How to Search Alabama Property Records (Start Here)

Property records in Alabama are maintained at the county level. The Tax Assessor handles property valuations and assessment data. The Tax Collector handles tax bills and payments. These are separate offices with separate databases.

What this page covers: Alabama property assessment lookups, tax record searches, and parcel/ownership data. What it does not cover: Recorded documents like deeds and mortgages (those are on the Recorded Documents page) or property transfer history.

Where to start: For property values and tax assessments, start with the Tax Assessor. For tax payment history and bills, go to the Tax Collector. For ownership verification, you may need both the assessment records and the recorded documents.

Common mistake: Property assessment records (values and taxes) and recorded documents (deeds and liens) are maintained by different offices in Alabama. The Tax Assessor handles assessments; the Judge of Probate handles recordings. Search both if you need the full picture.

Recorder of deeds
County Probate Judge (67 counties)
Statewide deed index?
No — search each county separately
Standard recording fee
$13 first page + $3 each additional
Property tax oversight
AL Department of Revenue, Property Tax Division
County assessor name
Revenue Commissioner (most counties)
Number of counties
67

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

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].

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].

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].

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].

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].

Last reviewed:
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: Alabama property records URL verified against the official state publisher at revenue.alabama.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.

Alabama Property Records — Key Facts (2026)

Deeds, mortgages, taxes, and assessments for property in Alabama — where each record lives and who maintains it in 2026.
County
Where records live
Not federal, not state
Assessor
Official value
Not Zillow estimate
Recorder
Deed & mortgage
Permanent record
Treasurer
Tax amount
Current bill & history
UCC
Business filings
Usually Secretary of State
Where each property record lives
Deed
100%
Mortgage
100%
Tax bill
100%
Lien (county)
100%
Lien (federal IRS)
50%
UCC (business)
10%
Unit: % kept at the COUNTY level.

What Changed in 2026 — Alabama Property Records

2026
Alabama property records portal active
The official Alabama portal at revenue.alabama.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for property records in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for property records
The BLM General Land Office Records at glorecords.blm.gov provides federal-level context that complements Alabama state records.
2026
Alabama access in 2026
For 2026, Alabama continues to publish property records information through state-authorized portals; check revenue.alabama.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Alabama's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for the .gov complement.

The 5-Tier Alabama Property Records Stack

1
Tier 1 — Deed / title
Alabama County Recorder or Register of Deeds. The legal record of ownership.
2
Tier 2 — Assessment
Alabama County Assessor. Taxable value (NOT market value).
3
Tier 3 — Tax
Alabama County Treasurer or Tax Collector. Amount owed and paid.
4
Tier 4 — Liens
Most liens at the county; federal tax liens (IRS) and UCC filings often at the Secretary of State.
5
Tier 5 — Federal land
BLM General Land Office (glorecords.blm.gov) for federally administered land.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Alabama Property Records

❌ Myth: "Zillow shows the official Alabama value."
✓ Truth: False. Zillow is an algorithm. The official value comes from the Alabama County Assessor.
❌ Myth: "Assessed value = market value in Alabama."
✓ Truth: False. Assessed value is for tax purposes. Most Alabama counties assess at less than 100% of market value.
❌ Myth: "There's a national property database."
✓ Truth: False. No federal property registry exists. Alabama property records are kept county-by-county.
❌ Myth: "The deed shows the current mortgage balance."
✓ Truth: False. The recorded mortgage shows the original amount. The current balance is held by the lender, not the county.
❌ Myth: "All Alabama liens appear in one search."
✓ Truth: False. Property liens are at the county; federal tax liens may be at the IRS; UCC liens are at the Secretary of State.

Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)

Related Property Records Resources

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

Property Records Databases

Official Alabama property records sources from county recorder/clerk offices, county appraisal districts/assessors, and statewide GIS portals.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

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