Search Alabama State Records & Public Information 

Accessing Alabama public records allows citizens to obtain information about themselves or someone else criminal records, marital status, warrants and all public information.

This article lists the available custodians, online tools and relevant information that may be useful when searching public records in Alabama.

Look Up Alabama Public Records

To find public information or state records in Alabama, it’s important to know what types of documents you’re seeking (criminal records, court records, vital records, or inmate records) in order to narrow down the appropriate government entity and jurisdiction.

For state records, Alabama’s residents can “Request Public Information” under the Code of Alabama 1975, § 36-12-40, which allows for some public information or state records to be accessed either online, or physically obtained through the Secretary of State – who generally distributes executive documents such as contracts, leases, deeds, writs of arrests, election records, and business records.¹

However, there are many more public records that can be found and/or requested through the various government agencies below.

How To Access Alabama Public Criminal Records for Free

Anyone can access the official resource for finding criminal convictions and arrests in Alabama, records of which can be obtained or viewed in one of two ways:

1. Employers can look up criminal records for prospective employees through Alabama’s Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) with the Alabama Background Check System (ABC).
2. The rest of the public can acquire criminal history information through the Application to Review Alabama Criminal History Record Information (CHRI).

Note, that court records found below may also give insight into an individual’s criminal history.

How To Find Public Arrest Records & Active Warrants in Alabama (Free)

Unlike some states, Alabama doesn’t have historical arrest records available online. However, most individuals’ criminal records in Alabama include arrest records as well.

If someone needs to check arrest records and they’re not included in the standard criminal record check, they can go to their local sheriff’s office or police station to conduct the search.

In any case, if the inmate is currently incarcerated, they can be looked up using the Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search.²

Warrants in Alabama: Most Alabama county records do not have an online arrest warrant database, so any interested person can either search each county’s website particularly sheriff’s office and local police departments.

Residents can also check Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to search for Active Fugitives in the state. This is searchable by last name or city.

Additionally, searchers can submit the Application to Review Alabama Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) to check for warrants.³

Alabama Public Court Records

To retrieve court records in Alabama, one must first determine which type of case they’re seeking, which type of court handles the matter, and lastly, if the information is available online.

Limited Jurisdiction Courts includes the following: municipal courts (city ordinance violations), probate courts (wills, estate, and probate), small claims courts (civil cases less than $3,000 – $10,000), district courts (misdemeanors), and juvenile records. Out of Alabama’s sixty-seven counties, there are 41 separate judicial circuits on this level.

General Jurisdiction Courts incorporate all circuit courts within the state and are responsible for settling felony cases, domestic disputes, and civil cases over $10,000.

Appellate Jurisdiction Courts include the Court of Civil Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Alabama Supreme Court. Alabama Appellate Courts (AAC) have the power to reverse lower courts’ motions and cases will never originate in these courts.

How Do I Look Up AL Court Cases & Records?

To search Appellate Courts, District Courts (Southern, Northern, or Middle) & Alabama bankruptcy court records, use PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) which charges 10 cents per document, or $2.40 per audio recording.⁴

To look up criminal records, civil records, small claim records, state traffic records, child support & domestic relations, Alabama’s Administrative Office of Courts uses Alabama’s On-Demand Public Access to Trial Court Records for the public or AlaFile for pro se businesses and pro se individuals (pro se means self-represented).

All of which are official sources, but they do require fees ranging from $9.99 per name or case search, $5.00 for images, and $19.99 – $29.99  for a lifetime tracking of district or circuit cases.

Alabama Supreme Court (ASC) Decisions & Opinions can be found here at no cost.

All three Bankruptcy Courts in Alabama (Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, and the Southern District of Alabama use PACER to track Alabama bankruptcy records.

Lien Records can be obtained through the Secretary of State Government Records Inquiry System.

Note: If a court record can’t be found online, it must be retrieved in person at the courthouse it originated or was last held. 

How To Find a List of Sex Offenders in Alabama

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency hosts a sex offender registry where users can look up offenders by name, can search their neighborhood’s radius, and even sign up for email alerts about sex offenders within their neighborhood.⁵

Are Alabama Vital Records Public & Online?

Alabama public records, particularly vital records, such as marriage and divorce certificates are publicly available to anyone who can provide an adequate amount of information – such as the name of the couple, date of marriage or divorce, county of marriage or divorce, your name, signature, address and phone number.

In comparison to most states, the lack of restrictions is rather lax and allows marriage and divorce records to be accessed with ease.

To give searchers an idea of how many people are divorced within the state, the image below shows every Alabama county and the divorced population within each:

However, birth certificates and death certificates are sealed confidential records – meaning they can only be released to the individual named on the certificate, their mother, father, legal guardian, husband, wife, son, daughter, sister, brother, or a legal representative of one of the authorized representatives above.

Note: Alabama birth records older than 125 years are unrestricted or open to the public, and death certificates are marked non-confidential and/or unrestricted after 25 years from the date of death.

Information Needed To Access Restricted Birth & Death Certificates

For restricted vital records such as birth and death certificates, certified individuals must provide one primary ID, or two forms of secondary ID.

To find someone’s birth or death certificate, the state will need as much of this information as possible:

• Full Name
• Date of Birth or Death
• County of Birth or Death
• Sex
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Race
• Name of Spouse or Parents
• Name, Signature & Phone Number
• Relationship With the Person
• Where the Certificate Should Be Mailed

How To Find Vital Records (Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce Certificates) in Alabama

Most vital records in Alabama can be obtained from the State’s Department of Public Health’s Vital Records Office. The office do not accept record request online directly, however, requesters must complete the required vital record request form and send it via mail at:

Alabama Department of Public Health
Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, AL 36103-5625

Another option is through VitalChek, records such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage documents & Alabama divorce can be acquired for $39.50, but they can also be obtained for $15.00 by visiting any county health department in the State of Alabama.

The ADPH Center of Health Statistics will provide a certified copy of the Certificate or a Failure To Find Certificate and the same process and price should be followed to obtain any vital records in Alabama. Just keep in mind the ID requirements on restricted documents and the information needed to look up a certificate.

Note, if an apostille or exemplified copy of vital records is needed for foreign use, it must be done in person, by telephone, or by mail.⁶

For more insight into viewing marriage records in Alabama or searching AL divorce and dissolution of marriage records, interested parties can utilize the relevant search resources to make for a seamless lookup.

Alabama Inmate Records

Alabama’s inmate and convict records are publicly available thanks to their open records law. Inmate records generally include the name, gender, date of birth, crime, sentence, mugshot, bail, bond and other trial information.

How To Search for Jail & Prison Inmate Records in Alabama

Anyone can search for individual under custody who are currently incarcerated using Alabama’s State Inmate Locator.

Inmates may be searched by name using the lookup tool and the database displays the release dates of Alabama inmates, crimes committed, inmate pictures, and their parole status.

Note, Alabama’s Department of Corrections Inmate Search Tool hosts county jail records, state-operated prisons, and other correctional facilities. However, the database does not contain historical data on those who have been released.

Lastly, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has an inmate lookup tool to search prisons nationwide.

How To Visit Inmates in Alabama’s Jails or Prisons

To visit inmates in an Alabama Correctional Facility, visitors must adhere to the rules within the DOC’s Administrative Regulation AR 303 or their visitation policy, submit the application on the last page of AR 303, and of course, know which prison the inmate is in.⁷

Applications may take 2 – 6 weeks to be approved and up to eight people can visit at once. If approved, an inmate’s visiting schedule will determine the dates they can be seen.

How To Send Money to Alabama Inmates

The ADOC (Alabama Department of Corrections) uses a third-party service Access Corrections to deposit funds into an inmate’s account. To deposit funds, click the link above, call (866)-314-1884, drop off cash at a Cash Pay Today location or fill out a deposit form and mail the money to:

Secure Deposits — Alabama DOC
PO Box 12486
St. Louis, MO 63132

Money orders have the advantage of no fees, and all other methods have a fee ranging from $2.95  – $9.00 depending on how the funds are deposited and the amount.

Alabama Death Row Inmate List & Execution Records

In Alabama, capital punishment is legal, and the death penalty may be imposed for certain crimes.

The Alabama Department of Corrections maintains a public record of inmates who are currently on death row and Executed Offenders, which can be accessed through their website or by contacting the department directly.

By utilizing the various resources and methods outlined in this article, individuals can effectively navigate the process of obtaining Alabama public records to access the documents they need.