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Alabama County
Fayette County, Alabama
Fayette Art Museum's outsider art collection and northwest Alabama hill country - from the Fayette Art Museum (the extraordinary outsider and folk art collection housed in the Fayette Civic Center - one of the largest collections of outsider art in the Southeast, featuring the works of Jimmy Lee Sudduth, who painted with mud, berries, and found materials, and dozens of other self-taught Alabama artists whose work has achieved international recognition) to Fayette County's northwest Alabama hill country character and the county's timber and small manufacturing economy.
County SeatFayette
Population16,000
Founded1824
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Office: Fayette County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 113 Temple Ave N, Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: (205) 932-6068
Alert System: AL Alert statewide; CodeRed
Shelter Info: Contact EMA for shelter locations
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Northwest Alabama rural county; tornado corridor; Sipsey River watershed; one of Alabama’s more rural and economically challenged counties
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Fayette County Highway Department
Phone: (205) 932-6068
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: Rural county; US-43 is main corridor; limited transit infrastructure
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Fayette County Commission
Address: 113 Temple Ave N, Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: (205) 932-4519
Services: Basic building permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: City of Fayette has separate municipal permitting; limited development activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Fayette County Veterans Service Office
Address: 113 Temple Ave N, Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: (205) 932-6068
VA Medical: Birmingham VA – (205) 933-8101; Tuscaloosa VA – (205) 554-2000
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa VA facilities; both require significant travel
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Fayette County Public Library
Address: 326 Temple Ave N, Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: (205) 932-6625
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library, children’s programs
Notes: Small rural library with important role as internet access point
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: William B. Bankhead National Forest (portions accessible from Fayette County); Sipsey River recreation; Fayette Art Museum (nationally recognized outsider art collection – unique cultural asset)
Notes: Fayette Art Museum is a nationally significant outsider/folk art collection – an unexpected cultural treasure in a small Alabama county; Sipsey River provides water recreation
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: Small rural county; basic GIS through state resources
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Fayette County Animal Control
Phone: (205) 932-6068 (County Commission)
Services: Basic animal control
Notes: Very limited shelter resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Fayette County Solid Waste – (205) 932-6068
Recycling: Limited
Environmental: Sipsey River watershed; Bankhead National Forest; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: Rural agricultural county; timber and farming are primary land uses; limited industrial environmental concerns
About Fayette County
Fayette County is northwest Alabama’s outsider art capital – the Fayette Art Museum’s extraordinary collection of self-taught folk art, including Jimmy Lee Sudduth’s mud paintings, has put a small Alabama hill country town on the international art world’s map.
Fayette (the county seat, population ~4,500) has built a cultural identity around its folk art heritage – the Fayette Art Museum’s collection draws collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts from across the country to a community that might otherwise be overlooked.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Fayette County Revenue Commissioner at 113 Temple Avenue N., Suite 1, Fayette, AL 35555, phone 205-932-4510. AL residential assessed at 10% of market value.
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
103 1st Ave. NW, Fayette, AL 35555
(205) 932-4519
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
103 1st Ave. NW, Fayette, AL 35555
(205) 932-4510
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Fayette County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Fayette County Memorial Library, 326 Temple Avenue North, Fayette, AL 35555, (205) 932-6625
Local societies
Fayette Historical Society and Depot Museum, 202 Temple Avenue South, P.O. Box 309, Fayette, AL 35555, (205) 270-0519
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
Fayette County Probate Office 113 Temple Avenue North, Fayette, AL 35555 Mailing address: P.O. Box 670, Fayette, AL 35555 (205) 932-4519 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 Fayette 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 Fayette 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)
103 1st Ave. NW, Fayette, AL 35555
(205) 932-4519
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
110 2nd Ave. NW, Fayette, AL 35555
(205) 932-4610
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
103 1st Ave. NW, Fayette, AL 35555
(205) 932-4519
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
1003 Temple Ave. N., Fayette, AL 35555
(205) 932-5215
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Fayette County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Fayette County Health Department
Address: 1200 Temple Ave N, Fayette, AL 35555
Phone: (205) 932-3677
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/fayette
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Rural county with limited local healthcare; health department is primary care access for many
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Fayette
Population: 16,000
Area: 629 sq mi
Established: 1824
Tier: 3
Public Records
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