The Alabama Courts system consists of three types of courts: How Do Alabama Courts Work?Ĭourt systems in the United States are divided into trial courts and appellate courts.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources. This includes cities, counties, and states. The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record.

Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method. The name of the person listed in the record.In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide: They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations.

Fees are charged for the available services based on the search requirements.Ĭonsidered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. It is also possible to locate Alabama Trial Court Records online via Alabama Court Access portal. The fee may vary for different courts and counties. Obtaining a court record in Alabama typically involves a fee that must be paid before the record will be released. The request must include pertinent details to facilitate the search and retrieval of that particular record, such as defendant name, case number, and date. Deliver a written request to the Office of the Clerk of the Court for the record you require. Once you have identified the appropriate court, contact the court’s record custodian, typically the Clerk of the Court. The first step to take when trying to obtain court records in Alabama is to contact the courthouse where the case was heard and the files were retained. It governs how public meetings are held and ensures that governmental bodies’ deliberative processes are open to the public during meetings. Exceptions to this include court records filed under seal and juvenile court records.Īlabama Freedom of Information laws also include the Open Meetings Act. Consequently, records created in Alabama Courts are subject to this law, and most court records are available to the public. All these records are available to citizens unless otherwise expressly made confidential by a state statute. The Open Records Act establishes citizens’ rights to inspect and receive copies of public records of the state. It was initially enacted as part of the Alabama Code of 1923 and has been amended several times over the years, most recently in 2004. The Alabama Public Records Law is a series of laws that guarantee the general public access to the records of all levels of government in the state.

Alabama judicial consent