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Alabama County
Lowndes County, Alabama
Bloody Lowndes and the Black Panther Party's Alabama origin - from Lowndes County's civil rights significance (Lowndes County - known as "Bloody Lowndes" for the racial violence used to prevent Black voter registration - was where the Lowndes County Freedom Organization was formed in 1965 by Stokely Carmichael and local organizers, adopting a black panther as their symbol and inspiring the Black Panther Party of California) to the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march corridor (the route of the historic Voting Rights March passed through Lowndes County - the murder of Viola Liuzzo, a white Detroit housewife who drove civil rights workers, on US-80 in Lowndes County became a national outrage that strengthened the case for the Voting Rights Act).
County SeatHayneville
Population10,000
Founded1830
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Office: Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 1 Courthouse Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
Phone: (334) 548-2266
Alert System: AL Alert statewide; CodeRed
Shelter Info: Contact EMA for shelter locations
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Black Belt county between Montgomery and Selma; tornado corridor; Alabama River tributary flooding; one of the most impoverished counties in the United States; historically significant in Civil Rights movement (Bloody Sunday route – US-80); failing septic systems a documented public health emergency
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Lowndes County Highway Department
Phone: (334) 548-2266
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; US-80 (historic Selma-to-Montgomery route) is main corridor
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: US-80 runs through county; extremely rural; Montgomery is nearest urban center; limited transit infrastructure
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lowndes County Commission
Address: 1 Courthouse Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
Phone: (334) 548-2266
Services: Basic building permits; very limited development activity
Notes: One of Alabama’s poorest counties; extremely limited development; open sewage (failing wastewater systems) is a documented crisis – CDC has studied Lowndes County’s tropical hookworm rates linked to inadequate sanitation
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lowndes County Veterans Service Office
Address: 1 Courthouse Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
Phone: (334) 548-2266
VA Medical: Central Alabama Veterans HCS – Montgomery | (334) 272-4670
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Close proximity to Montgomery VA is one advantage this rural county has; county VSO coordinates closely
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Lowndes County Public Library
Address: Hayneville, AL 36040
Phone: (334) 548-2266
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library
Notes: Very small library; critical internet and resource access in extremely rural, impoverished county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lowndes County Interpretive Center (Civil Rights history; part of Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail NPS); US-80 Civil Rights heritage; Alabama River access; very limited developed recreation
Notes: Lowndes County is part of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail – significant Civil Rights heritage; the White Hall area along US-80 was a key location in the 1965 voting rights marches; limited recreational infrastructure otherwise
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: One of Alabama’s poorest counties; minimal GIS resources; state resources primary access
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Lowndes County Animal Control
Phone: (334) 548-2266 (County Commission)
Services: Very basic animal control
Notes: Extremely limited resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Lowndes County Solid Waste – (334) 548-2266
Recycling: Minimal or none
Wastewater Crisis: Lowndes County has a documented sewage/wastewater crisis – thousands of residents lack functioning septic systems; raw sewage pools in yards and enters waterways; state and federal attention ongoing; EPA and ADPH actively engaged
Environmental: ADEM – adem.alabama.gov; EPA Region 4 also involved in wastewater crisis
Notes: Lowndes County’s environmental crisis – raw sewage in communities – has received national media and federal attention; this is the most critical environmental and public health issue in the county; progress is ongoing but slow due to poverty and lack of infrastructure funding
About Lowndes County
Lowndes County is Alabama’s most civil rights-charged rural county – “Bloody Lowndes” was where the original Black Panther symbol was born, where Viola Liuzzo was murdered on the Selma-to-Montgomery march route, and where the struggle for Black voting rights was most brutally contested.
Hayneville (the county seat, population ~900) is one of Alabama’s smallest county seats. The Lowndes Interpretive Center on US-80 documents the county’s extraordinary civil rights history along the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lowndes County Revenue Commissioner at 1 Court Square, Suite 2, Hayneville, AL 36040, phone 334-548-2588. AL residential assessed at 10% of market value.
Search Lowndes County public records for Hayneville and Lowndes County residents.
Courts & Legal
Lowndes County Probate Court at 1 Court Square, Hayneville, AL 36040, phone 334-548-2331, handles probate.
Senior Services
Senior Services: —
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)
1 Court Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 548-2331
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
1 Court Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 548-2331
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lowndes County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Lowndes County Historical and Genealogical Society, 5935 County Road 4, Minter, AL 36761
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
Lowndes County Probate Office 1 Washington Street, Hayneville, AL 36040 Mailing address: P.O. Box 5, Hayneville, AL 36040 (334) 548-2843 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 Lowndes 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 Lowndes 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)
1 Court Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 548-2331
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1 Court Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 548-2232
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
1 Court Square, Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 548-2331
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
21 Hospital Rd., Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 548-2531
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Lowndes County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lowndes County Health Department
Address: 5765 US Highway 80, Hayneville, AL 36040
Phone: (334) 548-2551
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/lowndes
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; sanitation/wastewater is a critical issue
Notes: Lowndes County has one of the most severe public health crises in the US related to failing septic systems and raw sewage exposure; CDC research documented tropical parasites (hookworm) at rates comparable to developing nations; health department actively working on wastewater issues; one of Alabama’s most health-disadvantaged counties
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Hayneville
Population: 10,000
Area: 720 sq mi
Established: 1830
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Lowndes County residents.
