Many US states allow grandchildren to obtain their grandparents' birth certificates. Alabama is not one of those states. Although the requestors are related, the state of Alabama does not deem it necessary for grandchildren to obtain information on their own relatives. Information on the birth certificate could assist with finding one's lineage. It could assist with breaking down brick walls in genealogy research. It could help with revealing information on family secrets, which helps with finding one's true identity. Alabama is doing us an injustice by restricting access to certain family members.

Some people's parents and other eligible members may be deceased, which prevents them from retrieving the document. Some eligible family members may be unwilling to obtain the document for any reason. This leaves the grandchildren struggling to obtain the info. Petitioning the court leads to dragging those eligible family members to court, which puts strains on existing family relationships.

The state of Alabama needs to keep up with the times and get on board with the rest of the states that allow grandchildren to obtain their grandparents' birth certificates. Shouldn't we all have access to our family history?