 each |
| Expedited processing | $15.00 extra |
| Amendment or correction | $20.00 |
The fee is not refundable in Franklin County. Even if no record is found, you pay. You get a Certificate of Failure to Find. Check your search details before paying in Alabama.
Who Can Request Franklin County Death Records
Access to death records depends on the record's age in Alabama. Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21 keeps death certificates private for 25 years. After that, they become public. Anyone can request old Franklin County death records.
For deaths in the past 25 years, only these people may request Franklin County death certificates:
- Spouse of the person who died
- Parents of the person who died
- Adult children of the person who died
- Siblings of the person who died
- Grandchildren of the person who died
- Legal reps with court documents
- The informant listed on the record
People with direct stakes may also qualify in Franklin County. This includes insurance companies. It includes funeral homes with unpaid bills. It includes attorneys handling estate matters in Alabama. Government agencies can access records for official work.
Historical Death Records in Franklin County
Statewide death registration in Alabama began January 1, 1908. Full compliance took years. About 90 percent of deaths were being recorded by 1925 in Alabama. For Franklin County deaths before 1908, you need other types of records.
Probate court records often contain death dates in Franklin County. Estate files, wills, and administration papers are useful sources. Church records of funerals and burials can help trace deaths. Cemetery records and headstone inscriptions give dates for many people in Alabama.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has microfilm of early county records. Staff can help you search newspapers, census data, and other sources. They offer free access to Ancestry.com in the research room for Franklin County research.
FamilySearch provides a free database of Alabama Deaths from 1908 to 1974. You can search by name. You can view images of the original certificates at no charge in Alabama.
Death Investigation in Franklin County
Routine deaths in Franklin County follow a standard process. The doctor certifies the cause of death. The funeral home files the certificate within five days per Alabama Code Section 22-9A-14.
Deaths from violence, accidents, suicide, or sudden unknown causes go to the Franklin County Coroner. The coroner looks into the facts. They decide if an autopsy is needed. Autopsies are done by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Alabama.
Franklin County cases typically go to the Huntsville forensic lab. A forensic pathologist examines the body. They report findings to the coroner. The coroner then completes the death certificate with the official cause and manner of death for Franklin County.
Nearby Counties
Franklin County sits in northwest Alabama near the Tennessee state line. These nearby counties also have health departments for death certificate requests in Alabama.
Cities in Franklin County
Franklin County includes Russellville, Red Bay, Phil Campbell, and other towns. Russellville is the county seat. It is also the largest city. No cities in Franklin County reach the 50,000 threshold for a city page.
For Franklin County death records of anyone who died here, visit the health department at the Russellville address above. The nearest major city with its own page is Huntsville. It is about 65 miles to the east in Alabama.