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Alabama County
Perry County County Government Offices
County SeatMarion
Population9,000
Founded1819
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.
Notes: Black Belt county; tornado corridor; Alabama River watershed; one of Alabama’s most economically distressed counties; limited emergency management resources; historically significant in Civil Rights movement (Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot in Marion – event that led to Bloody Sunday and the Selma-to-Montgomery march)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Perry County Highway Department
Phone: (334) 683-2210
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; extremely rural county
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: US-183 is main corridor; Marion is county seat; Selma and Tuscaloosa are nearest urban centers; extremely rural county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Perry County Commission
Address: 300 Washington St, Marion, AL 36756
Phone: (334) 683-2210
Services: Very basic building permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: City of Marion has separate permitting; Judson College (now closed) was historical anchor; very limited development activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Perry County Veterans Service Office
Address: 300 Washington St, Marion, AL 36756
Phone: (334) 683-2210
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: Perry County Public Library
Address: 924 Washington St, Marion, AL 36756
Phone: (334) 683-6919
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library
Notes: Small library in economically distressed county; critical internet access point; Judson College and Marion Military Institute historical educational presence
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cahaba River access; Perry Lakes Park (Black Warrior-Cahaba Land Trust managed); Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge (nearby); hunting on private timberlands; Coretta Scott King birthplace in Marion (Civil Rights heritage)
Notes: Perry County has significant Civil Rights heritage – Coretta Scott King was born here; the Jimmie Lee Jackson shooting at Mack’s Cafe in Marion triggered the events leading to Bloody Sunday; Cahaba River provides recreation; Perry Lakes is a restored natural area
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: Small poor rural county; minimal GIS resources
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Perry County Animal Control
Phone: (334) 683-2210 (County Commission)
Services: Very basic animal control
Notes: Extremely limited resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Perry County Solid Waste – (334) 683-2210
Recycling: Minimal or none
Environmental: Cahaba River watershed; Alabama River watershed; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: Cahaba River (one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America) flows through Perry County; water quality protection is an important environmental issue; timber and agriculture are dominant land uses; limited industrial environmental concerns
About Perry County County
Perry County is Alabama’s Coretta Scott King birthplace and Jimmie Lee Jackson civil rights martyrdom county – the birthplace of MLK’s wife and the confrontation that prompted the Selma marches and the Voting Rights Act define a Black Belt community of extraordinary civil rights significance where Marion serves the county’s communities.
Marion (the county seat, population ~3,500) is Perry County’s governmental hub on AL-5, an Alabama Black Belt community whose Coretta Scott King heritage, Jimmie Lee Jackson memorial, Judson College, and chalk prairie landscape anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Perry County Revenue Commissioner at 300 Washington Street, Marion, AL 36756, phone 334-683-2210. AL assessed at 10% of fair market value for residential.
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid: Via dhr.alabama.gov/county-office-contact/
Recommended
Search Perry County public records for Marion and Perry County residents.
Courts & Legal
Perry County Probate Court at 300 Washington Street, Marion, AL 36756, phone 334-683-2210, handles probate.
Senior Services
Senior Services: Via county website
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)
300 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756
(334) 683-6106
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
300 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756
(334) 683-6106
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Perry County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Perry County genealogical or historical society was confirmed in available directories.
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
Perry County Probate Office 300 Washington Street, Suite 105, Marion, AL 36756 Mailing address: P.O. Box 478, Marion, AL 36756 (334) 683-2210 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 Perry 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 Perry 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)
300 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756
(334) 683-6106
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
203 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756
(334) 683-6117
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
300 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756
(334) 683-6106
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
601 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756
(334) 683-2243
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Perry County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Perry County Health Department
Address: 314 Washington St, Marion, AL 36756
Phone: (334) 683-6506
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/perry
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: One of Alabama’s most health-disadvantaged counties; limited local hospital services (Perry County was served by a rural critical access hospital that faced closure challenges); health department is critical safety net for population with very limited healthcare access
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Marion
Population: 9,000
Area: 720 sq mi
Established: 1819
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Perry County County residents.
