Macon County was established in 1832 and the city of Tuskegee is the county seat. You will find many Macon County public records can be found that go back to 1832 and farther even though the state didn't officially start requiring these registrations until 1908.

Many Macon County public records are available to the public if you put in a request, which can be helpful for genealogical studies or to replace lost documents. It's not difficult to get copies though not all material is open to everyone who asks for it. Specific rules for getting documents are outlined below. If you are permitted to have a copy, you just have to to to the health department office in Tuskegee and file a request. They usually process these while you're right in the office so there is virtually no wait time. There is a fee required for each record retrieved.

The forms require you provide not only your own name and address, but the name of the person on the record, the date of the event, location of the event and the person's parents names (for birth records). When filling out the forms, take care to get your facts right. Guessing isn't a great idea because if records are not found, you are not issued a refund.

Macon County Birth Records

Macon County birth records are only issued to the person on the record, or to that person's immediate family members. This restriction is in place for 125 years to protect privacy. You will have to show ID and proof of relationship when ordering one of these records. The fee for a certified copy is $15 each, but you can access anything older than 125 years for free at the State Archives.

Macon County Death Records

Again, there are privacy restrictions but this time it is only for 25 years. Copies of Macon County death records will only be issued to children, parents, spouses and siblings of the decedent until then. These records also cost $15 to get a certified copy but because they become public more quickly, a large number of Macon County death records are freely available through libraries and genealogy websites.

Macon County Marriage Records

These can be requested by anyone at any time. Macon County marriage records are considered public domain so there are no restrictions. You can order a copy for $15, also from the health office. Official state records start in 1936 for these, and in 1950 for divorce records. If you need older registrations, try the Probate court in Tuskegee.

Macon County Criminal Records

Macon County doesn't maintain its own collection of criminal histories, so you will have to send your request to the state. The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center is responsible for issuing copies of any Macon County criminal records, and you are permitted only to request your own. The cost is $25 each, and the ACJIC website has blank forms and instructions on how to apply. You will need to include a set of your own fingerprints with the forms.