Guide
Alabama Judgments & Liens Search at a Glance
In Alabama, money judgments come from the circuit and district courts. A judgment becomes a lien on property in a county when a certificate of judgment from the court clerk is filed with that county's judge of probate. UCC financing statements are filed with the Alabama Secretary of State.
Always confirm the official record by ordering a certified copy from the originating office when accuracy matters for closing, refinancing, or litigation.
Guide
Where to search court judgments in Alabama
Alacourt Access, linked from the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, searches trial court cases in every county, civil judgments included. A name search costs $9.99 and includes one case detail report.
Guide
Where liens are recorded in Alabama
Judgment liens in Alabama are kept by the judge of probate in each county. The judgment owner files a certificate from the clerk of the court that entered the judgment, and the probate judge registers it and indexes it under each defendant's name (Ala. Code 6-9-210). Mechanics and materialmen's liens are also filed in the probate office of the county where the property is (Ala. Code 35-11-213): original contractors within six months, day laborers within 30 days and everyone else within four months after the last work or material (Ala. Code 35-11-215).
Guide
Alabama UCC filings
UCC financing statements are filed with the Alabama Secretary of State, online or by mail to PO Box 5616, Montgomery, AL 36103. The Secretary of State's records system searches UCC filings by debtor name or filing number, with or without images. A fixture filing goes in the county office that records mortgages, which in Alabama is the probate office (Ala. Code 7-9A-501).
Guide
How long a judgment lien lasts in Alabama
A certificate of judgment filed in a probate office is a lien for 10 years after the date of the judgment (Ala. Code 6-9-211). If 10 years pass with no execution, the judgment is presumed paid unless the creditor proves otherwise (Ala. Code 6-9-191), and no judgment can be revived more than 20 years after it was entered (Ala. Code 6-9-190).
Guide
Finding the debtor's assets after judgment in Alabama
Alabama has two routes to a sworn disclosure after judgment. The first is discovery in aid of judgment or execution under Rule 69(g) of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure: interrogatories, depositions and requests for documents served on the judgment debtor or any other person. The second is the statement of assets under Ala. Code 6-6-200 through 6-6-204. After an execution comes back marked no property found, the clerk, on the creditor's written request, notices the debtor to file within 30 days a statement in writing, under oath, of all assets, including money, choses in action, notes, bonds and accounts and all other property, real, personal or mixed, with its location, value and any liens. If the creditor swears the statement is incomplete, the court orders the debtor to appear for oral examination under oath.
Two court files often answer the questions before the examination. A divorce file in Alabama is public except for the financial documents closed by Rule 202 of the Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality, so the judgment and settlement agreement that divided the accounts and property can be read at the circuit clerk's counter or through Alacourt Access. A bankruptcy file in any of Alabama's three districts lists every deposit account by institution and the employer by name. The Alabama asset search page covers both.
Guide
Court forms and self-help in Alabama
The Administrative Office of Courts posts the garnishment forms used after a judgment, including the notice telling the debtor of the right to claim an exemption.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
By state
Judgments and liens in other states
Straight answers
Alabama Judgments & Liens Search, questions
How long is a judgment lien enforceable in Alabama?
In Alabama, a money judgment is enforceable as a lien for 10 years from the date it is entered or properly docketed. Creditors who want to extend collection beyond that period must file a renewal motion with the issuing court before the lien lapses. Read the Alabama statute.
What is the deadline for filing a mechanics lien in Alabama?
In Alabama, a mechanics lien (also called a construction or materialman's lien) must generally be filed within 30 days after the claimant last furnished labor or materials to the project. Different deadlines may apply to general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, so check the exact statute before relying on this window. Source: Alabama statute.
What property is protected from judgment creditors in Alabama?
Alabama protects a homestead, the debtor's primary residence, up to $15,000 in equity from forced sale by most judgment creditors. Personal property exemptions (motor vehicle, household goods, tools of trade, retirement accounts) are listed separately in the state code. Confirm the current amount on the official source.
Where do I file or search a UCC-1 in Alabama?
UCC-1 financing statements for personal-property collateral in Alabama are filed with the Secretary of State (or equivalent state filing office). Open the official Alabama UCC filing portal. Real-property liens (mortgages, judgment-lien dockets, mechanics liens) are recorded at the county recorder/clerk where the property is located, not at the state level.