Search Perry County Death Records

Perry County death records are kept at the health department in Marion. The office uses the state ViSION system. You can get copies of death certificates there. Records go back to 1908 in Alabama.

Perry County Health Department

The Perry County Health Department is your main source for Perry County death certificates. Staff can search the state database and print copies fast. Most in-person requests take 15 to 30 minutes in Perry County. You can also get death records from other parts of Alabama here since all county offices share the same system.

The office sits on South Washington Street in Marion. Call ahead if you have questions. Walk-ins are fine during normal hours. The staff can help you find what you need in Perry County.

How to Request Death Certificates

You have three ways to get a death certificate in Perry County. Each one works. Pick what fits your needs best.

In Person at the Health Department

Walk in during business hours. Bring a photo ID. Tell the clerk the name of the person who died. Give them the death date if you know it. They will search the ViSION system. Your copy prints on the spot. Cash, check, and money order work for payment in Perry County.

This is the fastest way to get Perry County death records. You can leave with your certificate the same day you walk in. The staff is helpful and knows the system well.

By Mail to Montgomery

Send your request to the Center for Health Statistics. The address is P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Write out the full name of the person who died. Add the death date and place. Tell them how you are tied to the deceased person.

Include a copy of your ID. Make your check out to Center for Health Statistics. Do not send cash in the mail. Allow 7 to 10 business days for them to process your request in Alabama. Mail time adds more days on top of that.

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the state vendor for online orders. Go to vitalchek.com or call 1-888-279-9888. You can pay by credit card. Pick your shipping speed. VitalChek adds fees on top of the state fee. Rush options cost more but get your Perry County death certificate faster.

Who Can Request Death Records

Access to Perry County death certificates depends on age. Under state law, death records stay private for 25 years. After 25 years pass, anyone can get a copy. No reason is needed for older records in Alabama.

For deaths in the past 25 years, only some people can get certified copies. The law limits access to close family and those with legal ties to the deceased person in Perry County.

The following people can request recent death records in Alabama:

• Parents of the deceased
• Spouse of the deceased
• Adult children of the deceased
• Brothers and sisters of the deceased
• Grandchildren of the deceased
• Legal reps for the estate or family
• The informant on the original form
• Government agencies on official business

You may still qualify if you fall outside these groups. Bring proof of your interest. The clerk can look at your case. Commercial firms wanting bulk data or mailing lists cannot get restricted Perry County death records.

Death Certificate Fees

Fees are set by state law. The Perry County Health Department charges the same as all other counties in Alabama. There are no local add-on fees here.

Fees are not refundable. If no record is found, you still pay. You get a Certificate of Failure to Find instead. This proves you looked. VitalChek orders cost more due to service fees on top of what the state charges in Alabama.

Historical Death Records

Alabama began keeping death records on January 1, 1908. Compliance grew slowly at first. By 1925, about 90 percent of deaths were being filed. All records from 1908 on are in the state system. Those over 25 years old are now public in Alabama.

Deaths before 1908 are harder to find. Some county health officers kept local registers as early as 1881 in Alabama. Coverage was uneven though. The Alabama Department of Archives and History has microfilm of early registers that exist.

You can try these sources for pre-1908 death info in Perry County:

• Probate court records with wills and estates
• Church burial records from Marion and nearby towns
• Cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions
• Old newspaper obituaries from the Marion Standard
• Federal mortality schedules from 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880

FamilySearch has a free index called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. It holds over 1.8 million names. You can search it at familysearch.org and view images of original certificates at no cost. This is a good starting point for genealogy work in Perry County.

Death Investigation in Perry County

The Perry County Coroner looks into certain deaths. Deaths from violence, accidents, suicide, or sudden causes go to the coroner. Alabama uses an elected coroner system. The coroner finds the cause and manner of death in Perry County.

When the cause is unclear, the coroner can ask for an autopsy. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences runs the labs. The Montgomery lab serves Perry County. Autopsy reports become part of the death record but are separate from the standard certificate in Alabama.

Under state law, some deaths must be reported to the coroner right away in Perry County. These include deaths from injury, deaths in custody, deaths during surgery, and sudden deaths with no known cause. Funeral homes cannot move forward until the coroner signs off in these cases in Alabama.

Alabama Death Record Laws

Death records in Alabama fall under the Alabama Vital Statistics Act. You can find it in Title 22, Chapter 9A of the Alabama Code. Several key sections affect how you access records in Perry County.

Here are the main sections that apply:

• Section 22-9A-14 says deaths must be filed within five days
• Section 22-9A-21 sets the 25-year privacy rule and lists who can get restricted records
• Section 22-9A-22 lets county offices issue certified copies
• Section 22-9A-23 sets the fee schedule

These laws apply to all 67 counties in Alabama. The full text is on the Alabama Legislature website. Legal research sites like Justia also have it.

Cities in Perry County

Perry County is a small rural county. No city here has over 50,000 people. Marion is the county seat with about 3,600 residents. Uniontown, Hamburg, and Sprott are other towns in Perry County. The health department in Marion handles all Perry County death records.

To get death records for someone who died in Perry County, contact the health department. The ViSION system covers all locations in Alabama.

Nearby Counties

Perry County borders several other counties in west-central Alabama. If you are researching family history in this area, you may need to check nearby counties too.

Start Your Search

Use the search tool below to find death records in Perry County or other parts of Alabama.