Alabama Public Records

Separate public searching from attorney document access

The Alabama appellate courts' Public Portal User Guide says unregistered users can search, while registered attorneys can purchase documents. Do not assume a searchable docket means that every visitor can download the associated filings.

Alabama appellate case numbers changed on March 21, 2022. An older case reads 1YY####, 2YY#### or CR-YY####; a newer one reads SC-YYYY-####, CL-YYYY-#### or CR-YYYY-####, so search with the full number exactly as it appears on the notice. The portal hides closed cases by default; untick that box to find a finished case.

The portal's search menu separates cases, parties, oral arguments, documents and decisions. Its Decision Search specifies decisions issued on or after May 12, 2023. For older decisions or a particular filing, identify the case first and follow the appropriate court's records route.

Use our Alabama court-records resources to distinguish appellate research from trial-court access. When corresponding with a clerk, include the court name, case number and requested document. A trial-court case number and an appellate case number should remain separately labeled in the research file.

Identify the revenue record and the recorded instrument separately

The Department of Revenue's county appraisal-and-assessment directory identifies local offices and property-search routes. It includes separate Birmingham and Bessemer contacts for Jefferson County. Use the listing that corresponds to the property's local office rather than assuming one contact handles every county function.

Keep the tax parcel reference, the county and the property description from the assessment result. Then use the Alabama county records directory to identify the probate recording route for the deed or other instrument. An assessment result and the document that recorded a transfer answer different questions.

Mobile County's probate records search illustrates why index and image coverage need separate checking. Its Landmark service includes real-property records from 1813 onward and marriage indexing from 1813, while viewable marriage images in that service begin in September 2019.

The county says registering and searching the land index is free, while image access uses its paid arrangements. Check the current terms before selecting images. A result visible in the index is not a promise of a free image, and another Alabama county may use a different service.

Carry book, page and instrument references into older-record searches

Mobile's Landmark instructions identify searches by name, document type, book and page, recording date, instrument number and legal description, depending on the period. When one route fails, use another identifier already present in a related record.

The county's records inventory also distinguishes particular books and indexes, including wills, deeds, mortgages and older judicial materials. An inventory entry tells you which series to ask about; it should not be read as proof that every page has a modern name-search entry.

For a chain of recorded instruments, save the reference in each document to an earlier deed, mortgage or plat. Follow that reference in the correct county's system and retain the complete legal description. A street address alone can change or refer to only part of the land described in an older instrument.

Account for the 2019 change from licenses to recorded certificates

ADPH's marriage-certificate FAQ explains that Alabama stopped issuing marriage licenses on August 29, 2019. The spouses instead complete the prescribed certificate and submit it to a county probate court for recording. The form may be recorded in any Alabama county, so a residence address alone does not identify the recording office.

For research, distinguish the marriage date from the recording date. ADPH explains how the spouses' signature dates determine the marriage date when the form is properly completed and submitted within the required period. Record the dates as labeled on the actual document rather than substituting the date a database was updated.

Mobile's recording page provides a local example of the certificate process and the route to its marriage records. Use the original vital-records guidance below for state certificate ordering, and the relevant probate office for a county recording question.

Keep the leading zeros in an Alabama entity number

The Secretary of State's Business Entity Records page notes the change from six-digit to nine-digit entity identifiers, with three leading zeros added. It offers searches by entity name or number, officer/agent/incorporator, and reservation or registration identifier.

When comparing an older filing with a current result, preserve the full displayed number and account for that formatting change. Check the entity's name and filing history as well. A changed presentation of the identifier does not alone establish that a different entity was created.

The same page directs researchers seeking certain corporation records from 1949 to 2010 to the State Archives. If an expected historical document is not present in the electronic result, identify the entity and document date before following that archive route.

The Secretary of State's document-copy request form calls for one entity per request and uses the document names and page counts from Business Entity Details. Select the filing that answers the question; a formation document, amendment and certified copy are not interchangeable descriptions of the same request.

Use ADEM's Master ID and document categories

ADEM's eFile application provides filters for environmental media, facility name or Master ID, permit number, county, document date and document category. Its categories distinguish materials such as draft permits, final permits, inspections and enforcement documents.

Begin with the facility and permit reference from an existing document, then narrow the dates and document types. If the name has changed, compare the Master ID and the facility location. Keep each downloaded document's title and date so later correspondence is not confused with the original permit.

ADEM explicitly warns that eFile contains electronic documents and does not represent every record in its possession. It also says using eFile is not a formal records request. For an absent report, send a specific request identifying the facility, permit, document type and approximate period.

Read the document's role before relying on it. A notice of violation, a proposed response and a final agency action describe different stages. Organize the file chronologically and identify the document that resolves the particular issue being investigated.

Check both provider type and licensing status

The state's AlaCEED dashboard is designed to help families locate licensed and exempt child-care programs and First Class Pre-K programs. The DHR Child Care Services page also links its statewide directory, licensed-home listings and licensing information.

DHR's center directory requires a county selection and permits a full or partial center name. Licensed day-care homes have a separate county listing. Searching one category does not necessarily cover the other.

The department's exempt-facility guidance explains the requirements applying to qualifying religious programs, including specified inspection and notification materials. An exempt listing should be described accurately rather than reported as a DHR license.

For a particular provider, retain its exact name, location and stated category, then inspect the available records and follow up with the program about a missing report. DHR's child-care FAQ identifies Child Care Intake for provider information and complaints. Keep the date of the inquiry because provider listings and status can change.

Distinguish an archival case index from the digitized collection

The State Archives' Supreme Court Cases Database indexes cases from 1820 to 1893 and directs later research to appearance dockets. It offers selected digitized cases through a separate collection.

The digital Supreme Court case-file collection is an ongoing project intended to cover 1820 to 1877 when complete. It can include exhibits, motions and other materials beyond the published ruling. An index hit outside the currently digitized material is still a useful reference for an archive inquiry.

Save the case title, county, year and archival reference. If no image appears, ask about the identified file rather than assuming the record was lost. Conversely, do not describe the project's intended final coverage as though every file has already been scanned.

Record the specific limitation when a search stops