Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Alabama County
Marengo County, Alabama
Demopolis's antebellum grandeur and the Vine and Olive Colony - from the Vine and Olive Colony (in 1817, Napoleon's exiled French generals and supporters established a colony at Demopolis - granted land by Congress to grow olive trees and grapevines in the Alabama wilderness - the experiment failed spectacularly as the French aristocrats had no farming experience, but the colony left French place names and cultural traces in the Alabama Black Belt) to Demopolis's Gaineswood and Bluff Hall antebellum mansions (two of Alabama's finest Greek Revival plantation houses, both National Historic Landmarks, preserving the cotton planting aristocracy's architectural legacy on the Tombigbee River bluffs).
County SeatLinden
Population19,323
Founded1818
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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.
Office: Marengo County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 101 E Coats Ave, Linden, AL 36748
Phone: (334) 295-2253
Alert System: AL Alert statewide; CodeRed
Shelter Info: Contact EMA for shelter locations
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: West Alabama Black Belt county; Alabama River and Tombigbee River both border or flow through county – significant flood risk; tornado corridor; economically distressed rural county; timber industry dominant
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Marengo County Highway Department
Phone: (334) 295-2253
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; extremely rural county
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: US-80 runs through county; Alabama River crossings; very rural; Demopolis (Marengo County seat area) is main town
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Marengo County Commission
Address: 101 E Coats Ave, Linden, AL 36748
Phone: (334) 295-2253
Services: Basic building permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: Demopolis is the largest city with separate permitting; limited development activity overall
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Marengo County Veterans Service Office
Address: 101 E Coats Ave, Linden, AL 36748
Phone: (334) 295-2253
VA Medical: Tuscaloosa VA – (205) 554-2000; Central Alabama VA – Montgomery
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Rural west Alabama; significant travel required to reach VA facilities; county VSO is critical access point
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Marengo County Library
Demopolis Branch: 211 E Washington St | (334) 289-1595
Linden Branch: (334) 295-5851
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library
Notes: Two-branch system serving this rural county; important internet access points for dispersed population
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Demopolis City Lake; Tombigbee River water recreation (Demopolis Lock and Dam area); Demopolis State Park (camping, boat launch) – basic facilities; Gainesville Lock and Dam; historic antebellum homes in Demopolis (Gaineswood, Bluff Hall); Foscue Creek Park
Notes: Demopolis sits at the confluence of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway – excellent boating and fishing; antebellum heritage homes are a significant cultural tourism draw; Demopolis hosts the Demopolis Christmas on the River (major regional event)
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: Rural Black Belt county; basic GIS through state resources
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Marengo County Animal Control
Phone: (334) 295-2253 (County Commission)
Services: Basic animal control
Notes: Limited shelter resources; Demopolis area has some organized humane efforts
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Marengo County Solid Waste – (334) 295-2253
Recycling: Minimal
Environmental: Tombigbee and Alabama River watersheds; timber industry operations; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: Timber and agricultural county; paper/pulp industry operations on the Tombigbee have significant environmental monitoring needs; river water quality important for the waterway recreation economy
About Marengo County
Marengo County is west-central Alabama’s French exile colony and antebellum mansion county – Napoleon’s exiled generals failed to grow olives in the Alabama wilderness, but their colony left cultural traces and the cotton planters who followed built two of Alabama’s finest Greek Revival mansions.
Demopolis (population ~7,000) preserves Gaineswood and Bluff Hall – two National Historic Landmark antebellum mansions on the Tombigbee River bluffs. The Demopolis Pilgrimage opens these houses each spring.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marengo County Revenue Commissioner at 101 E. Coats Avenue, Suite 1, Linden, AL 36748, phone 334-295-2216. AL residential assessed at 10% of market value.
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid: Via dhr.alabama.gov/county-office-contact/
Recommended
Search Marengo County public records for Linden, Demopolis, and Marengo County residents.
Courts & Legal
Marengo County Probate Court at 101 E. Coats Avenue, Linden, AL 36748, phone 334-295-2210, 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)
101 E. Coats Ave., Linden, AL 36748
(334) 295-2210
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
101 E. Coats Ave., Linden, AL 36748
(334) 295-2210
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Marengo County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Marengo County Genealogical Society, 211 East Washington Street, Demopolis, AL 36732
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
Marengo County Probate Office 101 East Coats Avenue, Linden, AL 36748 Mailing address: P.O. Box 480668, Linden, AL 36748-0715 (334) 295-2210 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 Marengo 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 Marengo 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)
101 E. Coats Ave., Linden, AL 36748
(334) 295-2210
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
200 W. Coats Ave., Linden, AL 36748
(334) 295-4166
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
101 E. Coats Ave., Linden, AL 36748
(334) 295-2210
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
607 Pine Ave., Linden, AL 36748
(334) 295-4284
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Marengo County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Marengo County Health Department
Address: 600 U.S. Highway 80 E, Demopolis, AL 36732
Phone: (334) 289-3651
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/marengo
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Black Belt county with significant health disparities; Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital in Demopolis provides hospital services; health department critical safety net
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Linden
Population: 19,323
Area: 977 sq mi
Established: 1818
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Marengo County residents.
