Custodian Of Medical Records Laws in Alabama

Alabama

Medical Records Custodian & Retention Laws

Are you planning to close your medical practice or retire?
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Assists in Notifying Patients of the Practice Closing - Via Email and Closing Practice Letters
Offers Secure Physical and or Digital Storage of Records
Is Fully HIPAA Compliant
Is Responsible for over 15 million Patient Records
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Alabama Medical Record Retention Law:
Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-9-.10 (Board of Medical Examiners)

Adult patients: At least 7 years.
Patients who were minors: Same 7 years, except immunization records not sent to the State Board of Health registry: at least 2 years past the age of majority (19 in Alabama) or 7 years, whichever is longer.
The retention period runs from: The physician's last professional contact with the patient.
X-rays, radiographs and other imaging: at least 5 years.
Records involved in a dispute: hold them until it is resolved.

If you are closing, selling or relocating your practice
Alabama sets out what has to happen to patient records. The points below are taken from the source above.

'Active patient' = treated one or more times in the preceding THIRTY-SIX (36) months
Notification means US Mail form letter to last known address, OR a HIPAA-compliant electronic/portal message
On physician DEATH: notice within 30 days - by the group practice, or by the estate's personal representative within 30 days of appointment - including a HIPAA authorization form and clear directions for transfer
On licence SUSPENSION/REVOCATION: notify active patients within 30 days at the physician's cost, including a copy of the Commission's Order; transfer records to patients, another physician/practice, or a HIPAA-compliant entity
On DEPARTURE from a group: whoever notifies bears the cost; if the departing physician notifies, the practice must supply the list of active patients with addresses
Destruction: only per established office procedure, by burning/shredding/permanent deletion; RECORD the time, date and circumstances and keep that record at least FOUR years
Rule expressly covers leaving a practice, SELLING a practice, retiring, or dying

Alabama closing-practice checklist
The same requirements as a checklist you can print and work through, with the retention periods, the notice each rule requires and what you may charge for copies.
Open the Alabama checklist →

Cost
Ala. Code s.12-21-6.1 (copy fees)

$1.00 per page for the first 25 pages, 50 cents per page thereafter.
Mailing costs, plus the actual cost of reproducing X-rays.

Verified September 2026

This page summarises the source above and is not legal advice. Retention periods change and several states adjust their copying fees every year, so confirm the current text before you rely on a date or a figure.