Alabama Record Finder

United States    Alabama    Record Selection Table

This record selection table was created before the year 2000 with the intent of guiding research according to record availability for the specific locality at the time.

This table can help you decide which records to search. It is most helpful for post-1850 research.

1. In column 1 find the category closest to your research goal.
2. In column 2 find the types of records most likely to have the information you need.
3. In column 3 find additional record types that may be useful.
4. Look in the section of these Wiki pages that corresponds to the record type you chose. It explains what the records might tell you, how to search them, and how to find the records in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog. Some records are not at the library.

Note: Records of previous research—genealogy, biography, history, periodicals, and societies—are useful for most goals but are not listed unless they are especially helpful.

What you are looking for:	Try these records first:	Other useful records:
Adoptions	Court Records, Vital Records	Probate Records, Census, Obituaries
Age	Census, Cemeteries, Obituaries	Vital Records, Military Records, Bible Records
Birth date	Vital Records, Obituaries, Cemeteries	Church Records, Bible Records, Military Records
Birthplace	Vital Records, Church Records, Obituaries	Census, Military Records, Naturalization and Citizenship
Boundaries and origins	Maps, Gazetteers	History
Children	Census, Probate Records, Obituaries	Vital Records, Church Records
City or parish of foreign birth	Vital Records, Obituaries, Biography	History, Naturalization and Citizenship, Church Records
Country of foreign birth	Census, Naturalization and Citizenship, Vital Records	Biography, Minorities, Obituaries
Death information	Vital Records, Cemeteries, Obituaries	Probate Records, Church Records, Bible Records
Divorce	Divorce Records, Vital Records, Court Records	Newspapers, Census
Emigration information	Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship, Census	Biography, History, Obituaries
Ethnic background	Native Races, Minorities, Emigration and Immigration	Census, Obituaries, Naturalization and Citizenship
Historical background	History, Periodicals, Gazetteers	Maps, Church Records
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship, Census	Obituaries, Biography, History
Living relatives	Obituaries, Probate Records, Directories	Court Records
Maiden name	Vital Records, Church Records	Probate Records, Military Records, Obituaries
Marriage information	Vital Records, Bible Records	Obituaries, Probate Records, Military Records
Migration information	Emigration and Immigration, Census, Biography	History, Land and Property, Maps
Naturalization	Naturalization and Citizenship, Census, Court Records	Voting Registers, Biography, Periodicals
Occupations	Census, Directories, Obituaries	Land and Property, Biography, History, Probate Records
Other family members	Census, Obituaries, Probate Records	Vital Records, Church Records
Parents	Vital Records, Obituaries, Census	Church Records, Biography
Physical description	Military Records, Naturalization and Citizenship, Emigration and Immigration	Biography, History
Place-finding aids	Maps, Gazetteers, History	Periodicals, Archives and Libraries
Places of residence	Census, Military Records, Obituaries, Vital Records, Church Records	Land and Property, Taxation, Voting Registers
Place of residence when you know only the state	Census, Vital Records, Military Records	Land and Property, Obituaries, History
Previous research	Genealogy, Biography, Periodicals	Societies, History, Archives and Libraries
Record-finding aids	Archives and Libraries, Periodicals	Societies, Genealogy, For Further Reading
Religion	Church Records, Vital Records, Obituaries	Biography, History, Cemeteries
Social activities	Societies, Obituaries, Biography	Newspapers, History, Cemeteries