Marengo County was named after Napoleon's Battle of Marengo in Italy, and it was formed in 1818. If you are looking to get copies of Marengo County public records, there are a few things you will need to know.

Firstly, there is a fee to get a certified copy of any record (including your own) and the fee is not going to be refunded if they are unable to find the record you've asked for. You can pay in cash if you go to the office but the fees will need to be a money order made out to the State Board of Health for all mailed-in applications.

For an in-person application, you just go to the health department office in Linden. You don't need any appointments, you just go to the service counter during usual business hours. If your forms are fine, they will issue you a certified copy of a Marengo County public record in just a few minutes. By mail, it will take a week or two.

You can pick up the forms at the office, or get them beforehand from the Alabama Department of Public Health website. The forms need the relevant names, dates and locations to identify the record you want and you also have to include your own name and address.

Marengo County Birth Records

You are able to order a copy of your own Marengo County birth record, or a record for someone in your immediate family but that is all you can do until 125 years after the date of birth on the certificate. This is due to state privacy laws regarding vital records. After 125 years, the records are open to the public and can be viewed at the State Archives if you wish.

Marengo County Death Records

You only have to wait 25 years for Marengo County death records to become public though if you are getting a record for an immediate family member, it may not matter. The cost for a certified copy is $15 (same as a birth record) and $6 each for extra copies ordered at the same time. Once they go public, you can also find non-certified copies through the State Archives.

Marengo County Marriage Records

Marriage records are the only vital records that don't have any privacy laws attached. These are completely public records. To get copies, you can either apply at the health department office or the Linden Probate courthouse. The Probate court has been collecting Marengo County marriage records for a lot longer than the state has (1936) and they can issue certified copies as well.

Marengo County Criminal Records

Not technically vital records, but it can be important to know how to access Marengo County criminal records at times as well. They are strictly confidential and you will only be able to make a request for copies of your own history and no one else's. Copies are issued by the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center in Montgomery. Each copy is $25 and their website lets you download the blank forms along with application instructions.