Search Lamar County Death Index

Lamar County death records are at the health department in Vernon. Staff can find death certificates for deaths that took place anywhere in Alabama.

Lamar County Health Department

The Lamar County Health Department is on Springfield Road in Vernon. This small county sits in northwest Alabama near Mississippi. About 13,000 people live here. The health department uses the state ViSION database. Staff can search for Lamar County death certificates and print them for you.

You can get a death certificate from here for deaths that took place in any county in Alabama. Most in-person requests take less than an hour. The office is part of the Alabama Department of Public Health network. They follow state rules for who can get copies of death records in Lamar County.

How to Get Death Certificates

There are three ways to get Lamar County death records. Pick the one that works best for you based on time and travel.

Walk-In Requests

Go in person. This is the fast way. Bring a photo ID. Know the name of the person who died. You need the date of death and their age too. Staff can print the record while you wait. Most visits take 15 to 30 minutes in Lamar County. You can pay with cash, check, or money order in Alabama.

Mail Orders

Send your request to Montgomery. 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 to P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. It takes 7 to 10 days to process mail orders in Alabama. This is a good choice if you cannot visit Lamar County.

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the state vendor for online orders. Go to their site or call 1-888-279-9888. You can use a credit or debit card. Standard orders take 7 to 10 days. Rush orders cost more. VitalChek adds fees on top of the $15 state fee for death certificates in Alabama.

Who May Request Death Certificates

State law sets rules for who can get Lamar County death records. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death certificates stay private for 25 years. After that, anyone can get a copy. The record becomes public at that point in Alabama.

For deaths in the past 25 years, only some people can get Lamar County death certificates. The list is shown below:

• A parent of the deceased person
• The spouse of the deceased
• Children or grandchildren of the deceased
• Siblings of the deceased
• Legal reps acting for the estate or family
• The informant listed on the death certificate
• Others who can prove a direct interest in Alabama

State and local agencies can get records for work. Researchers may ask for data with a written deal. Firms that want bulk records or mailing lists cannot get death certificates in Lamar County.

Fees for Death Records

The State Board of Health sets fees for Lamar County death records. Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23 controls these rates. They are the same at any county office or the state office in Alabama.

You pay even if no record is found. You get a Certificate of Failure to Find. Fees are not given back in Lamar County. VitalChek adds its own charges in Alabama.

Historical Death Records

Alabama started death records on January 1, 1908. Lamar County death records from that date are at the state office in Montgomery. Records over 25 years old are now public in Alabama.

To find death info from before 1908, you must look at other sources. Some early death logs exist from 1881, but not all deaths were in them. Good places to search for old Lamar County death records are listed below:

• Probate court records with wills and estate papers
• Church burial and funeral records
• Cemetery records and grave markers
• Old newspaper obituaries
• Federal mortality schedules from 1850 to 1880

The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has microfilm of old records. FamilySearch has a free database called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. It has millions of names and images in Alabama.

Death Investigations

The Lamar 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 Lamar County.

If an autopsy is needed, the coroner works with the state. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences runs the labs. They handle autopsies and forensic tests for death cases in Alabama.

Nearby Counties

Lamar County borders Mississippi and other Alabama counties. All county health departments use the same state database. You can get death records from any site in Alabama.

Start Your Search

Use the tool below to look up death records in Lamar County or other parts of Alabama.