Mobile County
Mobile County is located in southwestern Alabama. It covers 1,233 square miles of land area and is the third most-populous county in Alabama with a population of over 414,000 residents. Mobile County was founded in December 1812 and its county seat is the City of Mobile.
Municipal courts are at the bottom of the trial court structure in Mobile County. They have jurisdiction over violations of municipal ordinances and share jurisdiction over criminal acts that state or municipal law violations with the district courts.
Probate courts have original jurisdiction over cases such as probate of wills, administration of estates, adoptions, name changes, conservatorships, and guardianships.
The district courts handle civil and criminal cases but have limited jurisdiction in such matters. Mobile County district courts handle misdemeanor, preliminary hearings for felony cases, some ordinance violations, and guilty pleas in felony cases not including a death penalty. District courts share jurisdiction with circuit courts over juvenile cases, such as adoptions, and some cases from the probate court if a request is made and granted.
The circuit court in Mobile County handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of lower courts in the county. Hence, they have general jurisdiction over all types of cases. The court hears felony cases, family, and domestic relations cases.
The Mobile County circuit clerk serves as the official record keeper of all court proceedings in the district and circuit courts. Hence, the circuit clerk maintains Mobile County public court records, including civil, criminal, domestic, child support, traffic, and juvenile records.
Most public court records in Mobile County are electronically imaged making court records more accessible to the public. Most trial court records can be obtained via the Alabama Courts Just One Look On Demand Access resource. Note that a name search or a case number search costs $9.99. Images are charged at $5 for the first 20 pages and $0.50 per page thereafter. Case monitoring for the lifetime of a case costs $19.99 for a district court case and $29.99 for a circuit court case. Court records are available in the following categories:
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Small claims records
- Traffic records
- Domestic relations
- Child support
