Birth and Death certificates - Alabama law did not require birth and death certificates until 1908. Those records, along with marriage records after 1936 and divorce records after 1950, can be obtained by contacting the Alabama Department of Public Health at www.adph.org/vitalrecords/.

Alabama Department of Public Health
Alabama Vital Records
P. O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103
334-206-5418

A few Alabama counties created birth and death registers between the mid 1880s-1930s. Check the Local Government Records Microfilm database - www.archives.alabama.gov/localrecords/search.cfm - for records available at ADAH.

Adoption records - If adopted in Alabama, adoptees can contact the Alabama Department of Public Health at www.adph.org/vitalrecords/index.asp?id=1567 for information on accessing their records.

Immigration and Naturalization records - There are many published sources of immigration records/passenger records and sources are also available on Ancestry.com and other online research services.

Naturalization was a two step process. After living in the U.S. for two years an individual filed a Declaration of Intent. Three years later a Petition for Naturalization could be filed. Naturalization records prior to the creation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (I.N.S.) on September 27, 1906 are found in federal, state/county or municipal courts. ADAH has a limited number of naturalization records filed in county probate records. Check the Local Government Records Microfilm database - www.archives.alabama.gov/localrecords/search.cfm - for records available at ADAH.
For records after September 1906 contact the National Archives at www.archives.gov/genealogy/naturalization.

Native American Genealogy - The ADAH has very few original records to aid in researching Native American ancestry. For published sources on Native Americans check our online catalog.

Another source for information on Native Americans in Alabama:

Alabama Indian Affairs Commission
www.aiac.alabama.gov
771 S. McDonough St.
Montgomery, AL 36130
334-242-2831
aiac@att.net

U.S. Military Discharge records - DD214 - The ADAH has military discharge records (DD214) from the Selective Service Office for the years 1939-May 1975. Those records are restricted to the veteran or direct next-of-kin and can be obtained by contacting the research room at 334-242-4435. For discharge records after May 1975 contact the National Personnel Records Center.

National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63132
314-801-0800
https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/military-personnel

Police records - Contact the police department or sheriff’s office in the town or county in which the incident occurred. ADAH has limited state and county convict records. For records available at ADAH check our online catalog.

School/Student records - Contact the local county board of education.