Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Fort Payne, Alabama, in DeKalb County, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the DeKalb County Circuit Court and the District Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Circuit Clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Fort Payne public records, DeKalb County court records, Fort Payne arrest records, Fort Payne warrants, Fort Payne inmate search, Fort Payne criminal records, Alabama arrest records and Alabama inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Fort Payne
Court cases from Fort Payne are filed in the DeKalb County Circuit Court, which 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.
A city with a municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court, and the file stays with the Circuit Clerk.
The Circuit Clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Alabama Public Records Law.
Looking Up a Case from Fort Payne
For DeKalb County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at dekalb.alacourt.gov (page title: DeKalb County | Ninth Circuit Court of Alabama), phone (256) 845-8525, 300 Grand Avenue South, Suite 200, Fort Payne, AL 35967, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Statewide, Alacourt is the statewide online index of Alabama trial court cases, sold by subscription.
The appellate courts' case search is at publicportal.alappeals.gov/portal/search/case.
What Reaches the Court from Fort Payne
Together, the nine agencies in DeKalb County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,049 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the DeKalb County Circuit Court or the District Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at dekalbda.org (page title: Welcome to Dekalb County District Attorney), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Fort Payne guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Fort Payne criminal records, Fort Payne divorce records, Fort Payne traffic tickets, Fort Payne DUI and Fort Payne property records.
More Official Court Pages for DeKalb County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for DeKalb County and Alabama. These court pages from its DeKalb County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Alabama Administrative Office of Courts (alacourt.gov)
- Civil Cases, Alacourt.com 2.0 (v2.alacourt.com)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Fort Payne?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at dekalb.alacourt.gov, phone (256) 845-8525. Statewide, Alacourt is the statewide online index of Alabama trial court cases, sold by subscription.
Which court hears felonies in Fort Payne?
The DeKalb County Circuit Court, which 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.
Who keeps the court records in Fort Payne?
The Circuit Clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Alabama?
Yes: Alacourt, the statewide online index of Alabama trial court cases, sold by subscription.
Is this the official Fort Payne website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.