Henry County Marriage Certificates
Marriage records in Henry County connect to the Probate Office, the Recording Office, and the Alabama Department of Public Health. Alabama no longer follows the older model in which a probate judge issues a license before a ceremony. The ADPH marriage certificate page provides the statewide process and forms for marriage certificates.
ADPH says the Alabama Center for Health Statistics began filing marriage certificates in August 1936 for marriages that occurred in Alabama. Marriage information before August 1936 must be obtained from the probate office in the county where the marriage license was issued. Henry County’s Recording & Deeds page says marriage vault records run from 1882 to present, so older Henry County marriage research may need the local vault rather than only ADPH.
Marriage certificates are unrestricted under Alabama law. Anyone may request one if enough information is supplied to search for the record and the proper fee is paid. That public access rule makes marriage certificates different from many family court files, which may contain restricted child, financial, or sealed material.
Apply for Alabama Marriage Certificate
The modern Alabama marriage process is certificate-based. For a new marriage certificate or an existing certificate copy, use ADPH instructions and confirm any Henry County recording or correction issue with the Probate Office. Corrections to errors must be handled through the Alabama county probate court that issued the old license or recorded the marriage certificate.
- Use the ADPH marriage certificate instructions and form path for statewide certificate requirements.
- Provide the full names before first marriage of both spouses.
- Provide the marriage date and the county where the license was issued or certificate was recorded.
- Include requester name, signature, mailing address, daytime phone number, and required fee.
- For Henry County correction or older vault questions, contact the Probate Office or Recording Office.
For local Henry County marriage records, the Probate Office is at 102 North Court Square, Suite A, Abbeville, AL 36310, phone (334) 585-3257. The Recording Office is at 101 Court Square, Suite A, Abbeville, AL 36310, phone (334) 585-3371. This two-location split matters because probate administration moved to the Herndon Building, while document recording remained at the courthouse.
Henry County Marriage Search Fields
The research captured the main information ADPH and Henry County record offices use to locate a marriage record. A requester should keep the local date range in mind: ADPH holds statewide certificates from August 1936 forward, while Henry County Recording & Deeds lists marriage records from 1882 to present.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full names before first marriage of both spouses | Yes | Needed for ADPH marriage certificate search. |
| Date of marriage | Yes | Use exact date if known; date range may help local vault searches. |
| County where license was issued or certificate recorded | Yes | Use Henry County for Henry County records. |
| Requester name and signature | Yes | Required in ADPH request information. |
| Mailing address | Yes | Needed for mailed certificate return. |
| Daytime phone number | Yes | Used for contact about the request. |
The manifest image from the ADPH divorce certificate page documents the statewide divorce certificate source assigned to this page.
ADPH certificate pages are vital-record sources, not full court-case files for domestic relations proceedings.
Henry County Marriage Fees
ADPH publishes statewide certificate fees. Local Henry County divorce filing fees were not found in official research, so they should not be invented. For court-file copies, call the Circuit Clerk. For local marriage vault copies or corrections, call the Probate or Recording Office.
| Item | Amount / Notes |
|---|---|
| ADPH marriage certificate search | $15.00; includes one certified copy or Certificate of Failure to Find. |
| Additional same-order ADPH copy | $6.00 each. |
| Expedited ADPH request | Additional $15.00. |
| Payment method | Check or money order payable to Center for Health Statistics; ADPH says not to send cash. |
| Henry County divorce filing | Local filing fee not found in official Henry County source. |
Find Henry County Marriage Records
There are three practical routes for Henry County marriage records. ADPH handles statewide marriage certificates from August 1936 forward. The Henry County Probate Office handles probate-level marriage certificate recording and corrections. The Recording Office handles local vault records and is the office tied to the county’s published marriage record range from 1882 to present.
ADPH offers mail, in-person, online, and phone order paths. By mail, the request goes to Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5625. In person, ADPH says a requester may go to any Alabama county health department and that most marriage certificates can be issued while waiting. Online and phone orders route through VitalChek, with added service and shipping fees and phone 1-888-279-9888.
The manifest image from the Henry County Recording & Deeds page shows the local office source for vault records.
The Recording & Deeds page is especially important for older Henry County marriage records and document vault coverage.
Find Henry County Divorce Records
A divorce certificate is not the same record as a full divorce case file. The certificate is a vital-record proof of divorce issued through ADPH. The divorce case file is a court record handled by the Circuit Clerk because domestic relations is one of the Circuit Clerk divisions and Alacourt ACCESS lists domestic relations as a trial-court record type.
A Henry County divorce case file may include pleadings, orders, financial affidavits, child-related restrictions, judgment, docket entries, and certified court copies. Sensitive child, financial, or sealed material may be restricted. Use the Circuit Clerk for court copies, case action summaries, and full domestic relations file questions. Use ADPH when the goal is a statewide certified divorce certificate.
| Record | Best Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce certificate | ADPH | Vital-record proof that a divorce occurred. |
| Divorce case file | Henry County Circuit Clerk | Pleadings, orders, judgment, case action summary, and certified court copies. |
| Domestic relations online search | Alacourt ACCESS | Paid name or case-number search where public records are available. |
Henry County Divorce Filing
Divorce filing is separate from certificate ordering. A person filing a Henry County divorce must determine whether Henry County is the correct venue, file divorce pleadings with the Circuit Clerk if proper, address service or waiver, and resolve temporary orders, child custody, support, property division, and final judgment. Local filing fee information was not found in the official Henry County source material.
- Confirm venue and residency requirements before filing in Henry County.
- File the divorce pleadings with the Circuit Clerk if Henry County is proper.
- Pay filing fees or ask the court about fee-waiver procedure if eligible.
- Serve the other spouse unless service is waived or accepted under court rules.
- Obtain certified copies of the final judgment from the Circuit Clerk, or a divorce certificate from ADPH if a certificate is enough.
Note: ADPH certificates are useful for proof of marriage or divorce, but court orders and final judgments come from the court file.