Jefferson County Marriage Record Search

Jefferson County marriage records provide details on every marriage registered in the county. Because of their extensive genealogical material, marriage records are among the most valuable vital documents. Each marriage record issued in Jefferson County serves a specific purpose. For example, marriage registers in Jefferson County are sometimes the only evidence the county has of the earliest ancestors' marriages.

The Jefferson County Probate Court is mainly responsible for issuing and maintaining marriage records in Jefferson County. Therefore, record seekers can search for marriage records at the probate court. The probate court has an updated database and oversees the management and distribution of various Jefferson County court records. The Jefferson County Court's archive department also houses far older marriage records dating back to 1965. Another place to obtain marriage records is the Alabama Department of Public Health Office.

Are Marriage Records Public?

Yes, marriage records in Jefferson County are generally regarded as public records per the Alabama Public Records Act. The act permits unrestricted access to marriage records created in Jefferson County. Anyone with enough details to look up the record and pay the appropriate charge may request them. Custodians of marriage records anywhere in Jefferson County are legally obligated to make request channels available so that individuals can search for and use them to locate the necessary marriage records.

However, per Ala. Code 1975, Section 12-13-22, a probate judge has the authority to redact, erase, or otherwise render unreadable a date of birth or Social Security number that appears alongside a person's name in any marriage record. A court order may also be issued to render marriage records private if a party presents the judge with strong evidence to support the request.

Types of Marriage Records in Jefferson County

The following are the types of marriage records that are available in Jefferson County:

• Marriage licenses: A marriage license is a legal document allowing a couple to get married and must be obtained before the wedding. It is the initial document used to register the marriage and acts as a permit to execute the ceremony.
• Marriage certificate: A marriage certificate is a document that shows that a marriage has been successfully registered with the county authorities. Jefferson County marriage certificates are created using the marriage license document. The certificate provides the name of the married parties, the time of the marriage, the name of the court that registered the marriage, and the officiant's name.

Marriage certificates provide official proof that the couple was married. Whether religious or civil, the person who conducted the ceremony fills this out; many couples will have both a civil and a religious marriage certificate.

• Marriage registers: These indexes, which are both electronic and physical books, are used to keep track of the names of people who have married in Jefferson County. Marriage registers often contain little information, just the couple's names and the date and place of the marriage.

How to Find Marriage Records in Jefferson County

Anyone can find Jefferson County marriage records from any of the following sources.

• The probate court of Jefferson County
• The county clerk's office
• The Alabama department of public health
• Third-party aggregators

Jefferson County Marriage License Lookup

Interested individuals can obtain Jefferson County marriage licenses at the Jefferson County Probate Court office. However, since August 2019, the Jefferson County court authorities have stopped issuing marriage licenses. Instead, persons wanting to get married must complete a marriage certificate form to request a marriage permit. Marriage licenses can still be searched at the probate office using the names of the parties involved in the marriage union.

A lookup at the probate office can be done in person, online, or by mail. Individuals who want to perform a search in person can do so by visiting any of the probate court locations:

Jefferson County Courthouse
Probate Court
716 North Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd.
Birmingham, AL 35203
(205) 325-5420

Jefferson County Courthouse
Probate Court
1801 3rd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020
(205) 481-4100

The Jefferson County Probate Court also hosts a third-party web portal on its website where persons can search for marriage licenses using the marriage license number and the names of the married spouses.

Where Do I Get A Certified Copy Of My Marriage Certificate

The Jefferson County Marriage Certificate is a legally binding document filled out by both spouses and submitted to the probate court for documentation. It is legitimate if it is duly consummated and documented.

People can get a marriage certificate from the Alabama Department of Public Health or the Jefferson Probate Court. In-person requests can be made at the probate court by going to the office, or they can be sent by mail with the fee and a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The request fee is $3

Citizens can also request marriage certificates from the Department of Public Health by completing the department records request form and submitting it in person or by mail to:

Center for Health Statistics
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery,
Alabama 36103-5625

The $15.00 search price for a marriage certificate at the public health office includes one certified copy of the record or a "Certificate of Failure to Find". Ordering extra copies of the same record simultaneously costs $6.00 apiece. To expedite the request, there is an additional $15 cost.

Get a Marriage Certificate Online in Jefferson County

An alternative option for getting a marriage certificate search online in Jefferson County is through third-party aggregators. Third-party websites are databases that private companies own. These sites primarily work independently but sometimes collaborate with government authorities to provide access to marriage certificates and other public records. Third-party site users can easily search for marriage records using these platforms and have them delivered to their email or physical addresses. Jefferson County Records on these sites can be searched using the name of the married couple and filtered using the name of the probate court where the marriage certificate was issued.

Find Public Marriage Records Free Online

There are limited options for finding public records for free online. Government sources will always charge a search fee to cover the allowances of the marriage record search staff. Individuals can request a fee waiver by submitting a request with a good reason why they cannot pay the required fees. Some third-party websites also allow persons to find marriage records for free; however, free versions provide minimal information compared to subscription-based and pay-per-search versions of third-party sites. Archived documents of marriage records are also available for free at state libraries in Alabama.