Access Houston County Death Records
Houston County death records are at the county health department in Dothan. The office uses the state ViSION database. Staff can search and print death certificates for anyone who died in Alabama. Records date back to 1908. Houston County is the newest county in Alabama. It was made on February 9, 1903. Houston County death certificates for deaths more than 25 years ago are public. Recent death records stay restricted in Alabama.
Houston County Quick Facts
Houston County Health Department
The Houston County Health Department handles all vital records requests for the county. This includes death certificates in Houston County. It includes birth records too. The office is on East Cottonwood Road in Dothan. Staff can search the state database. They print certified copies while you wait. The office also handles environmental health through a separate phone line in Alabama.
| Physical Address | 1781 East Cottonwood Road Dothan, AL 36301 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Drawer 2087 Dothan, AL 36302 |
| Phone (Main) | (334) 678-2800 |
| Phone (Environmental) | (334) 678-2815 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | alabamapublichealth.gov/houston |
Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. This is a must. For Houston County death certificates from the past 25 years, you also need proof that you can get the record. Family members should have papers that show their tie to the person who died. Legal reps need court papers in Alabama.
How to Get a Death Certificate
Houston County residents have several ways to get death certificates. Each has different costs and time frames in Alabama.
Visit in Person
Going to the Houston County Health Department in person is the fastest way. Staff can search the database. They can print your copy in about 20 to 30 minutes. 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 Houston County death records or any county in Alabama. Download form HS-14 from the state health site. Send 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 choose your shipping speed. VitalChek adds service fees beyond the state fee. Expect to pay around $40 or more total. Standard orders take 7 to 10 days to arrive in Houston County.
Houston County Death Certificate Fees
The State Board of Health sets vital records fees under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23. These rates apply at the Houston County Health Department. 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 |
Fees are not refundable in Houston County. If the search finds no match, you get a Certificate of Failure to Find. Make sure your details are right before paying in Alabama.
Who Can Get Houston County Death Records
Access rules for death certificates depend on how old the record is in Alabama. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death records stay private for 25 years. After that, they become public. Anyone can request old Houston County death records.
For deaths in the past 25 years, only these people may request Houston 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 also qualify in Houston County. Insurance companies processing claims often have valid reasons. Funeral homes with unpaid bills do too. Attorneys handling estate matters can often get records in Alabama. Government agencies can access records for official work.
Historical Death Records in Houston County
Alabama began statewide death registration on January 1, 1908. Full compliance took time. About 90 percent of deaths were being recorded by 1925 in Alabama. Houston County was made in 1903. So all its history falls within the statewide registration era. For deaths in the area before 1903, records would have been filed in Geneva, Henry, and Dale counties in Alabama.
Probate court records often mention death dates in Houston County. Estate files, wills, and guardianship papers are useful sources. Church records of funerals and burials help trace deaths. Cemetery records and grave markers 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 search newspapers, census data, and other sources. They offer free access to Ancestry.com in the research room for Houston County research.
FamilySearch offers a free database called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. It has over 1.8 million names. You can search and view images of the original certificates at no charge in Alabama.
Death Investigation in Houston County
Most deaths in Houston 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 Houston 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.
Houston County is 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 Houston County.
Cities in Houston County
Houston County includes Dothan, Ashford, Columbia, Cowarts, Kinsey, Madrid, Taylor, and Webb. Dothan is the county seat. It is also the largest city with about 72,000 people. It is the only city in Houston County that meets the threshold for a city page.
Nearby Counties
Houston County sits in southeast Alabama near the Georgia and Florida state lines. These nearby counties also have health departments for death certificate requests in Alabama.