Alabama Court Records Search

Alabama Court Records & Case Lookup

Alabama court records are generally public records pursuant to the state's Open Records Law. However, certain exemptions in the law prevent the disclosure of privileged or otherwise protected information. Therefore, certain information such as some personally identifiable information may be redacted.

Public court records are available to requesters via a few official portals. The state provides separate online access to trial court records and appellate court records. Unofficially, you may be able to access Alabama state court records from third-party websites aggregating court records from different sources. In addition, the state allows the public to request to inspect court records using public access terminals at the courthouses in its counties and submit copy requests in person to the office of the clerks in the courthouses.

State of Alabama Court System

The court structure in Alabama operates as a unified judicial system and is administered by the Administrative Director of Courts and the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The courts in the state provide three levels of jurisdiction: courts of limited jurisdiction, courts of general jurisdiction, and courts of appellate jurisdiction.

Courts of appellate jurisdiction in the state are separated into three: the Court of Civil Appeal, the Court of Criminal Appeal, and the Supreme Court. These courts generally review legal matters for error only after being decided by the lower courts.

The Court of Civil Appeal has jurisdiction in civil appeals where the amount in dispute does not exceed $50,000. It also hears matters appealed from some state administrative agencies, including decisions on workers' compensation. The Court of Civil Appeals also handles the review of lower courts' decisions relating to domestic relations, such as annulment, alimony, divorce, child support, adoption, and child custody.

The Court of Criminal Appeals hears all appeals from misdemeanor and felony trials or convictions. The Supreme Court is the state's highest court and has the authority to review matters in which the amount in dispute exceeds $50,000, and where no other court in the state has jurisdiction.

Alabama Trial Courts

The Alabama trial court system has two levels: the courts of limited jurisdiction and the courts of general jurisdiction. The municipal courts, probate courts, and district courts are the courts of limited jurisdiction. The 67 counties in Alabama are divided into 41 judicial circuits. While some of the judicial circuits may comprise one or more counties, you may find courts of limited jurisdiction in each Alabama county. The circuit courts in the state are the state's courts of general jurisdiction.

Circuit Courts in Alabama

Alabama circuit courts have exclusive jurisdiction over matters in which the amount in dispute is more than $10,000. These courts also have appellate jurisdiction over certain legal matters that may be appealed directly to the circuit court from the limited jurisdiction courts. There is a circuit court in each of the state's 67 counties.

Alabama circuit courts have jurisdiction over all criminal matters relating to felony prosecutions. They may exercise jurisdiction over matters filed in the juvenile and district courts, and in legal matters in which the amount in controversy is not more than $3,000.

District Courts in Alabama

Alabama District courts have jurisdiction over preliminary hearings held in felony prosecutions and criminal misdemeanor offenses. They also hear civil matters where the amount in dispute exceeds $3,000 but not more than $10,000. There is a district court in each Alabama county. Alabama district courts have separate divisions, such as the small claims court and the juvenile courts.

Small claims courts are established to settle disputes between individuals as well as businesses. The maximum amount an individual or other entity may sue or be sued for in the small claims court is $6,000. The procedures in the small claims court are simple, informal, and inexpensive. There are no juries and parties may represent themselves. Juvenile courts have jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters involving persons under the age of 18, such as actions where a child is alleged to be delinquent, dependent, or in need of supervision.

Probate Courts in Alabama

The probate courts are dedicated to handling matters relating to wills, real property, estate, mental illness, and adoption. Each Alabama county has a probate court.

Municipal Courts in Alabama

Municipal courts have jurisdiction over matters about the violations of municipal ordinances with criminal misdemeanor offenses occurring within the city's police jurisdiction.

What are the Specialty Courts in Alabama?

Specialty courts in Alabama are established to address the root cause of issues contributing to individuals being involved in the state's criminal justice systems. One of the main goals of Alabama specialty courts is to help participants achieve a life free of dependence on mind-altering substances, thereby reducing the state's budget for providing and maintaining incarceration services. Some of the specialty courts in the state include:

• Drug court
• Gun court
• Court referral program
• DWI court
• Domestic violence court
• Enhanced gun court
• Veterans court
• Bi-lingual court
• Environmental court
• Homeless court
• Turning point court
• Curfew violation program

Alabama State Court Records vs. Federal Court Records

Federal court records are not the same as state court records. Federal court records in Alabama are the records of the federal district courts in the state, while state court records are records of the state established within the Alabama court structure by the state's judicial system. The federal courts in Alabama are the:

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama

Records of Alabama state courts are accessible online via a state portal and at the various clerk of the court offices where the specific cases are finalized. However, federal court records cannot be found at the state locations as they are available online through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER).

What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Alabama?

The Alabama Open Records Law was enacted to allow every citizen to inspect or copy a public writing or document of the State of Alabama, except where otherwise expressly outlined by statute. This law forms the basis for which court records are open to members of the general public in Alabama. However, the law also requires record custodians to redact personally identifiable information that may be contained within their public records before disclosing the records to citizens of Alabama.

The table below highlights common public and non-public court records in Alabama:

How To Seal or Expunge Alabama Court Records

Expungement in Alabama is a legal process allowing for the sealing of criminal records. If a court record is sealed it is no longer accessible to landlords, employers, and the general public. Generally, expungement allows individuals to experience a fresh start by removing the negative consequences of a criminal record. Alabama expungement laws are contained in the Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment and Eliminate Recidivism (REDEEMER) Act (Title 15-27-1 of the Code of Alabama).

Eligibility for expungement in Alabama is determined by factors such as the type of offense, the disposition of the case, the age of the offender at the time of the offense, and the completion of any required sentences or probation.

You may be able to get your record expunged in the following circumstances:

• Felonies: Non-violent felony records may be expunged if any of the following applies:
  • Dismissal with Prejudice: The charge was permanently dismissed, prohibiting it from being refiled.
  • Grand Jury Decision: The charge was "no-billed" by a grand jury, meaning the evidence was insufficient for an indictment.
  • Acquittal: The individual was found not guilty of the charge at trial.
  • Successful Program Completion: The charge was dismissed after completing a court-approved program, such as drug court, mental health court, veterans' court, diversion, or a deferred prosecution program. Expungement may be included as a court-ordered condition, and eligibility begins one year after program completion.
  • Dismissal Without Prejudice: The charge was dismissed without prejudice (allowing the possibility of refiling), but five or more years have passed without it being refiled. Additionally, the individual must have no convictions for other crimes or traffic violations (excluding minor traffic infractions) during the past five years.
  • Time Elapsed After Case Resolution: At least 90 days have passed since the dismissal with prejudice, "no-bill" decision, acquittal, or decision not to prosecute. The charge must not have been refiled during this time.
• Misdemeanor: Individuals facing charges for a misdemeanor, violation, traffic offense, or municipal ordinance infraction may seek expungement of their records under any of the following conditions:
  • Dismissal with Prejudice: The charge was permanently dismissed, preventing it from being refiled.
  • No-Billed by a Grand Jury: The grand jury determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed with an indictment.
  • Acquittal: The individual was found not guilty of the charge during legal proceedings.
  • Dismissal Without Prejudice: The charge was dismissed without barring its refiling, but more than two years have passed without the charge being refiled. Additionally, during this period, the individual must not have been convicted of any other felony, misdemeanor, or violation, including traffic offenses (excluding minor traffic infractions).

Note that even after the expungement of a record, it may still be accessed by a criminal justice agency, district attorney, prosecuting authority for criminal investigation purposes, entities or services providing information to financial institutions, and the court or officers of the court for use in certain matters.

For more information on expunging records in Alabama, see the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Criminal Record Expungement Kit.

How to Expunge Court Records in Alabama

To expunge your court records in Alabama, follow these steps:

• Obtain necessary documentation that will assist you in your application:After determining that you are eligible to have a record expunged (you may hire the services of an experienced Alabama expungement attorney to decide), you must get some documents that will aid the appropriate completion of your expungement application.

  These documents include:

  • Your Alabama criminal history record information (this requires a set of fingerprints and may be obtained from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency)
  • A certified record of the case action summary from the court, a certified record of arrest, or a certified record of disposition
  • If you are unable to afford the $500 expungement petition filing fee, an Affidavit of Substantial Hardship
  • The expungement petition form
• File the expungement petition with the court: Submit your completed expungement application and other supporting documentation to the clerk of the circuit court in the county where you were charged
• Pay the expungement fee or file an affidavit of substantial hardship: The fee for each application is $500. If you are unable to pay the fee, you may file an affidavit of substantial hardship
• Serve relevant parties: Make copies of your application and serve them to the district attorney and the law enforcement agency that arrested you. The district attorney will review your application and notify the victim if one exists. The DA and the victim are allowed up to 45 days to file a written objection to your petition
• Attend the hearing: The court will set a hearing date no earlier than 14 days from the filing of an objection to your expungement application. You are required to attend the hearing. The court will consider several factors in determining whether it is reasonably satisfied that you have complied with the REDEEMER Act and consequently be granted expungement.

How Do You Access State of Alabama Court Records?

You may access Alabama court records online or in person. These options are discussed in detail below.

Online Access to Alabama Court Records

Online access to Alabama court records is available via the following portals:

• Just One Look Portal: The Just One Look Portal is a subscription-based on-demand public resource to access Alabama trial court records. You may find criminal records, civil records, small claims records, state traffic records, child support, and domestic relations records using the portal.

  The Just One Look portal allows users to perform a trial court record look-up using a name search or a case number search option. It costs $9.99 to conduct a name search for one case detail. Case details report includes basic case information, court action, case status, setting dates, party information, financial history, and a detailed case action summary. Note that a search result indicating "No matching records on file" is a search.

  A case number search also costs $9.99, with one case detail included. Images cost $5 for the first 20 pages and $0.50 per page thereafter. You may pay $19.99 for the case monitoring feature for the lifetime of a district court case. If the case is in the circuit court, it costs $29.99 for the case monitoring option. The case monitoring feature allows a subscriber to monitor future changes in a case record. An email notification will be sent to the subscriber anytime a change is entered into the state system for the case record.

• Alabama Appellate Court System (AACS) Case Index: The AACS portal provides access to documents filed in or issued by the appellate courts in the state on or after March 20, 2022. However, only registered users may view and purchase documents on the portal. The Alabama judiciary provides a detailed user guide for navigating the portal.

In-Person Access to State of Alabama Court Records

Another way to access Alabama court records is to visit the courthouse where the case was filed. The clerk of the court is the official custodian of court records. Hence, you may submit a request to the office of the court clerk to obtain copies of the records you want. In addition, many of the state's courthouses have public access terminals through which members of the public may search for case records.

How To Request Judicial Administrative Records

Requests for judicial administrative records in Alabama may be made to the office of the clerk of the court (if the clerk is the custodian of the record) or the Administrative Office of Courts.

The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts may be contacted at:

How To Access Older and Archived Court Records in Alabama

Not all records in the custody of Alabama court clerks may be found online via the state's case search portal. Hence, if you want to access old court records, consider contacting the office of the court clerk to determine if you may find the record. Additionally, you may contact the Administrative Office of Courts or the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) to perform a search of their record archives.