How to Search Alabama Court Records (Start Here)

Alabama court records are filed with the Circuit Clerk in each county. The Circuit Court handles trial-level cases. Alabama does not have a single statewide court search portal — you must go to the county where the case was filed.

What this page covers: Alabama state court case records. What it does not cover: Federal court cases (PACER) or sealed/juvenile records.

Where to start: Identify the county where the case was filed, then contact the Circuit Clerk in that county. Some counties courts offer online case search on their individual websites.

Common mistake: Without a statewide portal, many people search the wrong county. If you are unsure where a case was filed, start with the county where the defendant lived or where the incident occurred.

Trial court of general jurisdiction
Statewide civil case search
Statewide criminal docket search
Number of counties
67 counties
Population
5,108,468
Households
2,001,170
Median Income
$59,609
Median Home Value
$179,400
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all Alabama court URLs verified against the official .gov / state-judiciary publisher on the review date. 5 primary .gov / .uscourts.gov sources cited below.

Alabama Court Records — Key Numbers (FY2025)

Alabama's Unified Judicial System publishes appellate, trial, and municipal court statistics annually via the AOC.
Unified Judicial System
Court system
Statewide
FY2025
Latest fiscal year
Official .gov data
.gov
Primary source
Never data brokers
Free
Public access
Most case records
June 04, 2026
Last reviewed
By SearchSystems editorial
How to access court records — typical costs
Search online
$0
View docket entry
$0
Download document
$1
Certified copy
$5
Expungement filing
$50
Unit: USD typical fee. Fees and access policies vary by court; see Primary Sources below.

What Changed in 2026 — Alabama Court Records

2026
Alabama FY2025 caseload report active
The Unified Judicial System publishes its current FY2025 case filings, dispositions, and trends on the official statistics portal.
2026
Alabama statewide case-access portal live
Unified Judicial System's public case-access portal continues to operate at pa.alacourt.com with statewide coverage.
2026
Latest Alabama judiciary annual report
The most recent annual report from the Unified Judicial System is publicly available with full statistical addenda.
2026
Alabama courts main directory
Alabama's primary judicial-branch directory at www.alacourt.gov continues to be the canonical entry point for all state court matters.

The 4-Step Alabama Court Records Pathway

1
Step 1 — Identify the court level
In Alabama, civil and criminal trial cases sit in Unified Judicial System trial courts. Appellate matters go to the state's appellate courts.
2
Step 2 — Use the state case-access portal
Start at https://pa.alacourt.com/ — the official public case-access for Alabama.
3
Step 3 — Federal cases are separate
Federal cases involving Alabama parties live on PACER (pacer.uscourts.gov), not the state system.
4
Step 4 — Sealed / expunged records
Records sealed or expunged under Alabama law are NOT searchable on public portals. To verify, contact the originating court clerk directly.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Alabama Court Records

❌ Myth: "Alabama court records are on PACER."
✓ Truth: False. PACER only has federal cases. Alabama state court records live on www.alacourt.gov.
❌ Myth: "All Alabama case files are free."
✓ Truth: Partly true. Searching and viewing dockets is usually free. Downloading full documents or certified copies often costs $1-$5 per item.
❌ Myth: "Sealed = deleted in Alabama."
✓ Truth: False. Sealed records still exist — they're just hidden from public search. The court clerk and law enforcement can still access them.
❌ Myth: "Third-party search sites are official."
✓ Truth: False. Only www.alacourt.gov and the linked official portals are authoritative for Alabama.
❌ Myth: "Same-day filings show online immediately."
✓ Truth: False. Most Alabama courts have a 24-48 hour processing lag before new filings appear in public search.

Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)

Related Court Records Resources

Related Public Records
National view of this topic: All states: Court records
Sample Alabama counties: Autauga · Baldwin · Barbour · Bibb · Blount

Court Records Databases

8 official Alabama court records sources.

Court Records

webFormProbateSearch
Official Free
We cannot provide a description for this page right now
Baldwin County Alabama
Official Free
Welcome to the Baldwin County, Alabama online record search. This search engine will return Property Tax, Appraisal, Deeds & Records, Ucc's and other information of record in Baldwin County. The information is uploaded to this server frequently but may lag behind actual activity at the courthouse ...
Probate - Tuscaloosa County Alabama
Official Free
Main Office: Tuscaloosa County Courthouse 714 Greensboro Avenue, Suite 121 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401-1891 ... The duties and responsibilities of the Probate Judge are many and varied. Some duties are administrative in nature, others are judicial and some are legislative in character.
Company Profile - Alacourt.com
Official Free
On-Line Information Services, Inc., has provided online and Internet access to public records since 1990 . On-Line started by providing access to local tax assessment records and expanded to provide online access to Probate Court grantor/grantee indices, along with online access to digital images ...
Alabama Administrative Office of Courts
Official Free
AlaFile is an application designed to allow users to file and receive service copies of court documents electronically . AlaPay is the official website for credit card payments of state traffic tickets and criminal fines. Just One Look: ON-DEMAND Access To Alabama State Trial Court Records...
Alabama Judicial System - Alabama.gov
Official Free
AlaFile is an application designed to allow users to file and receive service copies of court documents electronically. iCivics gives students the necessary tools to learn about and participate in civic life. ... Alabama's Unified Judicial System is one of the oldest in the nation .
Alabama Legal Research & Court Cases: Find AL Opinions at FindLaw
Official Free
FindLaw cases for the Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama. ... FindLaw cases for the Supreme Court of Alabama.
Alabama Middle District Court | PACER: Federal Court Records
Official Paid
PACER systems will undergo maintenance on Sunday, April 26, 2026, from 4:55 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET. As a result, certain portions of this site may be temporarily degraded during the maintenance window. Log in to the federal Judiciary’s electronic public access services.

Alabama Counties

67 Alabama counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Alabama's trial courts publish case lookups through the Unified Judicial System. Start at www.alacourt.gov — most case dockets, filings, and hearing calendars are searchable by name, case number, or filing date. County-level clerks publish additional searches; see the cards below for direct county court links.

The Unified Judicial System operates Alabama's official statewide judicial portal at www.alacourt.gov. Basic case lookups are typically free of charge; certified copies and bulk-data exports may incur a per-document or per-search fee. Federal cases for Alabama residents are searched separately through PACER.

Trial courts in Alabama handle the original filing of civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic matters. Appellate courts review questions of law from trial-court decisions. The Unified Judicial System publishes the full court structure, judge rosters, and jurisdiction maps at www.alacourt.gov.

Online coverage varies by court and case type. Most Alabama county courts have digitized records from approximately the late 1990s or early 2000s forward; older case files may require an in-person clerk visit or a written record request. Check the Unified Judicial System portal at www.alacourt.gov for each court's coverage window.

No. Alabama courts redact or remove sealed, expunged, juvenile, and certain confidential records from public-facing searches as required by state statute and court rule. If a record was previously visible and has since been sealed, it will no longer appear in the Unified Judicial System portal. For verification you can contact the county clerk where the case was filed.