Pickens County Death Index

Pickens County death records are at the health department in Carrollton. The office uses the state ViSION system. You can get death certificates for anywhere in Alabama from this office. Records date back to 1908 in Alabama.

Pickens County Health Department

The Pickens County Health Department handles all death certificate requests. Staff can search the state database fast. They print certified copies while you wait. Most requests take 15 to 30 minutes in Pickens County. The office is on William E. Hill Drive near the hospital campus in Carrollton.

You can get Pickens County death records here. You can also request records for deaths in other Alabama counties from this same office. The system is statewide.

How to Get a Death Certificate

Getting Pickens County death certificates is simple. You have three choices. Pick what works best for you.

Walk In to the Health Department

This is the fastest way. Go to the office in Carrollton. Bring a photo ID. Give the clerk the name of the person who died. Add the death date if you know it. Tell them where the death occurred. Staff will search and print your copy on the spot in Pickens County.

Cash and checks work for payment. The whole process takes about 15 to 30 minutes. You leave with your Pickens County death certificate the same day.

Mail Your Request to the State

Send a letter to the Center for Health Statistics. The address is P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Include the full name of the deceased. Add their death date and place. State how you are related to them. Attach a copy of your ID and a check for the fee in Alabama.

Make the check out to Center for Health Statistics. Do not mail cash. Processing takes 7 to 10 business days after they get your letter.

Order Online

VitalChek handles online orders for Alabama. Go to vitalchek.com or call 1-888-279-9888. You can use a credit card. Pick your shipping speed. VitalChek adds fees on top of the state price. Standard orders take about one week for Pickens County death records.

Who Is Allowed to Request Death Records

The rules depend on when the person died. Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death records are private for 25 years. After that, anyone can get a copy in Alabama. No reason is needed for older records.

During the 25-year restricted period, only certain people can get certified copies in Pickens County:

• Spouse of the deceased
• Parents of the deceased
• Adult children of the deceased
• Brothers and sisters of the deceased
• Grandchildren of the deceased
• Legal rep for the estate
• The informant on the death certificate
• Government agencies with a valid need

Others may qualify too. You need to prove a personal or property right. Bring your documents. Commercial firms cannot get bulk copies or use Pickens County death records for mailing lists in Alabama.

Fees for Death Certificates

Death certificate fees are the same across all 67 counties in Alabama. The State Board of Health sets these rates under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-23.

Fees are not refundable. If no record is found, you still pay. You get a Certificate of Failure to Find instead. This proves you tried. VitalChek adds service fees on top of state rates in Alabama.

Historical and Genealogy Records

Statewide death registration started January 1, 1908 in Alabama. It took until about 1925 for most deaths to be reported. The Center for Health Statistics has all records from 1908 to now. Records over 25 years old are public in Pickens County.

Finding death records before 1908 is harder. Some county health officers kept local registers as early as 1881 in Alabama. Not all counties did this. Coverage varied a lot. The Alabama Department of Archives and History has microfilm of early registers that exist.

For pre-1908 deaths in Pickens County, try these sources:

• Probate court files with wills and estate records
• Church records from Carrollton and other towns
• Cemetery sexton records and grave markers
• Old newspapers like the Pickens County Herald
• Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 through 1880

FamilySearch has a free collection called Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974. It includes over 1.8 million names. You can search and view original Pickens County death certificates at no cost. Start your genealogy work there.

How Deaths Are Investigated

The Pickens County Coroner handles certain death cases. Deaths from violence, accidents, suicide, or sudden causes must go through the coroner. The coroner finds the cause and manner of death in Pickens County. Alabama uses an elected coroner system.

When an autopsy is needed, the coroner can request one. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences runs the labs. The Tuscaloosa or Montgomery lab handles Pickens County cases.

State law says funeral homes must wait in some cases. Deaths from injury, deaths in custody, deaths during surgery, and sudden unexplained deaths need coroner sign-off. Burial or cremation cannot proceed until then in Alabama.

Alabama Death Record Law

The Alabama Vital Statistics Act covers death records. You find it in Title 22, Chapter 9A of the Alabama Code. These sections affect Pickens County death records:

• Section 22-9A-14: Deaths must be filed within five days
• Section 22-9A-21: Records are private for 25 years, lists who can access them
• Section 22-9A-22: County health departments can issue certified copies
• Section 22-9A-23: Sets the fee structure

These laws apply statewide in Alabama. The full text is on the Alabama Legislature website.

Cities in Pickens County

Pickens County has no cities above 50,000 people. Carrollton is the county seat with about 900 residents. Reform, Aliceville, and Gordo are other towns in Pickens County. The health department in Carrollton handles all Pickens County death records.

Tuscaloosa is the nearest large city. It is in Tuscaloosa County. For records from there, see our Tuscaloosa city page.

Nearby Counties

Pickens County is on the Mississippi border in western Alabama. Nearby counties may have records for family members who moved around this region.

Start Your Search

Use the search tool below to find death records in Pickens County or elsewhere in Alabama.