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Alabama County
Choctaw County, Alabama
Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge and the Black Belt timber economy - from the Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge (the 4,200-acre bottomland hardwood refuge on the Tombigbee River - one of southwest Alabama's finest waterfowl and wildlife habitats, where wood ducks, migratory shorebirds, and Mississippi flyway waterfowl use the backwater habitats of the Tombigbee floodplain) to Choctaw County's significant timber economy (the county's pine plantations and hardwood forests support timber production that has been the economic backbone of southwest Alabama's rural communities for generations).
County SeatButler
Population12,665
Founded1847
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Office: Choctaw County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 117 S Mulberry Ave, Butler, AL 36904
Phone: (205) 459-2417
Alert System: AL Alert statewide; CodeRed
Shelter Info: Contact EMA for shelter locations
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Southwest Alabama rural county bordering Mississippi; tornado and severe weather risk; Tombigbee River flood risk; one of Alabama’s most sparsely populated counties
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Choctaw County Highway Department
Phone: (205) 459-2417
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; extremely rural county
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: Very rural county; limited road infrastructure; Tombigbee Waterway provides barge transportation corridor but minimal local public transit
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Choctaw County Commission
Address: 117 S Mulberry Ave, Butler, AL 36904
Phone: (205) 459-2417
Services: Basic permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: Very rural county; minimal commercial development and building activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Choctaw County Veterans Service Office
Address: 117 S Mulberry Ave, Butler, AL 36904
Phone: (205) 459-2417
VA Medical: Gulf Coast VA – Biloxi, MS | (228) 523-5000; also Mobile VA Clinic
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Remote location; VA access requires significant travel; county VSO critical for rural veterans
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Choctaw County Public Library
Address: 111 N Mulberry Ave, Butler, AL 36904
Phone: (205) 459-2542
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library
Notes: Small rural library; critical internet and resource access point for isolated rural community
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Tombigbee State Forest; Tombigbee River (fishing, hunting); rural hunting lands (deer, turkey, hog – significant outdoor culture)
Notes: Choctaw County has significant hunting culture; limited developed recreation facilities; timber and forestry are major land uses; outdoor recreation is hunting/fishing-focused
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: Very rural county with minimal dedicated GIS resources
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Choctaw County Animal Control
Phone: (205) 459-2417 (County Commission)
Services: Basic animal control
Notes: Minimal shelter infrastructure; very rural county
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Choctaw County Solid Waste – (205) 459-2417
Recycling: Very limited
Environmental: Tombigbee River watershed; timber industry environmental management; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: Timber industry is dominant land use; paper mill operations historically significant; river and wetland environmental management important
About Choctaw County
Choctaw County is southwest Alabama’s Tombigbee River wildlife refuge and timber county – the Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge’s bottomland hardwoods and the pine plantation timber economy define one of Alabama’s most rural Black Belt communities near Mississippi.
Butler (the county seat, population ~1,800) serves Choctaw County’s small population in the southwest Alabama Black Belt near the Mississippi border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Choctaw County Revenue Commissioner at 117 S. Mulberry Street, Suite 2, Butler, AL 36904, phone 205-459-2412. AL residential assessed at 10% of market value.
Public Records
Vital Records: Certified birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates issued locally; must appear in person
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
117 S. Mulberry Ave., Butler, AL 36904
(205) 459-2015
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
117 S. Mulberry Ave., Butler, AL 36904
(205) 459-2114
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Choctaw County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Choctaw County Historical Society, County Road 14, Gilbertown, AL 36908
Choctaw County Genealogical Society, 4244 County Road 43, Butler, AL 36904
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Choctaw County Probate Office 117 Mulberry Street, Butler, AL 36904 (205) 459-2414 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (call ahead to confirm, especially around lunch)
Step 1: figure out which path applies
This is the fork in the road that determines everything else – how long it takes, what it costs, and whether you need an attorney.
Small/Summary Distribution – for estates made up of personal property only (no real estate) worth up to roughly $47,000 (the threshold is CPI-adjusted annually; it rose from about $36,000 to ~$47,000 under the Revised Alabama Small Estates Act, effective October 1, 2025). No personal representative is appointed, and there’s no months-long court oversight – just a single verified petition.
Formal Probate – required if the estate includes real property, exceeds the small-estate threshold, or there’s a dispute among heirs. This appoints a personal representative (an executor if there’s a will, an administrator if there isn’t) with legal authority to act for the estate.
If the estate qualifies for summary distribution
Wait at least 30 days after the death before filing – filings submitted earlier will be rejected.
The surviving spouse (if there is one) is the only person who can file; if there’s no surviving spouse, any rightful heir can.
File a verified petition with the Choctaw County Probate Court listing the decedent’s assets, debts, and heirs, plus the will if one exists.
Notice must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county; no distribution can happen until 30 days after publication.
The petitioner must separately notify the Alabama Medicaid Agency by certified mail (Medicaid has 30 days to respond with any claim against the estate – this step is required in every case, not just where Medicaid was involved).
Once both 30-day windows close and the judge approves, the court issues an order you can present to banks or other institutions to claim and distribute the property.
Simple, uncontested cases can wrap up in weeks to a few months. Anything with disputed debts or unclear heirs takes longer.
If formal probate is required
Gather what you’ll need before your first visit: the original will (if any), several certified copies of the death certificate, a list of assets and debts, and names/addresses of all heirs and beneficiaries.
File a Petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Petition for Letters of Administration (without one). Filing fee is a flat $45, plus $3/page for wills over 5 pages, and covers three certified copies of the letters.
Creditor notice must be published once a week for three successive weeks in a Choctaw County newspaper of general circulation.
If uncontested with waivers filed, a hearing may not be required; otherwise the judge holds one and, if approved, issues the Letters.
The personal representative then has 2 months to file a full inventory of estate assets, and creditors have 6 months from the grant of letters (or 5 months from first publication, whichever is later) to submit claims.
After debts and taxes are settled, the representative files a final accounting; once approved, assets are distributed and the estate is formally closed.
Alabama requires an estate to stay open a minimum of 6 months, whether or not there’s a will.
A will must be filed for probate within 5 years of the date of death, or it loses effect.
What it costs
Court filing: $45 flat (plus the per-page will fee noted above).
Personal representative compensation: capped by law at 2.5% of the estate’s value received plus 2.5% of disbursements (extra allowed for genuinely extraordinary work).
Attorney fees: not fixed by statute – negotiated between the family and the attorney. Alabama doesn’t require an attorney for probate, but most formal (non-small-estate) cases benefit from one, especially if there’s a dispute or the estate includes real property.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
117 S. Mulberry Ave., Butler, AL 36904
(205) 459-2015
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
35 AL-10, Butler, AL 36904
(205) 459-3322
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
117 S. Mulberry Ave., Butler, AL 36904
(205) 459-2417
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
94 Medical Center Dr., Butler, AL 36904
(205) 459-3367
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Choctaw County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Choctaw County Health Department
Address: 49 Hospital Rd, Butler, AL 36904
Phone: (205) 459-3513
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/choctaw
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: One of Alabama’s most rural and economically distressed counties; health department is primary healthcare access for many residents; limited local providers
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Butler
Population: 12,665
Area: 921 sq mi
Established: 1847
Tier: 3
Public Records
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