Search Hale County Death Records
Hale County death certificates are at the county health department in Greensboro. The office uses the state ViSION database. Staff can search and print death records for anyone who died in Alabama. State records date back to 1908. Hale County death certificates more than 25 years old are public. Death records from the past 25 years stay restricted in Alabama.
Hale County Quick Facts
Hale County Health Department
The Hale County Health Department is on Hall Street in Greensboro. This office handles death certificates in Hale County. It also handles birth records and other vital documents. Staff can look up records in the state database. They give you a certified copy while you wait. Most visits take about 20 to 30 minutes in Alabama.
| Address | 670 Hall Street Greensboro, AL 36744 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (334) 624-3018 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | alabamapublichealth.gov/hale |
Bring a photo ID when you visit. This is a must. For Hale County death certificates from the past 25 years, you also need proof that you can get the record. Family members should bring papers that show their tie to the person who died. Legal reps need court papers in Alabama.
How to Get a Hale County Death Certificate
Hale County residents have several ways to get death certificates. Each has different costs and time frames in Alabama.
Visit in Person
Going to the Hale County Health Department in person is the fastest way. 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 Request to Montgomery
The Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery takes mail orders for Hale County death records or any county in Alabama. Download form HS-14 from the state health site. Mail it with a check to P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Make the check out to Center for Health Statistics. Plan for about two weeks total.
Order Online
VitalChek handles online orders for Alabama vital records. You can pay by card. You can pick your shipping speed. VitalChek adds extra fees beyond the state fee. Total cost runs around $40 or more. Standard orders take 7 to 10 days to arrive in Hale County.
Hale County Death Certificate Fees
The State Board of Health sets vital records fees under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23. These rates apply at all county health departments in Alabama. They apply at the state office in Montgomery too.
| 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 Hale County. Even if no record is found, you pay. In that case, you get a Certificate of Failure to Find. Make sure your search details are right before paying in Alabama.
Who Can Request Hale County Death Records
Rules for accessing death certificates depend on the record's age in Alabama. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death records stay private for 25 years. After 25 years, they become public. Anyone can request old Hale County death records.
For deaths in the past 25 years, only these people may request Hale County death certificates:
- Spouse of the person who died
- Parents of the person who died
- Adult children of the person who died
- Brothers and sisters of the person who died
- Grandchildren of the person who died
- Legal reps with court documents
- The informant named on the certificate
Others with direct stakes may qualify in Hale County. Insurance companies often have valid reasons. Funeral homes with unpaid bills do too. Attorneys handling estates can often request records in Alabama. Government agencies can access records for official work.
Historical Death Records in Hale County
Alabama began statewide death registration on January 1, 1908. Full compliance took years to build in Alabama. By about 1925, roughly 90 percent of deaths were being recorded. For Hale County deaths before 1908, you need other record types.
Probate court records often mention death dates in Hale County. Estate files, wills, and guardianship papers are useful sources. Church records of funerals and burials help trace deaths. Cemetery records and headstones 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 Hale County research.
FamilySearch offers a free database called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. You can search by name. You can view images of the original certificates at no charge in Alabama.
Death Investigation in Hale County
Most deaths in Hale 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 Hale County Coroner. The coroner is an elected official in Alabama. They look into the facts. They decide if an autopsy is needed. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences does autopsies when ordered.
Hale County falls under the region served by the Montgomery forensic lab. When the coroner orders an autopsy, the body goes there for examination in Alabama. The coroner uses those findings to complete the death certificate with the official cause and manner of death for Hale County.
Nearby Counties
Hale County sits in west-central Alabama in the Black Belt region. These nearby counties also have health departments for death certificate requests in Alabama.
Cities in Hale County
Hale County includes Greensboro, Moundville, Akron, and other small towns. Greensboro is the county seat. It is also the largest city. No cities in Hale County reach the 50,000 threshold for a city page.
For Hale County death records of anyone who died here, visit the health department at the Greensboro address above. The nearest major city with its own page is Tuscaloosa. It is about 25 miles north in Alabama.