Jackson County Death Records
Jackson County death records are kept by the health department in Scottsboro. You can get death certificates there for deaths that took place anywhere in Alabama.
Jackson County Quick Facts
Jackson County Health Department
The Jackson County Health Department is on Liberty Lane in Scottsboro. Staff can look up Jackson County death certificates and print them for you. They use the state ViSION system. This means they can find death records from any county in Alabama.
About 52,000 people live in Jackson County. The area sits in the northeast part of the state near the Tennessee River. Most folks who need a death certificate go to the health department in person. Staff can print records in 30 minutes if the death is in the system. You can pay with cash, check, or money order in Jackson County.
| Address | 204 Liberty Lane Scottsboro, AL 35769 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (256) 259-4161 |
| Environmental | (256) 259-5882 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | alabamapublichealth.gov/jackson |
How to Request Death Certificates
You can get Jackson County death records in three ways. Walk in, mail a form, or use the web. Each has its own speed and cost.
In Person Requests
Walk into the health department. This is the fast way. Bring a photo ID like a license or passport. You need to know the name of the person who died. You also need the date of death and their age. Staff can print the record while you wait. Most visits take 15 to 30 minutes in Jackson County.
To get a death certificate in Jackson County, you must show valid ID. The office takes cash, check, or money order. They do not take credit cards at this site. Call first if you have questions about what forms of payment they accept in Alabama.
Mail Requests
Send your request to Montgomery. The state office is the Center for Health Statistics. Download the form from the state health site. Fill it out. Add a check for $15. Make it out to Center for Health Statistics. Mail it to P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. It takes 7 to 10 days to process mail orders in Alabama.
Online Orders
VitalChek is the state vendor. Go to their site or call 1-888-279-9888. You can use a credit card. Standard orders take 7 to 10 days. Rush orders cost more but come faster. VitalChek adds fees on top of the $15 state fee. This may be the best choice if you cannot visit Jackson County in person.
Who Can Get Death Certificates
State law sets rules for who can get Jackson County death records. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death certificates stay private for 25 years. After that, anyone can ask for a copy. The record becomes public at that point in Alabama.
For deaths in the past 25 years, only some people may get copies. The list of who can request Jackson County death certificates is shown below:
- Parents of the person who died
- Spouse of the deceased
- Children and grandchildren
- Brothers and sisters
- Legal reps acting for the estate
- Anyone named as the informant on the certificate
- Others who can show a direct interest in Alabama
State and local agencies can get death records for work. Researchers may ask for data with a written deal. Firms that want bulk records or mailing lists cannot get restricted death certificates in Jackson County.
Death Certificate Fees
The State Board of Health sets fees for Jackson County death records. Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23 controls these rates. They are the same at any county health office or the state office in Montgomery.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Search fee with one certified copy | $15.00 |
| Each additional copy in same order | $6.00 |
| Expedited processing | $15.00 extra |
| Amendment to record | $20.00 |
You pay the fee even if no record is found. In that case, you get a Certificate of Failure to Find. Fees are not given back in Jackson County. VitalChek adds its own charges on top of these state fees in Alabama.
Historical Death Records
Alabama started keeping death records on January 1, 1908. Jackson County death records from that date are at the Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery. Records over 25 years old are now public in Alabama.
To find death info from before 1908, you must look at other records. Some county health officers kept death logs from 1881, but not all deaths were in them. Good places to search for old Jackson County death records are listed below:
- Probate court records with wills and estate files
- Church records of burials and funerals
- Cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions
- Newspaper obituaries from local papers
- Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880
The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has microfilm of many old county records. FamilySearch has a free online database called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. It has over 1.8 million names and images of death certificates in Alabama.
Death Investigations
The Jackson County coroner looks into certain deaths. These include deaths from violence, accidents, suicide, or unknown causes. Alabama uses an elected coroner system in most counties. The coroner finds the cause and manner of death in Jackson County.
If an autopsy is needed, the coroner works with the state. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences runs the lab. The Huntsville regional lab serves Jackson County. They handle autopsies and forensic tests for death cases in Alabama.
Nearby Counties
Jackson County borders other Alabama counties as well as Tennessee and Georgia. You can visit any Alabama county health department to get death records. They all use the same state system in Alabama.
Start Your Search
Use the tool below to find death records in Jackson County or other parts of Alabama.