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Alabama County
Lawrence County, Alabama
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and the Tennessee Valley's natural heritage - from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (the 35,000-acre refuge on Limestone Bay of the Tennessee River - one of the most significant waterfowl and sandhill crane wintering areas in the Southeast, where tens of thousands of sandhill cranes and hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese winter annually, and where the endangered whooping crane occasionally appears) to Lawrence County's position in the fertile Tennessee Valley between the Huntsville and Muscle Shoals metros and the county's significant poultry and row crop agriculture.
County SeatMoulton
Population33,073
Founded1818
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Office: Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 14330 Market St, Moulton, AL 35650
Phone: (256) 974-4222
Alert System: AL Alert statewide; CodeRed
Shelter Info: Contact EMA for shelter locations
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: North Alabama county; Wheeler Lake (Tennessee River) southern boundary; tornado corridor; William B. Bankhead National Forest covers significant portion of county; flooding in river bottoms
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Lawrence County Highway Department
Phone: (256) 974-4222
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; rural north Alabama
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: Rural county; AL-157 and US-72 are main corridors; Decatur (Morgan County) is nearest urban center; Bankhead National Forest roads maintained by USFS
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lawrence County Building Department
Address: 14330 Market St, Moulton, AL 35650
Phone: (256) 974-4222
Services: Building permits for unincorporated areas; lake/river waterfront development
Notes: Town of Moulton and other municipalities have separate permits; Bankhead National Forest permits through USFS; lake development generates some permit activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lawrence County Veterans Service Office
Address: 14330 Market St, Moulton, AL 35650
Phone: (256) 974-4222
VA Medical: Birmingham VA – (205) 933-8101; Huntsville VA Clinic – (256) 535-3100; Tuscaloosa VA – (205) 554-2000
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Rural county with multiple VA facility options within driving distance
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Lawrence County Public Library
Address: 690 Main St W, Moulton, AL 35650
Phone: (256) 974-0813
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library, children’s programs
Notes: Small rural library; Branch in Town Creek area also serves western county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: William B. Bankhead National Forest (large portion – premier Alabama outdoor recreation); Sipsey Wilderness Area (only federally designated wilderness in Alabama – spectacular canyon and waterfall terrain); Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge; Tennessee River/Wheeler Lake access; Natural Bridge (one of the longest natural bridges east of Rockies – Haleyville area, adjacent Winston County)
Notes: Lawrence County has extraordinary outdoor recreation; Sipsey Wilderness is Alabama’s premier wilderness experience – “Land of 1,000 Waterfalls” nickname; Wheeler NWR is critical bird migration stopover; one of Alabama’s finest outdoor recreation counties
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: Rural county with National Forest covering significant area; USFS maintains separate mapping for Bankhead NF lands
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Lawrence County Animal Control
Phone: (256) 974-4222 (County Commission)
Services: Basic animal control and stray intake
Notes: Limited shelter resources; rural county
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Lawrence County Solid Waste – (256) 974-4222
Recycling: Limited
Environmental: William B. Bankhead National Forest management (USFS); Wheeler Lake water quality (TVA); Sipsey River watershed; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: National Forest and TVA reservoir create complex multi-agency environmental management; Sipsey Wilderness watershed protection is priority; poultry farming in county creates nutrient management concerns
About Lawrence County
Lawrence County is north Alabama’s Wheeler Refuge and Tennessee Valley agricultural county – the massive waterfowl and sandhill crane refuge along the Tennessee River and the county’s fertile valley farmland define a rural community between two significant metro areas.
Moulton (the county seat, population ~3,500) serves Lawrence County’s governmental and commercial needs in the Tennessee Valley. Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge’s crane viewing draws birdwatchers from across the region each winter.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lawrence County Revenue Commissioner at 14451 Market Street, Suite 103, Moulton, AL 35650, phone 256-974-2473. AL residential assessed at 10% of market value.
Public Records
*** PHONE LINE ISSUES AS OF JULY 2026 — use alternate numbers ***
Main Phone (alternate): (256) 560-6409 (instead of usual 256-974-1141)
Home Health (alternate): (256) 560-6410 (instead of usual 256-974-7076)
Regular phone (when restored): (256) 974-1141
WIC, environmental, home care, clinical (STD, family planning, vaccines, breast/cervical cancer screening)
Search Lawrence County public records for Moulton, Courtland, and Lawrence County residents.
Courts & Legal
Lawrence County Probate Court at 14451 Market Street, Moulton, AL 35650, phone 256-974-2453, handles probate.
Senior Services
Aging & Public Transportation (LCARTS): https://lawrencecountyal.org/aging-public-transortation/
Court Street, Moulton
(256) 974-2488 / (256) 974-2503
LCARTS Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Public transportation, senior aides (part-time employment for economically disadvantaged elderly 55+), aging programs
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
14 Court Square, Moulton, AL 35650
(256) 974-0663
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
14 Court Square, Moulton, AL 35650
(256) 974-0663
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lawrence County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Lawrence County Historical Commission (County Archives), P.O. Box 728, Moulton, AL 35650
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
Lawrence County Probate Office 14451 Market Street, Suite 130, Moulton, AL 35650 Mailing address: P.O. Box 310, Moulton, AL 35650 (256) 974-2440 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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)
14 Court Square, Moulton, AL 35650
(256) 974-0663
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
12310 AL-157, Moulton, AL 35650
(256) 974-0256
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
14 Court Square, Moulton, AL 35650
(256) 974-0663
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
1409 Market St. W., Moulton, AL 35650
(256) 974-0166
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Lawrence County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lawrence County Health Department
Address: 14330 Market St, Moulton, AL 35650
Phone: (256) 974-4239
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/lawrence
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Rural north Alabama county; limited local healthcare; Decatur Morgan Hospital and Huntsville Hospital serve as regional referral facilities
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Moulton
Population: 33,073
Area: 691 sq mi
Established: 1818
Tier: 3
Public Records
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