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Alabama County
Hale County, Alabama
Moundville Archaeological Site and James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - from Moundville Archaeological Site (one of the most significant Mississippian culture sites in North America - the 326-acre site on the Black Warrior River preserves 29 platform mounds built between 1000-1450 CE by a thriving Native American civilization of 10,000 people, making it the second-largest Mississippian site in the US after Cahokia) to James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (the 1941 documentary masterpiece by James Agee and Walker Evans documenting the lives of three white sharecropper families in Hale County during the Great Depression - one of the most celebrated works of American documentary literature, whose powerful portraits of rural poverty gave Hale County enduring literary significance).
County SeatGreensboro
Population14,785
Founded1825
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Notes: West Alabama rural county in the Black Belt; tornado corridor; Black Warrior River western boundary; one of Alabama’s most economically distressed counties; historically significant in Civil Rights movement
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Hale County Highway Department
Phone: (334) 624-4522
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; rural Black Belt county
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: US-80 runs through county (historic highway); extremely rural; Tuscaloosa and Selma are nearest urban centers
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hale County Commission
Address: 1001 Main St, Greensboro, AL 36744
Phone: (334) 624-4257
Services: Basic building permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: Greensboro is county seat; Moundville is home to major archaeological site; very limited development activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Hale County Veterans Service Office
Address: 1001 Main St, Greensboro, AL 36744
Phone: (334) 624-4522
VA Medical: Tuscaloosa VA – (205) 554-2000; Central Alabama VA – Montgomery
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Rural Black Belt county; significant transportation barriers to VA facilities
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Hale County Library
Address: 1103 Main St, Greensboro, AL 36744
Phone: (334) 624-3481
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library
Notes: Small rural library; critical resource in economically distressed county; important internet access point
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Moundville Archaeological Site (University of Alabama) – major pre-Columbian Native American site; Black Warrior River access; Hale County fishing and hunting
Notes: Moundville Archaeological Site is Hale County’s premier cultural attraction – one of the largest and most important Mississippian period sites in North America; Black Warrior River provides water recreation
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: Small rural Black Belt county; minimal GIS resources; state GIS primary access
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Hale County Animal Control
Phone: (334) 624-4522 (County Commission)
Services: Basic animal control
Notes: Extremely limited shelter resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Hale County Solid Waste – (334) 624-4522
Recycling: Minimal
Environmental: Black Warrior River watershed; agricultural (historic cotton, now catfish farming and timber) operations; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: Historic Black Belt agricultural county; catfish aquaculture operations create water quality management needs; timber industry growing; very limited waste management infrastructure
About Hale County
Hale County holds two extraordinary cultural legacies – Moundville’s 29 Mississippian platform mounds are among the most significant pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America, and James Agee’s Depression-era sharecropper portraits made the county immortal in American documentary literature.
Moundville Archaeological Site draws visitors from across the world to study the Mississippian civilization that built one of North America’s largest pre-Columbian cities between 1000-1450 CE.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Hale County Revenue Commissioner at 1001 Main Street, Suite 3, Greensboro, AL 36744, phone 334-624-3853. AL residential assessed at 10% of market value.
Search Hale County public records for Greensboro, Moundville, and Hale County residents.
Courts & Legal
Hale County Probate Court at 1001 Main Street, Greensboro, AL 36744, phone 334-624-4257, handles probate.
Senior Services
Senior Services: —
Water Authority: https://www.halecountyal.gov/water-authority
Transportation: —
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
1001 Main St., Greensboro, AL 36744
(334) 624-4254
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
1001 Main St., Greensboro, AL 36744
(334) 624-4272
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hale County Probate Court (marriage, divorce, probate court, and land records from 1868 – see Probate section above)
Hale County Public Library, 1103 Main Street, Greensboro, AL 36744, (334) 624-3409 – collections include local histories, newspapers, and census records.
Local societies
No dedicated Hale County genealogical or historical society was confirmed in available directories. Hale falls under Alabama Genealogical Society District 3 (with Choctaw, Fayette, Greene, Lamar, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa counties).
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
Hale County Probate Office 1001 Main Street, Room 9, Greensboro, AL 36744 (334) 624-8740 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 Hale 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 Hale 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)
1001 Main St., Greensboro, AL 36744
(334) 624-4254
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
605 Main St., Greensboro, AL 36744
(334) 624-3166
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
1001 Main St., Greensboro, AL 36744
(334) 624-4257
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
1100 Main St., Greensboro, AL 36744
(334) 624-3024
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Hale County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Hale County Health Department
Address: 908 Main St, Greensboro, AL 36744
Phone: (334) 624-3024
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/hale
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Black Belt county with among Alabama’s highest rates of poverty and health disparities; health department is critical safety net; limited hospital and specialty care locally
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