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Alabama County
Wilcox County, Alabama
Camden's Alabama River bluffs and the Black Belt's civil rights legacy - from Camden's position on the Alabama River (Camden sits on the bluffs above the Alabama River - the river's navigation and the rich Black Belt soils of Wilcox County supported one of antebellum Alabama's most productive cotton plantation economies, creating extraordinary wealth that built the antebellum homes still visible in Camden's historic district) to Wilcox County's civil rights history (Wilcox County was one of the last Alabama counties to register Black voters - despite a majority-Black population, not a single Black voter was registered in Wilcox County until after the Voting Rights Act of 1965, making it a symbol of systematic disenfranchisement in the Alabama Black Belt).
County SeatCamden
Population10,600
Founded1819
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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: Black Belt county; Alabama River runs through county; tornado corridor; Alabama River flooding risk; Camden is county seat; one of Alabama’s most economically distressed counties with very limited emergency management resources; historically significant Civil Rights area
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Wilcox County Highway Department
Phone: (334) 682-4883
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; extremely rural county
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: US-221 and AL-10 corridors; extremely rural; Selma and Greenville are nearest urban centers; Alabama River crossings; personal vehicle required; very limited transit infrastructure
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Wilcox County Commission
Address: 100 Broad St, Camden, AL 36726
Phone: (334) 682-4883
Services: Very basic building permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: Very limited development activity; one of Alabama’s most rural and economically depressed counties
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Wilcox County Veterans Service Office
Address: 100 Broad St, Camden, AL 36726
Phone: (334) 682-4883
VA Medical: Central Alabama Veterans HCS – Montgomery | (334) 272-4670
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Rural Black Belt county; significant travel to Montgomery VA required; county VSO is critical access point
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Wilcox County Public Library
Address: 100 Broad St, Camden, AL 36726
Phone: (334) 682-4897
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library
Notes: Very small library in one of Alabama’s poorest counties; critical internet and resource access point; Camden’s historical connection to Civil Rights (Bloody Sunday’s Selma-to-Montgomery March passed through this region)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Alabama River water recreation; Camden area hunting on private timberlands; Camden’s historic antebellum architecture; very limited developed recreation
Notes: Wilcox County has excellent hunting on private timberlands (large landholdings); Alabama River provides fishing and boating; Camden has some notable antebellum architecture reflecting the county’s plantation-era history; very limited public recreation infrastructure
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
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Wilcox County Animal Control
Phone: (334) 682-4883 (County Commission)
Services: Very basic animal control
Notes: Extremely limited resources
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Wilcox County Solid Waste – (334) 682-4883
Recycling: Minimal or none
Environmental: Alabama River watershed; agricultural and timber land uses; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: Alabama River water quality is important for downstream communities and ecology; timber and historically agricultural land uses create nonpoint source pollution concerns; very limited waste management infrastructure reflecting county’s severe economic constraints; illegal dumping is a documented concern in very rural Alabama counties
About Wilcox County
Wilcox County is south-central Alabama’s Alabama River Black Belt county – not a single Black voter was registered in the majority-Black county until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, making it one of the most powerful examples of systematic disenfranchisement in Alabama history.
Camden (the county seat, population ~1,800) preserves antebellum homes built from cotton plantation wealth on the Alabama River bluffs, while confronting the economic challenges that have made Wilcox County one of Alabama’s most economically distressed communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid: Via dhr.alabama.gov/county-office-contact/
Recommended
Search Wilcox County public records for Camden and Wilcox County residents.
Courts & Legal
Wilcox County Probate Court at 100 Broad Street, Camden, AL 36726, phone 334-682-4126, 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)
100 Broad St., Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4883
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
100 Broad St., Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4883
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Wilcox County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Wilcox County genealogical or historical society was confirmed in available directories. Wilcox falls under Alabama Genealogical Society District 6 (with Autauga, Bibb, Butler, Chilton, Dallas, Lowndes, and Perry 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
Wilcox County Probate Office 100 Broad Street, Camden, AL 36726 Mailing address: P.O. Box 668, Camden, AL 36726 (334) 682-4883 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 Wilcox 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 Wilcox 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)
100 Broad St., Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4883
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
100 Broad St., Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4572
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
100 Broad St., Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4883
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
211 Claiborne St., Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4584
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Wilcox County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Wilcox County Health Department
Address: 100 Broad St, Camden, AL 36726
Phone: (334) 682-4544
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/wilcox
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: J. Paul Jones Hospital in Camden provides limited local hospital services; Wilcox County has severe health disparities; health department is a critical safety net for this very poor rural county; access to specialty care requires travel to Montgomery or Selma
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Camden
Population: 10,600
Area: 888 sq mi
Established: 1819
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Wilcox County residents.
