Lauderdale County
Located in the northwest corner of Alabama, Lauderdale County was established in 1818 and named after James Lauderdale. It has a land area of 668 square miles and, according to the 2020 US census, a population of 93,564. Florence is its county seat and largest city.
The people of Lauderdale County are served by Circuit, District, Probate, and Municipal Courts. The Lauderdale County Circuit Court typically hears cases that fall outside the other county courts' jurisdiction. It hears cases about domestic relations, juvenile justice, probate, all felonies, and some misdemeanors. It has exclusive jurisdiction over civil matters with claims exceeding $10,000 but shares jurisdiction with the District Court over civil cases with claims between $6,000 and $10,000. Appeals from municipal, district, and probate courts are also heard by it. The Lauderdale County District Court handles misdemeanors, probate proceedings, small claims, and certain juvenile cases. In addition, it hears cases involving traffic infractions and local ordinance violations in cities without municipal courts. It also has exclusive authority over civil suits involving claims under $6,000.
The Lauderdale County Probate Court handles wills, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, name changes, involuntary commitment to mental health facilities, and estate administration. Traffic offenses and violations of municipal ordinances fall within the purview of Lauderdale County's four municipal courts. The county's municipal courts are located in Rogersville, Lexington, Florence, and Killen.
Public court records in Lauderdale County include court schedules, warrants, court transcripts, dockets, court filings, writs, depositions, motions, court proceedings, orders, and court decisions, provided they are not made confidential by law or court orders. These publicly accessible records are generated by the county's courts. The Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk is responsible for maintaining the Circuit and District Court records. Other county courts' clerks maintain records for their courts.
Unless sealed by court orders, the following types of court records are accessible to the public in Lauderdale County:
- Probate Case Records
- Traffic Violation Records
- Criminal Case Records
- Civil Case Records
- Family Law Case Records
County courts make their public court records available for anyone to view and request. Record seekers can visit the county's Circuit Clerk's Office and clerks of the other courts to access their public court records. Alternatively, they can use the Alabama Court Records portal to access nonconfidential court records from Lauderdale County at a fee.
