Baldwin County Marriage and Divorce Records

Marriage Certificates in Baldwin County

Alabama no longer issues marriage licenses. The law changed on August 29, 2019. Since that date, couples in Alabama get legally married by completing a state marriage certificate form, having it notarized, and recording it with the Probate Office. Baldwin County Probate records marriage certificates at the Bay Minette location only. No other Baldwin County Probate office location accepts marriage certificate filings. If you try to file at Fairhope, Foley, or Robertsdale, you will need to go to Bay Minette instead.

The blank marriage certificate form does not come from the Probate Office. Baldwin County Probate does not keep or hand out blank forms. Couples must get the official form from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). The ADPH form is the only acceptable version. Once you have the form, you fill it out, sign it before a notary, and bring or mail it to Probate with payment. Probate staff cannot notarize your certificate, so you need to handle notarization before you arrive.

A few rules matter here. Fill the form legibly, print on 8.5 x 11 white paper on the front side only, use actual size, and do not use white-out or make correction marks of any kind. If the form has errors or correction marks, the Probate Office will not accept it. The effective legal date of your marriage is the later of the two spouses' notarized signature dates, assuming the certificate is properly recorded. A ceremony is not required, and officiants do not need to register with any state office or hold any credentials. The Judge of Probate does not perform ceremonies.

The official Baldwin County Probate marriage certificate page includes instructions, filing requirements, and a link to the ADPH form. Read it before you prepare your paperwork. Getting any detail wrong can delay or void your filing.

How to File a Baldwin County Marriage Certificate

Filing a marriage certificate in Baldwin County follows a specific sequence. The 30-day deadline is strict: the completed and notarized certificate must be received by Probate within 30 calendar days of the last notarized signature date. If you miss that window, the certificate will not be accepted and you will have no legal Alabama marriage certificate on record.

The Baldwin County Probate Licenses page covers the licensing office locations and payment options. For in-person filings, you can go Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both spouses do not need to be present. A third party can bring the completed and notarized form on your behalf.

1. Get the official marriage certificate form from the Alabama Department of Public Health. Do not use any other version.
2. Fill out the form completely and legibly. Print on 8.5 x 11 white paper, front side only, at actual size. No correction marks or white-out.
3. Sign the form before an Alabama notary. Both spouses must have their signatures notarized. Probate staff cannot notarize the form.
4. Count 30 calendar days from the date of the later signature. The certificate must be received by Probate before that deadline, not postmarked.
5. Prepare payment. In person: cash or credit card (processing fee applies); no personal or business checks. By mail: money order or cashier's check only; do not mail cash; include your driver license number on the payment instrument.
6. Submit to Baldwin County Probate, Bay Minette location. In person: 220 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette, AL 36507. By mail: send completed/notarized form, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to PO Box 459, Bay Minette, AL 36507.

The $73.00 recording fee includes one certified copy. You will receive that certified copy as part of your filing. If you need more copies later, each additional certified copy from the Baldwin Probate Office costs $3.00. See the fee section below for the complete fee table.

Marriage Certificate Filing Fields and Form

When you request a certified copy of a Baldwin County marriage record, you will use the official Probate copy request form. The form collects specific information to locate the record and determine how many copies you need. All fields below come from the official Baldwin Probate certified copy request form.

Note that the form uses a checkbox to distinguish between older marriage licenses and post-2019 marriage certificates. If the marriage occurred before August 29, 2019, check "Marriage License." If the marriage occurred on or after August 29, 2019, check "Marriage Certificate." Getting this right helps the Probate clerk find the correct record type.

Submit this form in person at 220 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.) or mail it to Baldwin County Judge of Probate, Marriage Section, PO Box 459, Bay Minette, AL 36507-0459. Online and phone requests are not accepted. In-person payments: cash or credit card with a service fee. Mail payments: money order or cashier's check only, no personal or business checks, no cash.

Baldwin County Marriage and Divorce Fees

Baldwin County marriage and divorce fees are set by state law and local court rules. The Probate Office charges a flat fee for recording and an additional per-copy rate for certified copies. The Circuit Court charges a separate filing fee for divorce cases. Child support adds another cost if the divorce involves minor children.

For certified copies of a divorce decree or other court records from Circuit Court, different fees apply. The Circuit Clerk charges $10.00 for a computerized records search, $25.00 for paper or archived records, $5.00 for the first 20 pages of copies, $0.50 for each page after that, and $5.00 for each certification. See the Baldwin County Clerk of Court page for the full court copy fee schedule.

Getting Certified Marriage Copies in Baldwin County

The screenshot below is from the Baldwin County Probate marriage certificate page, showing recording instructions and fee information for marriage certificates filed at the Bay Minette office.

The filing deadline, form requirements, and payment rules above apply to all Baldwin County marriage certificate recordings since August 2019.

To get a certified copy of a Baldwin County marriage record, use the official copy request form from the Probate Office. Certified copies cost $3.00 each. The $73.00 original recording fee already includes one certified copy, so if you filed and kept that copy, you may not need to request more. Common reasons to request additional copies include name changes on driver licenses, Social Security records, passport applications, insurance policies, or estate planning documents.

Mail requests go to Baldwin County Judge of Probate, Marriage Section, PO Box 459, Bay Minette, AL 36507-0459. Include the completed copy request form, a money order or cashier's check for the exact amount, and write your driver license number on the payment. Do not send cash by mail. In-person requests are accepted at 220 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette, during office hours. Both methods are handled only through Bay Minette. The Probate Office does not accept online or phone copy requests for marriage records.

For marriages recorded in Alabama before August 29, 2019, the same copy request form applies but you check the "Marriage License" box. Pre-2019 records are stored as marriage licenses. If the record you need was not recorded in Baldwin County, contact the Alabama Department of Public Health for state-level vital records.

Baldwin County Divorce Records

Divorce records in Baldwin County are filed and maintained by the Baldwin County Circuit Court. Divorce is a domestic relations matter under the Circuit Court's jurisdiction. The official Baldwin County domestic relations page lists what documents must be filed for each type of case. Filings go to the Circuit Clerk at the main courthouse in Bay Minette: 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, Bay Minette, AL 36507, phone (251) 937-0280.

An uncontested divorce with minor children requires more paperwork than a case without children. The required documents for a divorce with children include: Complaint; Answer, Waiver and Request for Commissioner (Form C-33); notarized Testimony of Plaintiff; notarized Affidavit of Residency by a third party; Divorce Decree; Settlement Agreement (original plus two copies); Child Support Information Sheet Form CS-47; Vital Statistics Form/Certificate of Divorce; Child Support Obligation Income Statement/Affidavit for both parties; Child Support Guideline Form; Child Support Guideline Notice of Compliance; Withholding Order for Payment of Child Support; and a Children Cope with Divorce Seminar Certificate for both parties.

For a divorce without minor children, the required documents are: Complaint; Answer/Waiver/Request (Form C-33); notarized Testimony of Plaintiff; third-party notarized Affidavit of Residency; Divorce Decree; Settlement Agreement (original plus two copies); Child Support Information Sheet; and the Vital Statistics Form/Certificate of Divorce.

Court forms for domestic relations cases are available through the Alabama court eForms portal. The Circuit Clerk cannot give legal advice or help you fill out forms. If you need help with a contested divorce or complex family matter, consult an attorney before filing.

How to File an Uncontested Divorce in Baldwin County

Filing for divorce in Baldwin County starts with determining whether children are involved. That one fact determines which forms you need and what additional steps are required. The Circuit Clerk processes the filing and collects the fee, but cannot advise you on how to complete forms or whether your case qualifies as uncontested. The steps below come from the official Baldwin County domestic relations page.

1. Determine whether your case involves minor children or not. The document list is different for each type, and child-support materials are required only when children are part of the case.
2. Gather all required domestic relations forms. Use the Alabama court eForms portal to locate official state forms. The domestic relations page also lists specific form numbers such as C-33 for the Answer/Waiver/Request and CS-47 for the Child Support Information Sheet.
3. Prepare a notarized Testimony of Plaintiff. This is the plaintiff's sworn statement about the marriage and grounds for divorce. It must be notarized by an Alabama notary before filing.
4. Prepare a notarized Affidavit of Residency from a third party. This person swears to the court that the plaintiff meets Alabama's residency requirement for divorce.
5. If minor children are involved, complete all child support documents and obtain Children Cope with Divorce Seminar Certificates for both parties. Both requirements must be met before the court can finalize the divorce.
6. File all documents with the Baldwin County Circuit Clerk at 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, Bay Minette, AL 36507. Pay the $227.00 filing fee in cash, money order, or cashier's check. The fee is nonrefundable. If child support is part of the filing, add $134.00 for that fee.
7. After the case is finalized, use Alacourt ACCESS or the Circuit Clerk request form to get certified copies of the Divorce Decree or other documents from the file.

The domestic relations page notes that the courthouse is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Satellite courthouses in Fairhope (1100 Fairhope Avenue) and Foley (201 East Section Avenue) serve south county and eastern shore residents. Confirm with the clerk which satellite locations accept domestic relations filings before traveling.

Searching Baldwin County Divorce Records

The screenshot below is from the Baldwin County domestic relations portal, which lists filing requirements and provides links to forms and fee schedules for divorce cases in the Circuit Court.

Uncontested divorce filing requirements differ slightly for cases with minor children and cases without children, and both follow the Twenty-Eighth Judicial Circuit's standard intake.

Baldwin County divorce records are part of the Circuit Court's domestic relations docket. You can search these records online using Alacourt ACCESS, the official public portal for Alabama state trial court records. The portal covers domestic relations and child support cases. A name search or case number search costs $9.99 each. The case detail report includes court setting dates, actions and rulings, party information, case action summary, financial information, and document images. Document images cost $5.00 for the first 20 pages and $0.50 per page after that.

For certified copies or records not available through Alacourt, use the Circuit Clerk record request form. Mail or fax the form to the Baldwin County Circuit Clerk at 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, Bay Minette, AL 36507 (fax: 251-937-0277). The clerk requests two weeks processing time. Search fees apply even if no results are found. The clerk handles Baldwin County Circuit and District Court records only; federal and municipal records are outside their scope.

Confidentiality and Sensitive Family Records in Baldwin County

Not all marriage and divorce records are fully public. Alabama has rules governing privacy and confidentiality in court records, and family court matters can involve restricted or sealed material. The Alabama Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality set the framework for what clerks and courts may disclose.

In divorce files, minor children's information is often protected. Financial affidavits, Social Security numbers, account numbers, and other sensitive data may be redacted from public copies. Child support income statements and related documents in domestic relations files can contain private financial data that is not fully accessible to the general public. If a judge seals part of a file, that material is not available through normal public access channels, including Alacourt.

Adoption records from the Probate Court are confidential under Ala. Code Title 26-10E and are not accessible to the public. Name-change filings and some involuntary commitment records may also carry restrictions. When researching family court records, expect that some documents in a file will not be viewable even if the case itself shows up in a search.

For marriage records, the certificate itself is a recorded public document held by the Probate Office. However, requests must go through the proper channels using the official copy request form. The Probate Office does not provide bulk or open-ended searches. If the certificate was not recorded in Baldwin County, Baldwin Probate has no record to provide.

Researchers working with older records should contact the Baldwin County Archives at 305 East 2nd Street, Bay Minette, AL 36507, phone (251) 580-1897. The Archives holds Probate Court records from 1889-1944 with no restrictions on access for that collection, making it the right starting point for genealogy and historical research.

Baldwin County Probate Office Overview

The screenshot below is from the Baldwin County Probate Licenses page, showing the office locations, appointment guidance, and license services available at each Probate site.

The Probate Office handles more than marriage certificates. It also manages vehicle and boat licensing, recording of land documents and public records, adoptions, name changes, guardianships, conservatorships, wills, and estates.

Judge Harry M. D'Olive, Jr. administers the Baldwin County Probate Court, License Office, and Recorder's Office. The Probate Office operates at four locations: Bay Minette, Fairhope, Foley, and Robertsdale. Marriage certificates and certified copy requests are handled only at Bay Minette. The Probate call center operates out of the Foley office. Main call center numbers are 251-937-0260, 251-990-4645, 251-970-4098, and 251-972-6845.

The Probate Court DuProcess iQuery offers free public case searches for probate filings. Search by last name, first name, middle name, case type, or case number. Results show case number, file date, case type, judge, status, related parties, dockets, events, payments, and assessments. This is the right tool for looking up wills, estate cases, name changes, and other probate matters. It does not replace the Probate Office for certified copies or for marriage certificate records.

Probate office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Probate Office recommends avoiding the 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. window because that period typically has longer wait times. Appointments are strongly encouraged for licensing transactions.

For a deeper look at the full range of probate court filings, fees, estate procedures, and the DuProcess search tool, see the Baldwin County probate records page.

Related Baldwin County Records

Marriage certificates and divorce records connect to several other record types in Baldwin County. Understanding where each type is held saves time when you need more than one document.

• Baldwin County probate records: wills, estates, guardianships, name changes, and adoptions are all probate court matters handled by the same office that records marriage certificates.
• Baldwin County public records: broad overview of what is publicly available from county offices, including the Open Baldwin portal and Archives.
• Baldwin County Clerk of Court: the Circuit Clerk maintains all Circuit and District Court filings, including divorce decrees, domestic relations orders, and child support records.
• Baldwin County court records: covers the full scope of Circuit and District Court records, search tools, and copy procedures through the Twenty-Eighth Judicial Circuit.

If you are researching a family law matter that has moved from state court to a federal forum, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama handles federal cases arising in Baldwin County. That court is at 155 Saint Joseph Street, Mobile, AL 36602, phone (251) 690-2371. Use PACER to search federal dockets.