Guide
Alabama Bankruptcy Search at a Glance
Alabama's bankruptcy cases are split among three federal courts by where the debtor lives. The court links below open each court's own site, and PACER, in the federal list further down, searches all three at once.
Guide
Alabama Bankruptcy Court Resources
Use the resources below to identify the correct federal bankruptcy court, check electronic filing or docket access, and locate related bankruptcy guidance for Alabama.
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of AlabamaCourt locations: Anniston, Huntsville, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of AlabamaCourt locations: Montgomery, Opelika and Dothan
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of AlabamaCourt locations: Mobile and Selma
- U.S. Courts, Bankruptcy BasicsOfficial overview of bankruptcy chapters, eligibility, and court process
Under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9037, filed papers may show only the last four digits of a Social Security number, the year of birth and a minor's initials. To tell apart two debtors with the same name, compare the home address and those four digits on the petition, Official Form 101.
Guide
Alabama bankruptcy files: districts and access
Alabama is split into three federal bankruptcy districts. The Northern District of Alabama is at alnb.uscourts.gov, the Middle District at almb.uscourts.gov and the Southern District at alsb.uscourts.gov. A case is filed in the district where the debtor lives, so a name search that does not know the county should start at the PACER Case Locator, which covers all three at once. Each court's docket and documents are public under 11 U.S.C. 107, at $0.10 per page on PACER with a $3 cap per document and no charge in a quarter at $30 or less, or free to view on the courthouse terminal. Schedule A/B names each deposit account by institution and Schedule I names the employer; the Alabama asset search page explains how those pages are read.
Guide
Related Alabama pages
A bankruptcy search often leads on to state court cases, judgments and liens, and criminal or vital records. These are our related Alabama pages.
- Alabama Court RecordsState and county court case research and docket searches
- Alabama Criminal RecordsBackground checks, criminal history, and arrest records
- Alabama Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Alabama Inmate SearchState DOC and county jail inmate lookup
- Alabama DMV & Driving RecordsDriver license, vehicle history, and DMV services
- Alabama Judgments & LiensCourt judgments, liens and UCC filings, and how to search them
By state
Bankruptcy search in other states
Each state's page names its federal bankruptcy districts and links each court's own site.
Guide
Public records directories
Our directories for Alabama, all 50 states and U.S. counties, and the federal FOIA guide.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
Straight answers
Alabama Bankruptcy Search, questions
Are bankruptcy records public?
Yes. All documents filed in a bankruptcy case are public records under 11 U.S.C. § 107, subject only to narrow sealing for trade secrets and certain personal identifiers.
Do states have their own bankruptcy courts?
No. Bankruptcy is exclusively federal under Article I of the U.S. Constitution and Title 11 of the U.S. Code. Each U.S. judicial district has a bankruptcy court.
How long does a bankruptcy stay on a credit report?
Chapter 7 discharges remain on a consumer credit report for 10 years from the filing date. Chapter 13 remains 7 years from filing. This is controlled by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681c).
Is there a fee to use PACER?
Registration is free. Per-page viewing is $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document. Users who accrue less than $30 per quarter pay nothing.