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Alabama Research Tips and Strategies

Alabama Wiki Topics
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Beginning Research
Record Types
Alabama Background
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Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page

The Alabama Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Alabama. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Alabama Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Alabama:

Finding Alabama Birth, Marriage or Death Records

Finding Alabama Records

Alabama Statewide Databases

Alabama Research Process

Alabama Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Alabama:

Birth and Death information:

  • Statewide registration: The state began registering births and deaths in 1908, with full compliance by 1927.
  • County regististration: Counties were required to record birth and death records in 1881 until the state board took over in 1908, although registration was inconsistent.
  • Access to records: See Alabama Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Alabama.


Substitute Records:

  • Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
  • Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
  • List of substitute records: See Alabama Substitute Records for more information.


Finding Parents:

  • Death records: Death records created by the county starting in 1881 may contain parents of the deceased. However, starting in 1908, the state recorded deaths that required birth and parent information. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
  • Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See Alabama Newspapers and Alabama Obituaries for more information.
  • Church records: Knowing the denominiation of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See Alabama Church Records for more information.


Census Records:

  • Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See Alabama Census Records for more information.
  • Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
  • Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further Alabama Research

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