Winston County Marriage Certificate Rules
Alabama changed its marriage process effective August 29, 2019. Under Alabama Act 2019-340, couples no longer apply to the probate court for a marriage license, and probate courts no longer issue licenses. The parties complete an Alabama Marriage Certificate, sign it before an Alabama notary, and deliver it to the Probate Office for recording. Once the document is properly completed and recorded, the marriage is valid. A ceremony may still be held, but solemnization is not required for the marriage to be recognized.
The official Winston County marriage certificate page explains the local recording and copy process.
The county's instructions are the best source for the accepted form, payment method, and current submission steps. Older records keep their prior label. A record made before the change may be called a Certificate of Marriage License, while a record made on or after the change is a Marriage Certificate.
File a Winston County Marriage Certificate
Use the adult form unless a party is age 16 or 17, in which case the separate minor form and instructions apply. The Probate Office does not accept an incomplete document or one with white-out or corrective marks. Both parties are responsible for accurate, legible information.
- Get the correct Alabama Marriage Certificate form and instructions through Winston County Probate or the state health department.
- Complete every requested field legibly. Do not use white-out or make corrective marks on the form.
- Have both parties execute the certificate before an Alabama notary. Use the minor form for a party age 16 or 17.
- Deliver the completed and notarized certificate to the Winston County Probate Office within 30 calendar days after the last party signs.
- Pay the $74 recording fee in person. That fee includes one certified copy.
- Use cash or a credit or debit card in person, or a money order or cashier's check payable to the Judge of Probate. Personal and business checks are not accepted.
The ADPH online marriage certificate filing resource is linked by Winston County Probate as a form route.
The state form route does not replace local recording. The completed certificate must still reach the Winston County Probate Office within the stated filing period.
Winston County Marriage Form Inventory
The official source describes form types and key filing requirements without publishing a full field-by-field data list in the captured research. The inventory below stays within those verified details.
| Form or Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Marriage Certificate, Adults | PDF or online filing | Yes | Includes the form and instructions for adults. |
| Alabama Marriage Certificate, Minors | PDF or online filing | For ages 16 to 17 | A separate minor form and instructions apply. |
| Party information | Text | Yes | All requested details must be complete and legible. |
| Notary acknowledgment | Notarization | Yes | Both parties execute the document before an Alabama notary. |
| Filing fee | Payment | Yes | The $74 recording fee includes one certified copy. |
| Certified copy request | PDF request | Optional | Mail requests need the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. |
The parties should review the finished certificate before notarization. Probate staff record the document, but accuracy remains the parties' responsibility. The 30-day period starts when the last party executes the certificate, not when the form is downloaded or first filled out.
Winston County Marriage Record Fees
Marriage recording and certified-copy fees come from the Winston County marriage page. Divorce filing and decree-copy amounts were not established in the assigned research, so no local amount is stated for them. Contact the Circuit Clerk for the current cost before mailing a divorce-record request.
| Item | Amount or Requirement |
|---|---|
| Record a new Alabama Marriage Certificate | $74 in person; includes one certified copy |
| Additional certified marriage copy | $3 per copy |
| Mail payment for a marriage copy | Money order or cashier's check payable to Judge of Probate |
| Return by mail | Include a self-addressed stamped envelope |
| In-office marriage copy payment | Cash or credit/debit card; card service fees apply |
| Certified divorce decree | Ask the Circuit Clerk for the current copy and certification charge |
For a local marriage copy, use the county's certified marriage certificate request form. State vital records may also supply a marriage record for a fee, but the Winston County Probate Office is the direct county source for a certificate recorded there.
Search Winston County Marriage Records
Start with the Winston County Probate Office when the marriage was recorded in this county. Give both parties' names and an approximate recording date. The office is at 25125 Highway 195, Double Springs, AL 35553, and its phone number is (205) 489-5219. Public hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
A mail request should identify whether the record predates August 29, 2019. Ask for a Certificate of Marriage License for an older record and a Marriage Certificate for a record on or after that date. Include the $3-per-copy payment in the accepted form and a self-addressed stamped envelope. In-person requests may be paid by cash or card, with a service charge on card use.
Winston County Probate Office
25125 Highway 195
Double Springs, AL 35553
(205) 489-5219
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Find Winston County Divorce Records
Divorce is not handled by the Probate Office. A Winston County divorce file is a domestic-relations court record maintained by the Circuit Clerk. Search Alacourt ACCESS / Just One Look by a party name or case number. Domestic Relations is one of the record categories listed by that statewide trial-court portal. The service charges for searches and may charge more for available document images.
If the online search does not supply the decree needed, contact Circuit Clerk J.D. Snoddy at the Winston County Courthouse, (205) 489-5533. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 309, Double Springs, AL 35553. The clerk can explain the process and current certification cost but cannot advise a party on divorce strategy, custody, support, or how to present a contested case.
The grounds for divorce come from Alabama Code Section 30-2-1. That statute provides legal context; it is not a record-search portal.
The filed complaint, orders, and final decree remain court documents, so certified decree copies must come from the Circuit Clerk rather than Probate.
Winston County Divorce Search Results
Just One Look offers name and case-number searches for Alabama trial court records. Each search costs $9.99 and includes one case detail; a no-match result still counts as a search. When available, document images cost $5 for the first 20 pages and 50 cents for each later page. Those portal charges are not the same as a clerk's fee for a certified decree.
The portal describes a case detail report as including basic case information, court action, case status, setting dates, party information, financial history, and a detailed case action summary. Images or attachments may also be offered. A result can help identify the right domestic-relations case number before a certified-copy request, but it does not guarantee that every family filing can be viewed online.
| Result Field | What It Helps Confirm |
|---|---|
| Basic case information | The court file and identifying case details. |
| Case status | Whether the portal marks the matter with a current status. |
| Setting dates | Dates the court lists for case events. |
| Party information | The named parties linked to the case. |
| Case action summary | A sequence of recorded court actions and rulings. |
Use the case number from a confirmed result when writing or calling the Circuit Clerk. If a name search fails, check spelling and ask the clerk about the court-held file instead of paying repeatedly without changing the search details.
Winston County Family Record Limits
A public divorce case may still contain protected parts. Child custody and child support details, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, minor information, and other sensitive data may be redacted or restricted. A portal result can therefore show that a case exists without exposing every document or data field.
Marriage certificates and divorce decrees also serve different proof needs. The Probate Office certifies the Winston County marriage record it recorded. The Circuit Clerk certifies the court's divorce order. ADPH may provide a vital-record certificate or verification for some purposes, but it does not replace a certified court decree when that decree is the document required.
A failed online divorce search does not show that a marriage or divorce never existed. The file may use a different name spelling, predate available images, or contain restricted documents. Contact the office that holds the record with both parties' names, the approximate date, and any known case or recording number. Staff can explain the copy process, though neither Probate nor the Circuit Clerk can give legal advice. Sheriff Caleb Snoddy's department is not the custodian of marriage certificates or divorce decrees, so requests should remain with Probate or the Circuit Clerk.
Note: Ask the receiving agency which certified document it requires before paying for a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or state vital record.