(a) When a death occurring in this state has not been registered within the time period prescribed by subsection (a) of Section 22-9A-14, a certificate of death may be registered on a regular certificate of death as follows:

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 22-9A-15

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • year: means a calendar year; but, whenever the word "year" is used in reference to any appropriations for the payment of money out of the treasury, it shall mean fiscal year. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(1) If the attending physician, county medical examiner, state medical examiner, or coroner at the time of death and the attending funeral director or person who acted as the funeral director are available to complete and sign the certificate of death, it may be completed without additional evidence and filed with the State Registrar. For those certificates filed one year or more after the date of death, the physician, county medical examiner, state medical examiner, coroner, or the funeral director shall state in accompanying affidavits that the information on the certificate is based on records kept in their files.
(2) In the absence of the attending physician, county medical examiner, state medical examiner, coroner, or the funeral director or person who acted as the funeral director, the certificate may be filed by the next of kin of the deceased and shall be accompanied by both of the following:

a. An affidavit of the person filing the certificate swearing to the accuracy of the information on the certificate.
b. Two documents which identify the decedent and his or her date and place of death.
(3) In all cases, the State Registrar may require additional documentary evidence to prove the facts of death.
(4) A summary statement of the evidence submitted in support of the delayed registration shall be endorsed on the certificate.
(b) Certificates of death registered one year or more after the date of death shall be marked “DELAYED REGISTRATION” and shall show on their face the date of the delayed registration.