Look Up Free Madison County Divorce Records (Alabama)

Track down free Madison County divorce records today to learn more about anyone’s past marriage and the details surrounding the separation.

The Alabama state government makes many court records—including divorce information—public, which means any interested party can typically view these records. This streamlined resource provides guidance to help inquirers find divorce records in Madison County and throughout the state of Alabama quickly and conveniently.

How To Conduct a Free Madison County Divorce Records Search

Records searchers can obtain free divorce records by contacting the Madison County Circuit Clerk office.¹ Inquirers can view this information in person at the clerk’s office or submit a request by mail.

Interested parties must complete and submit the Request for Records Search form.² For best results, searchers should provide as much information as possible, including both parties’ names and any maiden names, if possible. The more information requesters provide, the more accurate the results.

Inquirers can view this information for free in the clerk of court’s office. For printed copies of the divorce records, interested parties must pay a minimum fee of $5 for the first 20 pages and $0.50 per page thereafter. Searchers requesting archived records may incur a $25 search fee. Checks can be made out to the circuit clerk.

Interested parties should expect to receive a copy of these records within 2 weeks.

Circuit Clerk – Family Court Division
100 North Side Square
Huntsville, AL 35801

Phone: 256-532-3300
Fax: 256-532-3768

Conduct a Divorce & Dissolution Record Lookup via Cities in Madison County Alabama

Interested parties seeking divorce records outside of the Madison County area must contact the Alabama Circuit Clerk of the Court office in the corresponding county.³

While each county has its own set of procedures, most allow inquirers to request these records in person or by mail. Each county also has its own fee schedule, so searchers should inquire about the county’s procedure prior to submitting a request for information.

Inquirers can also contact their local county Health Department office.⁴ These agencies provide certified copies of all divorces finalized in that county.

Typically, interested parties can obtain this information on the same day if they make the request in person. Otherwise, the department usually responds to requests in as little as 2 weeks.

Citizens who are unsure of what county the divorce was finalized in may be able to find this information from the county’s health department office. Once a searcher has the right information, they can then go to the corresponding county’s Circuit Clerk or the county health department.^{3, 4}

While county-level searches provide the broadest results, there may be times when working with the city clerk could be a better option. For instance, a city clerk may provide faster services or help interested parties complete the necessary forms.

In Alabama, the county circuit clerk of court serves as the custodian of all divorce records finalized in that county. However, city clerks may be able to help inquirers find this information through a public records request.

For instance, in the city of Birmingham, interested parties can file a public records request with the city clerk’s office either in person, by mail or online. Inquirers can make online requests by completing the online record request form.⁵

Those wishing to request this information by mail can do so by submitting a note detailing their name, address and contact information, along with a description of the requested files, the purpose of the request and the required payment according to the city fee schedule.⁶

Office of the City Clerk
City Hall-3rd Floor
710 North 20th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35203

Phone: 205-254-2290
Records Management: 205-254-2291

Inquirers can make similar requests in the city of Montgomery. Interested parties can make online requests by completing the Request for Public Records form.⁷ Records searchers can submit a written request in person or by mail.

City of Montgomery: Office of the City Clerk
103 North Perry Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104

Phone: 334-625-2096
Fax: 334-625-2056

Inquirers seeking records in the city of Auburn must complete the Public Records Request form and submit it online, in person or by mail along with the required fee.

Auburn City Hall
ATTN: Public Records
144 Tichenor Avenue, Suite 1
Auburn, Alabama 36830

Phone: 334-501-7260

Interested parties looking for public divorce records in other cities should contact that city’s clerk’s office for more information about the records request process and fees.

How To Search Divorce Records for All of Alabama via the State’s Center for Health Statistics

Citizens searching for divorce records outside of Madison County may need to conduct a statewide search. Expanding this search may allow interested parties to find where a divorce occurred, allowing them to contact the correct county.

In Alabama, the Center for Health Statistics division of the state’s Department of Health maintains vital records dating from 1950 to the present.⁸ Its divorce index includes divorces that occurred in any of the state’s 67 counties.

This agency provides an official certificate of divorce if the records are in its database or a certificate of failure to find if it can’t locate any corresponding records. The cost for a certified copy of a divorce is $15, and requesters can purchase additional copies for $6.

Inquirers can request divorce records online or by mail. To order, inquirers must complete the vital records mail-in application and send it, along with a check or money order made out to the State Board of Health, to:⁹

Alabama Vital Records
PO Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103

Phone: 334-206-5418

To request this information online, searchers can use the state’s official third-party service, VitalChek.

Does Madison County Provide Divorce & Dissolution of Marriage Information to the Public?

Consequent to the Alabama Code §36–12–40, the state makes all certificates of divorce unrestricted.¹⁰ This means that anyone can access this information for free as long as they name most of the details of the divorce, such as the full name of one or both of the parties involved.

It’s important to note, however, that divorce certificates and divorce decrees are not the same. A certificate of divorce lists the basic information about the divorce, such as the full names of the parties involved, including maiden names, location of the divorce filing and the date the divorce was made official.

On the other hand, decrees often include the specific details of the divorce, such as alimony payments, child custody or the legal division of property. In many cases, the details of these decrees are only available to the parties in the divorce.

Additionally, the judge has the right to seal any portion of the divorce records. Typically, this is only done at the request of one or both parties of the divorce.

Inquirers needing help finding the right divorce records may choose to work with a third-party vendor. These vendors can sometimes help searchers find the right records, even with limited information.

They may also be able to help locate archived records, such as those dated prior to 1950 because this information can be harder to find. However, only third-party vendors that the state of Alabama endorses, such as VitalChek, can provide official, certified records of a divorce.

Using this resource can help interested parties find the right Madison County divorce records and information; it’s important to keep in mind that some of this information may be sealed by the judge at the request of one or both parties.