Bibb County Marriage License Records

Marriage licenses in Bibb County are filed at the Probate Court in Centreville. About 22,000 people live in this central Alabama county. Bibb County has a special distinction: its marriage records date back to 1818. This makes them among the oldest in the state. The records are available on FamilySearch for genealogy research. This guide covers how to file your marriage license in Bibb County today.

Bibb County Probate Court Office

The Probate Court handles all marriage licenses in Bibb County. The office is in the courthouse in Centreville. This small town sits in the heart of the county. The courthouse is easy to find in the downtown area.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The court closes for state holidays. No appointment is needed to file a marriage license. Walk-ins are welcome during regular hours. Plan to arrive before 4:00 PM to allow time for processing.

Note: Bibb County uses the Ingenuity platform for some online services. Check their website for available options.

Bibb County Marriage License Fees

The recording fee in Bibb County is $72. This is one of the lower fees in Alabama. You pay this amount when you file your marriage license. The fee covers recording, state filing, and one certified copy.

Here is how the fee breaks down. The base court fee is about $10. The state mandates $60 for the Domestic Violence Trust Fund. Small additional charges cover processing. The total is $72. This is a one-time cost.

The court accepts several payment methods. Cash is always accepted. Checks work too. Credit and debit cards may have a service fee. Ask about card fees when you arrive. For mail requests, send a check or money order to Bibb County Probate Court.

Extra certified copies cost about $5 each. Get a few when you file. You may need them for name changes, insurance forms, or legal documents. Ordering now saves a trip later.

How to File in Bibb County

Filing a marriage license in Bibb County is simple. The process follows standard Alabama rules. Here are the steps to complete your filing.

Start by downloading the form. Go to dph1.adph.state.al.us/marriage to get it. The form must be typed. Do not handwrite it. Print the form after you complete it. Both parties fill out their own sections.

To file your marriage license in Bibb County, bring these items:

• Completed marriage license form (typed)
• Valid photo ID for both parties
• Both signatures notarized by an Alabama notary
• $72 recording fee
• Social Security numbers for both parties

The notary step is required. Both people sign in front of an Alabama notary. The notary stamps and signs the form. Banks often have free notary services. UPS stores and shipping centers also offer notary services for a small fee.

Bring the notarized form to the Probate Court. The clerk checks everything. If complete, they file it right away. You get a certified copy on the spot. The process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remember the 30-day rule. You must file within 30 days of the last signature. Your marriage is valid from that signature date. Do not wait too long to file.

Can You Search Bibb County Records Online?

Bibb County uses the Ingenuity platform for some online services. This gives access to certain records from home. Marriage record searches may be limited online. Direct contact with the Probate Court is often needed.

To find a specific marriage record, call (205) 926-3104. Staff can search by name or date. They can confirm if a record exists. To get a certified copy, you may need to visit or mail a request.

The state also keeps records. Alabama Center for Health Statistics has marriage records from 1936 to present. Order through VitalChek at vitalchek.com. The fee is $15 for search and first copy. Additional copies cost $6.

For historical research, FamilySearch.org is excellent. Bibb County records from 1818 are digitized there. This is free to access. Create an account and search their Alabama collections. These old records are valuable for genealogy.

Bibb County's Historic Records

Bibb County has some of the oldest marriage records in Alabama. The records date back to 1818. This is a year before Alabama became a state. The county was formed from Monroe County in 1818. Record keeping began right away.

These historic records survived because of good preservation. Many Alabama counties lost early records to fires or floods. Bibb County protected its documents. The records are now available digitally through FamilySearch.

For genealogy researchers, this is valuable. You can trace family marriages back over 200 years. The records show names, dates, and sometimes ages and parents. FamilySearch has indexed many of these old records. Searching is easier than ever.

To access historic Bibb County marriage records:

• Visit FamilySearch.org and create a free account
• Search for Bibb County, Alabama marriage records
• Browse indexed records from 1818 forward
• View scanned images of original documents

Modern records are at the Probate Court. For records from 1936 to present, contact the court or the state. For older records, FamilySearch and the court both have options. Call the court to ask about very old records not yet digitized.

Marriage License Laws in Alabama

Alabama changed its marriage system in 2019. The state stopped issuing licenses. Now couples use marriage licenses. No ceremony is needed. No officiant is required. You sign a form, get it notarized, and file it.

The main law is Alabama Code Section 30-1-9.1. This statute created the new system. Your marriage is legal when both sign and the form is recorded. File within 30 days.

Age requirements come from Section 30-1-4. You must be 16 or older. If you are 16 or 17, parental consent is needed under Section 30-1-5. A parent signs a notarized affidavit.

Marriage records are public under Section 22-9A-21. Anyone can request copies. You do not need to be family. This helps with research and legal matters.

If you were recently divorced, wait 60 days before remarrying. This is standard across Alabama. Bibb County follows this rule.

Search Bibb County Records

Use our search tool to find marriage records and other public records in Bibb County, Alabama.

Cities in Bibb County

Bibb County has a few small towns. Centreville is the largest and serves as the county seat. Brent and West Blocton are other communities. All residents file marriage licenses at the Probate Court in Centreville.

The county is largely rural. The Cahaba River runs through it. There are no large cities. No city in Bibb County has a population over 50,000. For marriage services, everyone uses the single Probate Court office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Bibb County. You can file your marriage license in any Alabama county. If another location is more convenient, consider these options.