Alabama Administrative Code
Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
Chapter 420-7-1 - VITAL STATISTICS
Section 420-7-1-.24 - Format For Provision Of Information From The System Of Vital Records

(1) The State Registrar may provide information to government agencies for their official use in the form of electronic files of information. Information contained in the files may only be used by those agencies as specified in any agreement established with those agencies or as specified by law. Those agencies may not re-release the information to others unless the agreement specifically allows them to do so or they are required to do so by law.

(2) The State Registrar may establish or participate in a system to receive requests from and provide information to government agencies and other approved organizations through electronic media. Such systems must contain sufficient safeguards to ensure that the requests are from authorized individuals in the requesting government agency of other approved organization.

(3) Birth certificates filed with the Center for Health Statistics with the first and/or last names indicated to be unknown or left blank may not be issued as certified copies until the names are added to the record through the appropriate process specified elsewhere in these Rules. If the name has not been determined and if the record is needed for a legal purpose or by a government agency, an appropriate notice must be placed in the name field when certified copies are made. If the registrant has died without ever being named, an indication that the registrant was not named shall be placed in the name field prior to issuing any certified copy of the record.

(4) Birth certificates have been filed with the Center for Health Statistics in various formats since 1908. Some formats contained a section on the birth certificate that collected information for medical, statistical, and/or health use and clearly stated that the information was confidential and would not appear on certified copies of the birth record. Such confidential information shall be removed from the birth certificate and shall not appear on any certified copies of these birth certificates. However, that confidential information may be kept in a format designated by the State Registrar such that the information is available for statistical research and public health purposes only.

(5) Information related to vital records such as applications for copies of vital records, evidence used to amend vital records, and other documents related to vital records are considered confidential since they contain information used to identify particular vital records. However, if not elsewhere restricted by Code of Ala. 1975, and these Rules, copies of such documents may be released to government agencies if needed for official purposes.

(6) Certified copies of Acknowledgments of Paternity required under Code of Ala. 1975, § 26-17-22, to be filed by the State Registrar may be issued in the same manner as certified copies of other vital records with the statement and seal of the State Registrar.

(7) If not elsewhere restricted by the Code of Ala. 1975, and these Rules, copies of documents used to amend vital records or to request other changes to vital records may be released to the registrant, or a parent or guardian of the registrant if the registrant is under 19 years of age, upon written application, valid identification, and payment of a fee required to search for the record. Such copies shall not contain any official certification of the State Registrar.