Lee County Record Custodians
Marriage and divorce are not kept as one file. Lee County Probate records a properly signed and notarized Alabama Marriage Certificate at the Lee County Courthouse. The original then goes to the Alabama Department of Public Health, or ADPH, Center for Health Statistics. Circuit Clerk Mary B. Roberson maintains divorce filings, orders, agreements, decrees, and the case action history at the T.K. Davis Justice Center. The official Domestic Relations office page supplies the local divorce-copy channel.
A vital-record certificate confirms the marriage or divorce event. A court file may contain pleadings, financial details, custody issues, support orders, or other material subject to redaction and access limits. Sheriff Jay Jones and the Lee County Sheriff's Office do not maintain marriage certificates or divorce decrees. Ask for the narrow document from Probate, ADPH, or the Circuit Clerk that meets the intended use.
| Record | Primary channel | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage certificate recording | Lee County Probate | Making the completed Alabama certificate effective |
| Certified marriage certificate | ADPH Vital Records | Official proof of a recorded marriage |
| Divorce decree or court file | Lee County Circuit Clerk | Orders, agreements, and case-level records |
| State divorce certificate | ADPH Vital Records | Vital-record proof of the divorce event |
Record a Lee County Marriage
Alabama no longer has couples apply to a probate court for a marriage license. Since August 29, 2019, the spouses complete an Alabama Marriage Certificate and submit it to an Alabama probate court for recording. A ceremony is optional. The marriage becomes valid when a properly completed, signed, and notarized certificate is recorded.
The certificate must reach probate within 30 days of the later spouse's signature. If the spouses sign on different days, the later date is the marriage date. Lee County Probate will not accept an emailed certificate. A form sent straight to ADPH is returned because it has not first been recorded by probate.
- Choose the correct ADPH form, including the minor-consent version when applicable.
- Both spouses complete the required information and sign the certificate.
- Use an Alabama-authorized notary for the signatures; electronic signatures are not accepted.
- Deliver or mail the original certificate to an Alabama probate court within the 30-day period.
- After recording, request any needed certified copy through the proper state or probate channel.
The official Lee County Probate marriage certificate instructions set out the local recording rules.
The county source is especially important for the signature, notary, delivery, and recording deadline requirements.
Lee County Marriage Form Fields
The researched form inventory focuses on the items that control whether probate can record the certificate. The spouses' information, signature dates, and notary blocks are core fields. People age 16 or 17 must also present the parent or guardian consent affidavit with the marriage form.
| Field or item | Required | Recording note |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse information | Yes | Completed for both persons entering the marriage |
| Signature dates | Yes | The later signature date becomes the marriage date if timely recorded |
| Notary block | Yes | An Alabama-authorized notary is required; electronic signatures are rejected |
| Minor consent affidavit | Conditional | Required for a person age 16 or 17 and submitted with the certificate |
| Delivery to probate | Yes | Probate must receive the form within 30 days of the later signature |
Lee Probate states that a non-Alabama notary cannot notarize an Alabama Marriage Certificate for recording in Alabama. An Alabama notary may charge $5 for each notarized signature or official act.
Find Lee County Marriage Records
After probate records the certificate, the original is forwarded to ADPH. The state marriage-certificate service can issue certified copies. ADPH lists a $15 search fee that includes one certified copy or a certificate stating that no record was found. Extra copies ordered at the same time cost $6 each. An expedited search adds $15.
Use names and the marriage date to identify the record. A correction requires an Amendment to Alabama Marriage Certificate and Decree of Correction. Both spouses sign and notarize that correction document, then present it to probate with another recording fee.
A certificate may be recorded in any Alabama county, so the spouses do not have to use Lee County solely because they live or marry here. When Lee County is selected, the main Probate Court is at 215 South 9th Street in Opelika. Probate questions may go to (334) 737-3660 or Probate Judge staff at (334) 737-3670. Mail delivery is allowed, but the original must arrive within the legal 30-day window. Mailing the form near the deadline does not extend that period.
People age 18 or older use the adult form. A person age 16 or 17 uses the version with the parent or guardian consent page. The consenting adult completes the Affidavit of Consent for Marriage of a Minor, and both pages are presented together. Probate will not record electronic signatures from a spouse, notary, or consenting parent.
| Marriage record service | Amount |
|---|---|
| ADPH search including one certified copy or failure-to-find certificate | $15 |
| Each additional copy in the same order | $6 |
| Additional expedited-search charge | $15 |
| Alabama notary act | $5 per signature or official act |
Search Lee County Divorce Records
A Lee County divorce begins and remains in Circuit Court's Domestic Relations records. The Circuit Clerk's request form can be used for a divorce decree and agreement, last signed order, judgment, complete file, case action summary, or other listed record. The requester should provide the party or defendant name, case number if known, and contact details. Old, archived, or paper files may require a paid search.
AlaCourt can provide paid state trial-court reports by name or case number, but a certified decree comes from the clerk. The courthouse request channel is the Lee County Circuit Clerk, 2311 Gateway Drive, Suite 104, Opelika, AL 36801. Domestic Relations contact Hanna Grimes is listed at (334) 737-3509.
A certified divorce decree costs $25. A mailed request includes a $25 money order and self-addressed stamped envelope. In person, the clerk accepts a money order or cash in correct change. Money orders are payable to Mary B. Roberson. The copy form says to allow at least seven working days and does not accept personal checks or credit cards.
For certified-mail service in an active domestic case, the filer supplies stamped and addressed certified-mail materials. The return address must identify Lee County Circuit Clerk Mary B. Roberson at 2311 Gateway Drive, Opelika, Alabama 36801. This service rule concerns filing work in the court case. It is separate from ordering a completed divorce decree or a state divorce certificate.
Lee County Divorce Fees
The Domestic Relations fee list separates a new case from later enforcement and service work. These are court charges, not ADPH vital-record fees. Verify the current amount and the correct form with the Circuit Clerk before filing.
| Divorce service | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified divorce decree | $25 |
| Domestic Relations docket fee | $297 |
| Modify or enforce, including contempt | $400 |
| Lee County sheriff service | $20 |
| Subpoena | $12 |
| Garnishment or execution | $30 each |
| Motion for judgment, default judgment, or summary judgment | $50 |
Certified-mail service requires the filer to supply stamped and addressed certified-mail materials using the clerk's Gateway Drive return address. Court forms are also available from the clerk and Alabama AOC eForms.
Alabama Vital Record Copies
ADPH issues state marriage certificates and state divorce certificates. Those vital records do not replace the full Lee County court file. Alabama Code Section 22-9A-22 applies separate disclosure and certification rules to vital records, which is why an ordinary public-record request does not serve every certificate need.
The Alabama vital-record disclosure statute identifies that distinct legal channel.
The statute helps explain why certified state certificates and courthouse case copies follow different request rules.
Important: A state divorce certificate confirms the event, while the Circuit Clerk holds the decree and case filings.
Lee County Record Access Limits
Marriage certificates and divorce records can contain private identifiers. Public copies may be redacted, and restricted material in a domestic case is not opened merely because another part of the file is public. Ask the Circuit Clerk about party access or a court order when the requested material is sealed.
One manifest image assigned to Lee County marriage and divorce records comes from the official Sheriff's Office app listing. That app is not a marriage or divorce records channel. Its presence does not change the custodian split described above.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office app listing is the assigned source image.
For marital records, continue to use Probate, ADPH, or the Circuit Clerk rather than a law-enforcement app.
Questions involving estates, guardianships, or adoption belong with Lee County Probate Court, while divorce decrees stay with the Circuit Clerk.