MarriageLicenseCheck

Jefferson County marriage certificate

Filed with the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (Birmingham and Bessemer Divisions)

No license issuedAlabama abolished marriage licenses under Act 2019-340, effective August 29, 2019: no office issues anything to you before you marry. Instead both parties complete the state's Alabama Marriage Certificate form, each signs it before an Alabama notary, and the signed original is filed with a probate office, which records it — the marriage is legal once it is recorded, and a wedding ceremony is optional.

Alabama does not issue marriage licenses. To marry in Jefferson County, you complete a marriage certificate and file it with the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (Birmingham and Bessemer Divisions). There, the applicants do not both have to appear.

Fee
$84.50
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
File within
30 daysFrom signing
Both must appear
NoNeither party has to appear at the Probate Court

Reviewed July 30, 20268 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (Birmingham and Bessemer Divisions)

Apply online
Yes

The whole process can be done without visiting the Probate Court. The state form is filled in online and printed, each party signs it before an Alabama notary, and the signed original is mailed to the Probate Office with a money order. Emailed certificates are not accepted, and electronic signatures are not accepted.

Official requirement

If the marriage certificates are submitted by mail, the only authorized form of payment by mail is a money order.

Apply in person
Yes

The completed, notarized form can be filed over the counter at either the Birmingham Division (716 North Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd.) or the Bessemer Division (1801 3rd Avenue North), 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Official requirement

If the certificate is returned in person to Probate Court, the Court will accept cash, money orders and debit cards for payment.

When to apply

We will work out when you can apply. We never ask for names, dates of birth or any other personal detail.

Who must appear

Both applicants
No

Neither party has to appear at the Probate Court. Each party's signature is notarized in its own block on the state form, so the two do not have to sign together either, and the signed original may simply be mailed in. The notary must be commissioned in Alabama.

Official requirement

Yes, however, you should mail the completed, signed and notarized Alabama Marriage Certificate in sufficient time to be received by the probate court within the 30 days required under law, in order for the marriage to be valid.

Residency
Recording is not tied to residence. A completed Alabama Marriage Certificate may be recorded at any Alabama county probate court, and a resident of a foreign country who meets the eligibility criteria stated on the form may marry in Alabama.

Filing in Jefferson County does not require either party to live in Jefferson County or in Alabama.

Official requirement

You may record an Alabama Marriage Certificate form in any Alabama county probate court.

Identification and personal information

We list what the office says it may ask for. We never collect any of it.

Identification
  • Photo identification issued by a governmental entity or agency — shown to the Alabama notary who witnesses your signature, unless that notary already knows you personally
  • For a remote online notarization instead: two valid forms of government-issued identification, one of which shows your face and your signature

Alabama sets this by statute rather than office by office. Act 2019-340 left the probate court recording a finished document and checking nobody's identity, so the only identification step in an Alabama marriage is the notarization — and § 36-20-73.1 prescribes that statewide.

Identification is checked by the notary, not at the Probate Office. Because Alabama abolished the marriage license in 2019, no clerk verifies who you are — the notarization is the only identity check in the process, and Alabama Code § 36-20-73.1 fixes what the notary must examine. Neither the Jefferson County Probate Court nor the Alabama Department of Public Health publishes an identification list of its own, and the Alabama Marriage Certificate form has no identification field. The notary must be commissioned in Alabama.

Official requirement

Except as otherwise provided in this section, any signature acknowledged by a notary public shall be executed within this state and shall be executed in the physical presence of the notary public at the time of the acknowledgment, only after the notary public has positively identified the prospective signatory via personal knowledge of the prospective signatory or the examination of photo identification issued by a governmental entity or agency.

Social Security number

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Probate Court publishes no Social Security number requirement of its own for recording a marriage certificate.

Not published by this office
Age
Each party affirms on the certificate that they are 16 years of age or older. A party aged 18 or over signs alone; a party aged 16 or 17 who has never been married needs a parent's or guardian's consent.

The affidavit on the form is the age declaration — there is no separate age check by the Court.

Official requirement

If you are under the age of 18, but are at least 16 years of age, and have never been married, you can still marry in Alabama with the consent of a parent or guardian.

Applicants under 18
For a party aged 16 or 17 who has never been married, the consenting parent or guardian must complete page 2 of the Marriage Certificate form, the Affidavit of Consent for Marriage of a Minor. Both pages must be presented to the probate court together, and the recorded certificate is a two-page document.
Applies in some cases

For the marriage to be valid, the marriage form completed by the spouses and the Affidavit of Consent must be presented together to the probate court for recording.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
A party divorced in Alabama may not marry anyone other than the former spouse until 60 days after the divorce judgment is entered, and if an appeal is taken within those 60 days, not while the appeal is pending. Alabama law directs the divorce court to write that bar into its own judgment, so the decree controls.

Alabama sets this by statute rather than office by office. Since Act 2019-340 the probate court reviews no prior-marriage evidence at all, so the only rule that exists is § 30-2-10, which requires every Alabama divorce court to impose the 60-day bar.

This restricts who may marry; it is not a step at the Probate Office. Neither the Probate Court nor the Alabama Department of Public Health publishes any requirement to produce a divorce decree when a certificate is recorded, and the state form asks only for the number of previous marriages and how the last one ended. The state declines to state the timing rule itself and refers couples to their own decree.

Applies in some cases

When a judgment has been entered granting a divorce in this state, the court shall order that neither party shall again marry, except to each other, until 60 days after the judgment is entered, and that if an appeal is taken within 60 days, neither party shall again marry, except to each other, during the pendency of the appeal.

Fee and payment

Fee
$84.50

This is the Probate Court's recording fee, paid when the signed form is filed. The Court's recording-cost schedule lists the same $84.50 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy. Every Alabama probate court sets its own recording fee, so filing in a different county costs a different amount.

Official requirement

After the form is completed and notarized, the parties will submit the form and filing fee ($84.50) within 30 days to the Probate Office for recording.

Payment methods
  • Cash — in person only
  • Debit card — in person only
  • Money order — in person or by mail (the only form of payment accepted by mail)
Official requirement

If the certificate is returned in person to Probate Court, the Court will accept cash, money orders and debit cards for payment. If the marriage certificates are submitted by mail, the only authorized form of payment by mail is a money order.

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
None

No such requirement appears in the state statute that governs how a marriage is made here. The office itself publishes nothing either way.

Alabama imposes no minimum interval at any point. Title 30, Chapter 1 of the Code of Alabama is the chapter that governs how a marriage is made in this state, and § 30-1-9.1(a) makes entering into the marriage as that section describes the only requirement there is. Every section of the chapter (§ 30-1-3 to § 30-1-20) was read: the former license provisions are repealed, and nothing that remains — nor § 22-9A-17, which the section cross-references for recording — imposes any delay. The only clock is a maximum, not a minimum: 30 days to file. Both parties may sign before a notary and file the same day. A party divorced in Alabama within the last 60 days is separately barred from remarrying; see the prior-marriage rule.

Official requirement

(a) On August 29, 2019, and thereafter, the only requirement for a marriage in this state shall be for parties who are otherwise legally authorized to be married to enter into a marriage as provided in this section. … (c) A marriage conforming to the requirements of this section shall be valid on the date the marriage is executed by both parties, provided the affidavits, forms, and data are recorded in the office of the judge of probate within 30 days of the date of the last party's signature in accordance with Section 22-9A-17.

Waiver
There is no waiver or extension of the 30-day filing deadline. If the form arrives late the marriage is invalid and the parties must complete and file an entirely new Marriage Certificate, paying the recording fee again.
Official requirement

The marriage would be considered invalid, and the spouses would need to complete a new Marriage Certificate form and deliver it to the probate court within the 30 days required by law.

License expires
30 days

This is the filing deadline, not a license lifetime — Alabama issues nothing that could expire. The signed, notarized form must reach an Alabama probate court within 30 days of the later of the two signature dates; recorded in time, the marriage takes effect on that later signature date. Miss the window and the marriage is not valid and the paperwork must be redone.

Official requirement

The original completed, signed, and notarized form must be delivered to an Alabama county probate court for recording within 30 days of the latter of the dates of the spouses' signatures.

Where it is valid
A completed Alabama Marriage Certificate may be recorded at any Alabama county probate court, not only in Jefferson County or the county where either party lives.

Because no ceremony is required, there is no ceremony location tied to the filing county.

Official requirement

You may record an Alabama Marriage Certificate form in any Alabama county probate court.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
There are no ceremony witnesses. What the law requires instead is notarization: each party's signature must be witnessed by a notary commissioned in Alabama. A form notarized by a non-Alabama notary, or by a notarizing officer of the U.S. Department of State, will not be recorded, and electronic signatures by either party, the notary or a consenting parent are not accepted.
Official requirement

No, per the Alabama Office of the Attorney General's opinion issued May 18, 2022, a Marriage Certificate form notarized by a notary public not authorized to notarize under the laws of the State of Alabama shall not be accepted for recording by an Alabama probate court.

Officiant
No officiant and no ceremony are required. A wedding ceremony may still be held, but solemnization is no longer part of what makes an Alabama marriage valid — recording the completed certificate is.

This is the largest practical difference from every other state: the paperwork alone creates the marriage.

Official requirement

A wedding ceremony may be performed for the parties, but solemnization is no longer required for a recognized marriage in Alabama.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony
The parties themselves file the completed, notarized form with the Probate Office within 30 days, in person or by mail, together with the recording fee. The Probate Court keeps the original, records it, and forwards the certificate to the Alabama Department of Public Health's Center for Health Statistics. Forms sent directly to the Center for Health Statistics are returned unrecorded.

There is no officiant return step, because there is no officiant.

Official requirement

After the form is completed and notarized, the parties will submit the form and filing fee ($84.50) within 30 days to the Probate Office for recording.

Processing

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Probate Court does not publish how long recording takes or whether a recorded copy is handed back the same day. The state notes that practice on giving couples a certified copy at recording differs from county to county.

Not published by this office

Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page

Access and language

Published notes

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Probate Court's website carries no accessibility statement or language-assistance information.

Not published by this office

Common questions

Do you need a marriage license in Jefferson County?
No. Alabama does not issue marriage licenses. Couples complete a marriage certificate and file it with the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (Birmingham and Bessemer Divisions).
How much does a marriage certificate cost in Jefferson County?
The fee is $84.50, set by the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (Birmingham and Bessemer Divisions).
Is there a waiting period for a marriage certificate in Jefferson County?
No. There is no waiting period — the certificate can be used as soon as it is signed.
How long is a Jefferson County marriage certificate valid?
The signed certificate must be filed within 30 days of signing.
Do both partners have to appear in person in Jefferson County?
No. Neither party has to appear at the Probate Court.
Do we have to be residents to marry in Jefferson County?
Recording is not tied to residence. A completed Alabama Marriage Certificate may be recorded at any Alabama county probate court, and a resident of a foreign country who meets the eligibility criteria stated on the form may marry in Alabama.

Each answer restates the verified rule above; the official wording and sources are in the numbered sections.

Sources and reviewed date

Every fact above is quoted from one of these pages. Reviewed July 30, 2026.

  1. Marriage CertificatesProbate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. Recording CostsProbate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  3. Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Alabama Marriage CertificateAlabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  4. Alabama Marriage Certificate — Instructions for Completing and FilingAlabama Department of Public Health · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  5. Code of Alabama 1975 § 30-1-9.1, Requirements for Marriage; Validity; Construction with Other Laws (Title 30, Chapter 1, Marriage — §§ 30-1-3 to 30-1-20)Alabama Legislature — Legislative Services Agency · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  6. Code of Alabama 1975 § 22-9A-17, Marriage RegistrationAlabama Legislature — Legislative Services Agency · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  7. Code of Alabama 1975 § 36-20-73.1, Attestations; Remote NotarizationAlabama Legislature — Legislative Services Agency · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  8. Code of Alabama 1975 § 30-2-10, Sixty-Day Restriction on Remarriage of Parties After Grant of Divorce or Pending Appeal of DivorceAlabama Legislature — Legislative Services Agency · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • Act 2026-536, effective 1 October 2026, re-enacts § 36-20-73.1. Its enrolled text leaves subsection (a) — the photo-identification standard quoted here — word for word unchanged, so the identification requirement does not change on that date.
  • The Legislature's code portal flags § 30-1-12, the probate judge's register, as carrying an Act 2019-340 amendment whose text it labels pending and does not display. The section governs the judge's own record-keeping, and § 30-1-9.1(a) makes entering into the marriage "the only requirement", so the pending text cannot add a step for a couple.
  • The Probate Court's general Recording FAQ says the Recording office accepts credit cards, cash, cashier's checks, money orders, business checks and local personal checks. The Marriage Certificates page sets a narrower list for marriage filings — cash, money order and debit card in person, money order only by mail — and that narrower, marriage-specific list is what is recorded here.
  • The effective date of Act 2019-340 is sometimes given as 30 August 2019. Both the Jefferson County Probate Court and the Alabama Department of Public Health publish 29 August 2019, and that is the date recorded here.
  • The Probate Court's site search still surfaces a link titled "Search Marriage Licenses" pointing at the county's Landmark records system. That is the historical index of licenses issued before 2019, not a current license process — Alabama has issued no marriage licenses since August 2019.
  • The Probate Court's recording-cost schedule is headed "effective June 1, 2012", which predates the 2019 change, but its marriage row ($84.50 first copy, $3.00 each additional) matches the figure on the current Marriage Certificates page, so there is no conflict on the amount.

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