Alabama property records — deeds, mortgages, plats, liens and parcel assessments — are recorded at the county level by the elected Probate Judge. Alabama has 67 counties, and each county Probate Office maintains its own land-records index; there is no statewide combined deed index. Standard recording fees set by Alabama law are $13 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, per the Baldwin County Probate Office published schedule [baldwincountyal.gov]. Property tax assessment and the annual ad-valorem tax bill are administered by the county Revenue Commissioner (or Tax Assessor + Tax Collector in counties that split the function), with statewide oversight by the Alabama Department of Revenue, Property Tax Division.
How Alabama Property Records Work — Deep Dive
Who records deeds in Alabama
Unlike Vermont or Connecticut, Alabama does not use town clerks for land records. Each of Alabama's 67 counties has a Probate Judge whose office serves as the recorder of deeds. The Probate Court is a constitutional office "established by the Alabama state legislature as the custodian of legal documents pertaining to real property," handling warranty deeds, mortgages, releases and powers of attorney [Jefferson County Probate Court]. Jefferson County (Birmingham/Bessemer divisions) and Madison County (Huntsville) publish their indexes online; the Madison County Probate Judge's recorded-documents portal goes back several decades [madisoncountyal.gov].
Property tax records and parcel data
Property is assessed annually by each county's Revenue Commissioner (or in some counties by a separate Tax Assessor). Most counties publish parcel maps, valuations and tax-bill data on a public GIS portal — see the Houston County GIS Mapping site for a representative example covering parcel, improvement, land, and building queries [houstoncountyal.gov]. Statewide property-tax administration, current-use rules, and exemption policy are set by the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division.
Searching by county
Mobile County (Probate Court) publishes a full public records search interface that covers deeds, mortgages and other recorded instruments [probate.mobilecountyal.gov]. Montgomery County's Probate Court "Records & Recording" division provides images of will books, marriage licenses and deed books online and onsite [montgomeryprobatecourtal.gov]. For counties without a public online index, deeds can be searched in person at the Probate Office during business hours. The Alabama Secretary of State maintains a directory of Probate Judges by county [sos.alabama.gov].
Frequently Asked Questions: Alabama Property Records
Are Alabama property records free to search?▼
Most counties (Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Baldwin, Houston) publish free online deed-index and parcel-map searches through their Probate Court or Revenue Commissioner websites. Certified copies of deeds are issued for a per-page fee — Baldwin County's published schedule is $13 for the first page and $3 each additional page [baldwincountyal.gov].
Who keeps deed records in Alabama — town clerks or county recorders?▼
Alabama uses the elected Probate Judge of each county as recorder of deeds. There are no town clerks recording deeds in Alabama [sos.alabama.gov].
How do I find the parcel ID or PPIN for a property?▼
Each county Revenue Commissioner publishes a parcel search tool. Houston County's GIS portal lets you query by parcel, improvement, land, and building data [houstoncountyal.gov]. Mobile County's public records search includes parcel + deed cross-reference [mobilecountyal.gov].
Is there a statewide property-records search for Alabama?▼
No. Alabama does not operate a unified statewide deed or parcel database. Each of the 67 counties maintains its own Probate Court land-records system; statewide policy oversight is provided by the Alabama Department of Revenue [revenue.alabama.gov].
How do I record a deed in Alabama?▼
Take the executed and notarized deed to the Probate Office in the county where the property is located, pay the recording fee ($13 first page + $3 each additional page in most counties) and the document is indexed and returned. Procedures and electronic-recording options are published by the Baldwin County Probate Office [baldwincountyal.gov].
Property Records Databases
Official Alabama property records sources from county recorder/clerk offices, county appraisal districts/assessors, and statewide GIS portals.