SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The crime counts are the ones 22 agencies reported to the FBI for 2025. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data, latest year 2023. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 24, 2026.

About this guide

Jefferson County, Alabama, has about 665,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). No single office holds its records: the county, the state, the Jefferson County Circuit Court and the cities and towns each keep their own. The sections below take them one at a time, beginning with the crime counts its police agencies reported, with each office's own phone, address and page where it publishes them.

In this guide: Crime numbers, Jail and arrests, Warrants, Criminal records, District Attorney, Police reports, Sex offender registry, Court records, Traffic tickets, DUI, Divorce records, Deeds and property, Records requests, Which office covers your city, Other counties and Questions.

Alabama guides: Arrest Records · Inmate Search · Criminal Records · Background Checks · Wants and Warrants · Sex Offender Registry · Court Records · Property Records · Recorded Documents · Public Records Law · People Search

Crime Numbers in Jefferson County, 2025

Crime counts for Jefferson County reach the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, with a separate count for each of 25 of its cities. The totals below add up what was reported for 2025, the latest year with all twelve months in from the agencies counted.

In 2025 the 22 agencies with all twelve months reported 3,865 violent and 16,727 property crimes. Among the 20 of them that also reported all of 2024, violent crime fell from 4,055 in 2024 to 3,835 in 2025, down 5.4 percent, and property crime fell from 17,153 in 2024 to 16,367 in 2025, down 4.6 percent. That is 1,006 fewer crimes in all.

  • Birmingham: 2,420 violent and 8,726 property crimes in 2025, up 3.5 percent from 10,765 in 2024.
  • Jefferson County Sheriff's Office: 549 violent and 2,236 property crimes in 2025, down 19 percent from 3,440 in 2024.
  • Bessemer: 423 violent and 1,737 property crimes in 2025, down 2.5 percent from 2,215 in 2024.
  • Hoover: 61 violent and 963 property crimes in 2025, down 18 percent from 1,247 in 2024.
  • Homewood: 47 violent and 494 property crimes in 2025, down 8.8 percent from 593 in 2024.
  • Trussville: 42 violent and 361 property crimes in 2025, down 30 percent from 579 in 2024.

Through July 2026, the 22 agencies counted 2,079 violent and 8,399 property crimes, against 2,255 and 9,799 in the same months of 2025.

Brighton, Lipscomb and Trafford reported only part of 2025 (Brighton, 2 months, Lipscomb, 9 months and Trafford, 9 months), so they are left out of the totals. Tarrant sent no counts for 2024 or 2025. The counts for Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Birmingham, Trussville and Leeds include the parts of those cities that lie in neighboring counties. the Helena Police Department, the Sumiton Police Department, the Argo Police Department and the Lake View Police Department work in more than one county, so their counts are not added here.

The monthly counts are published by the FBI at cde.ucr.cjis.gov.

Arrests, Jail and Inmate Search in Jefferson County

The county jail is where people arrested in Jefferson County are held until they post bond, are released or are sentenced. The jail roster lists each person held, the charges and the bond.

On an average day in 2023 the jail held about 920 people, down from about 1,380 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023 was 1,155 beds, and it ran at 80 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.

SearchSystems' Alabama inmate search guide and arrest records guide explain how arrest and custody records work across Alabama.

Warrants in Jefferson County

An arrest warrant in Jefferson County is signed by a judge, usually of the Jefferson County Circuit Court or the District Court, and is served by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office or the city police. A judge also issues a bench warrant when someone misses a court date, and a warrant issued in a case becomes part of that case's court file.

The Alabama wants and warrants guide covers the statewide picture.

Criminal Records and Background Checks in Jefferson County

Alabama does not let the public search anyone's statewide criminal history. The official record, kept by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, goes to the person it belongs to and to employers and agencies the law authorizes. For everyone else the court files of individual cases in Jefferson County are the public record (see the court section below).

Your own Alabama record

To see your own record, the route is a fingerprint-based request to ALEA. The state page SearchSystems verified for it is at alea.gov/sbi/criminal-justice-services/criminal-records.

Local records in Jefferson County

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office keeps its own arrest and booking files for Jefferson County, separate from the state repository, and some sheriffs issue a local clearance letter from them. The prosecutions themselves are in the files of the Jefferson County Circuit Court.

The Alabama criminal records guide and background check guide explain who may legally check whom, and what each route costs.

District Attorney for Jefferson County

The District Attorney is the charging office for Jefferson County: it reviews arrests from every police agency in the county and files the cases in the Jefferson County Circuit Court or the District Court. Plea offers, restitution and victim notification go through it; copies of filings come from the court.

  • Website: jccal.org/370/District-Attorneys-Office---Birmingham (page title: District Attorney's Office | Birmingham | Jefferson County, AL)
  • Phone: 205-325-5252
  • Address: 801 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N Suite 105 Birmingham, AL 35203
  • Hours: Monday through Thursday 8 to 11:30 am
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

Sheriff and Police Reports in Jefferson County

A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court or the clerk. In Jefferson County that is the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and a city's own police department where the city has one. Under the Alabama Public Records Law the agency must answer within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline. It may charge reasonable copying charges.

SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of Birmingham, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Trussville, Hueytown, Center Point, Irondale and Leeds.

Sex Offender Registry for Jefferson County

Registered sex offenders living in Jefferson County are listed on the Alabama Sex Offender Registry, run by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency at alea.gov/node/43. Every adult registrant is listed.

Registrants report in person to the local agency where they live (the sheriff's office, or the city police in a city with its own department), and those offices keep the local file the state site is built from.

The Alabama sex offender registry guide explains the tiers and the notification rules.

Court Records and Case Search in Jefferson County

In Jefferson County, the Jefferson County Circuit Court hears felonies, civil cases over $20,000, divorces and appeals from the district court. The District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and preliminary hearings in felony cases. The Circuit Clerk keeps the files, and the municipal courts handle the tickets written under city ordinances.

The court records page SearchSystems verified

  • Website: jefferson.alacourt.gov (page title: Jefferson County, Birmingham Division | 10th Judicial Circuit of Alabama)
  • Phone: (205) 325-5355
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

Alabama has no single statewide index of trial court cases; each court's records are looked up through that court. The state court system's page SearchSystems verified is at publicportal.alappeals.gov/portal/search/case.

The Alabama court records guide covers copy fees, certified copies and sealed records statewide.

Traffic Tickets and Driving Records in Jefferson County

A ticket written by a deputy or a state trooper in Jefferson County goes to the District Court; one written by city police goes to that city's municipal court where it has one. Either way the ticket is a court case, and the court's index is the record of it.

Convictions are reported by the court to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (Driver License Division), which keeps the driving record and decides on points and suspensions. Order the driving record from that agency, not from the court.

DUI Arrests and Records in Jefferson County

Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Alabama, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more. In Jefferson County a DUI arrest goes the same way whoever makes it: a person who is held is booked at the county jail, and the case is charged by the District Attorney in the District Court or a municipal court.

The court case is only half the record. ALEA runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided.

Divorce Records in Jefferson County

A divorce in Jefferson County is a court case, so the file and the final judgment stay with the Circuit Court. The Circuit Clerk keeps it, and the case index tells whether a divorce was filed and when.

For Jefferson County the court records page is jefferson.alacourt.gov, phone (205) 325-5355. Most of a divorce file is public once the case is closed; financial declarations, records about children and anything the court sealed are not.

The Alabama Department of Public Health Center for Health Statistics also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1950.

Property Records, Deeds and Parcel Search in Jefferson County

Two county offices share the property record in Jefferson County. The Probate Judge (recording) records the deeds, mortgages, liens and easements that affect title to land, and sells copies of them. The Tax Assessor or Revenue Commissioner handles the assessment side: the value each parcel is taxed on and the parcel maps. Alabama taxes homes on 10 percent of their appraised value (Class III property), so the assessed value on a tax bill is a tenth of what the county says the home is worth.

Recorded documents

The Alabama property records guide and recorded documents guide explain how to read a deed index and what a title search costs.

Public Records Requests in Jefferson County

The Alabama Public Records Law applies to every county office in Jefferson County, from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to the Probate Judge. A request is made in writing to the office that keeps the record; no reason is required. The answer is due within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline. The office may charge reasonable copying charges. The courts are not covered by the act.

The records request page SearchSystems verified for Jefferson County:

  • Website: jeffersoncounty.nextrequest.com (page title: Public Record RequestsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software)
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

The Alabama public records law guide has the appeal route when a request is denied.

Which Office Covers Your City in Jefferson County

Wherever an arrest happens in Jefferson County, the jail is the county jail, the court is the Jefferson County Circuit Court and the deed records are with the Probate Judge. What changes from city to city is the police agency: the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and a city's own police department where the city has one.

The FBI publishes separate crime counts for 25 of these cities; the crime section above has the numbers.

Cities in Jefferson County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; the linked names open SearchSystems' guide to that city's own offices:

Frequently Asked Questions

Did crime go up or down in Jefferson County in 2025?

Down 4.7 percent. The 20 agencies with all of 2024 and 2025 reported 20,202 crimes in 2025 against 21,208 in 2024: 3,835 violent against 4,055, and 16,367 property against 17,153. Five more agencies reported only part of one of the two years and are not in this comparison.

How many people are in the Jefferson County jail?

About 920 on an average day in 2023, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 1,155 beds.

Are criminal records public in Jefferson County?

Court files of criminal cases in the Jefferson County Circuit Court are public and can be looked up through the court. The statewide criminal history kept by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is not public; you can get your own.

Can I search Jefferson County court cases online?

The records page of the Jefferson County Circuit Court is at jefferson.alacourt.gov, phone (205) 325-5355.

What is the DUI law in Jefferson County?

Alabama charges it as DUI at 0.08 or above. The criminal case is heard in the District Court or a municipal court. The license case is handled separately by ALEA.

How do I get a copy of a divorce decree in Jefferson County?

From the Circuit Court, through the Circuit Clerk (jefferson.alacourt.gov). The Alabama Department of Public Health Center for Health Statistics also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1950.

Who records deeds in Jefferson County?

The Probate Judge (recording), at landmarkweb.jccal.org/landmarkweb. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Jefferson County are filed there.

How long does Jefferson County have to answer a records request?

Under the Alabama Public Records Law, the answer is due within a reasonable time; the statute sets no fixed deadline. The records request page SearchSystems verified is at jeffersoncounty.nextrequest.com.

Is this the official Jefferson County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

Population
665K
County Seat
Birmingham
Libraries
39
Schools
180