Jefferson County, AL

Birmingham warrants come from one of two places: the City of Birmingham (Birmingham Municipal Court / Birmingham PD) or the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. **Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Mark Pettway)** - Headquarters: 2200 Rev Abraham Woods, Jr., Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35203 - Main phone: 205-325-5700 - Tip line: 205-325-1450 - Crime Stoppers: 205-254-7777 - Email: info@jeffcosheriffal.com **Jefferson County is unusual** — it has TWO court divisions (Birmingham and Bessemer) with separate warrant offices: - Birmingham warrants: handled out of the main HQ at 2200 Rev Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd - Bessemer warrants/civil division: 1822 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020 - Bessemer Court covers Bessemer Cutoff cases — geographically the western/southwestern part of the county **For Birmingham city warrants** (municipal court level): - Birmingham PD Records Division: 205-254-6308 - Public records request via City Clerk **Realistic process:** 1. Most Alabama sheriffs' offices won't release warrant info to the public over the phone — privacy policy. Jefferson County is no exception. 2. **Court-level confirmation works:** if you know which court issued it, the Circuit Clerk or Municipal Court Clerk can confirm whether the warrant is still active. 3. **Online docket search:** alacourt.gov shows case status, which often reveals whether a bench warrant has been issued in an active case. 4. **For yourself:** if you suspect a warrant on yourself, talk to a Birmingham defense attorney first. Walking into the courthouse to "check on it" without representation often ends with you in custody. **Jefferson County Jails** (where someone with a served warrant ends up): - Birmingham County Jail: 809 Richard Arrington Jr., Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203 - Bessemer County Jail: 1822 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020

Jefferson County is the largest county in Alabama (Birmingham is the seat) and has the deepest set of online tools for finding someone through public records. **1. Property records (best for verified residential addresses)** - Jefferson County Tax Assessor: Gaynell Hendricks - Address: 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203 - Phone: 205-325-5505 (Tax Assessor) / 205-325-5500 (Tax Administration) - Free real property search: eringcapture.jccal.org/propsearch - Land Records (Probate Court / "Record Room"): jeffcoprobatecourt.com/land-records - Returns: owner name, parcel ID, address, valuation, tax history **2. Court records (recent addresses + case history)** - Free statewide search: alacourt.gov - Jefferson County has TWO courthouses: - Birmingham: 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N - Bessemer: 1801 3rd Avenue North - Civil filings often list a person's address at filing time — useful for finding someone who's been sued or sued someone **3. Voter registration (Alabama is a public-record state for voter rolls)** - Confirm registration: myinfo.alabamavotes.gov (need name + DOB) - Bulk voter file: request from Alabama Secretary of State; some restrictions apply **4. Sheriff & jail records (if they're currently incarcerated)** - Jefferson County Sheriff inmate search at jeffcosheriffal.com - Two jails — Birmingham (809 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N) and Bessemer (1822 2nd Ave N) **5. Public records request portals** - City of Birmingham: birminghamal.gov public records request - Jefferson County Public Information: jccal.org/Default.asp?ID=2416 - ALEA records: al.accessgov.com/alea-records-request **Practical tip for Jefferson County specifically:** because the county has the Birmingham/Bessemer split, a search that comes up empty on the Birmingham side might show up in Bessemer (or vice versa). If your first search misses, check the other division — it's a common gotcha for first-time searchers. **One thing public records won't give you:** current phone numbers, current employer, or anything about a minor.

Birmingham (in Jefferson County) has more options than most Alabama cities — three legitimate paths. **Path 1 — City-level check (Birmingham only)** The Birmingham Police Department Records Division actually runs city-only background checks for $10. - Birmingham PD Records Division: 205-254-6308 - $10.00 fee, available within 1–3 business days - Picked up in person with proper ID - Covers Birmingham city only — won't catch records from other Alabama jurisdictions **Path 2 — Statewide official check (ALEA)** For an Alabama-wide criminal history through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency: - Cost: $25.00 first copy, $5.00 each additional - Fingerprint-based — submit at 301 S. Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 (in person) or PO Box 1511, Montgomery, AL 36102-1511 (by mail) - Phone: 1-866-740-4762 or 334-676-7897 - Turnaround: a few days to a couple weeks **Path 3 — Court-level case search (free)** For a quick name-based criminal case lookup: - Alabama Unified Judicial System: alacourt.gov — free, statewide, name-based - Good enough for "did this person have any criminal cases in Alabama?" - Not certified, not FCRA-compliant, but useful for personal due diligence **Important — for employment use:** none of the above paths is FCRA-compliant on its own. Federal law requires you to use a licensed Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) for employment, tenant screening, or credit decisions. Running a self-service check and using it to deny someone a job is a federal violation. **Birmingham PD also offers:** - Fingerprints: $10.00 - Fingerprint Cards: $10.00 - Accident reports: $10.00 - Incident/Offense reports: $10.00 - Archived reports (pre-2013 incident, pre-2015 accident): $25.00 - Payment: cash, debit, money order, company check (no personal checks)

Opelika is the Lee County seat. Warrants here come from one of two places: the Opelika Police Department (city-level) or the Lee County Sheriff (county-level and unincorporated). Verified live today. **Lee County Sheriff's Office** - Address: 1900 Frederick Rd, Opelika, AL 36801 - Mailing: PO Box 688, Opelika, AL 36803-0688 - Phone: 334-749-5651 (main), 334-737-7022 (alt) - Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST - Records request: leecosheriffal.gov/recordsrequest (downloadable form) **Opelika Police Department** - Address: 501 South 10th Street, Opelika, AL 36801 (mail to 36803) - Records Division: 334-705-5295 - Public records request line: 334-705-5110 - Email: rjones@opelika-al.gov - Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM **The Alabama-specific reality:** the Lee County Sheriff's Office takes a slightly different approach than most Alabama agencies. Per the Sheriff's policy and the county magistrate office: **if someone suspects a warrant has been issued against them, they must appear in person at the Lee County Sheriff's Department.** They will not confirm warrants by phone for privacy and operational reasons. **For a court-level confirmation:** the Lee County Circuit Clerk can verify whether a specific warrant tied to a known case is still active. Statewide docket: alacourt.gov **Watch out for scams:** Lee County has actively warned about scammers calling residents claiming to be deputies and saying there's a warrant for missing jury duty. **Real deputies do not collect fines or warrant payments by phone.** If you get such a call, hang up and contact the Sheriff's office directly. **If the warrant is on you:** consult a Lee County defense attorney before walking into the Sheriff's department. The 30-minute consult is cheaper than getting booked without representation.

In Alabama, deeds and recorded property documents are filed at the **county Probate Office** (the office that doubles as the recorder), and assessment/tax data is at the **county Revenue Commissioner** or Tax Assessor (in Mobile, Jefferson, and a few others, separate Tax Assessor and Tax Collector offices). Most counties have free online search portals: Jefferson (jeffcoprobatecourt.com — fees $84.50 first copy, $28 standard recording), Mobile (probate.mobilecountyal.gov — deed tax $0.50 per $500 value), Baldwin (baldwincountyal.gov/government/probate-office/recording — $5 archive fee, $1 per name after two), Madison, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa (tuscco.com — $5 minimum filing). Statewide deed tax is $1.00 per $1,000 of value, rounded up. Bring an Alabama Real Estate Sales Validation form when filing a new deed — recording without it is rejected. Certified copies typically run $1–$3 per page. Online deed images normally go back to the 1990s; older books (often handwritten) require an in-person visit to the courthouse. Sources: Jefferson Probate (jeffcoprobatecourt.com), Mobile Probate, Baldwin County, Tuscaloosa County, Limestone County.

Same August 2019 rule change applies here. There are no marriage *licenses* in Alabama anymore — only marriage *certificates* filed with the Probate Office. **For a current marriage filing (post-August 2019):** Barbour County has two probate locations. The Eufaula office handles the southern half of the county: - **Eufaula Probate Office** — 405 E Barbour Street, Eufaula, AL 36027 · 334-687-1530 - Mailing address: PO Box 758, Eufaula, AL 36072 To file: complete the Alabama Marriage Certificate form, get it notarized, and file with payment within 30 days. Form available at alabamapublichealth.gov/vitalrecords/marriage-certificates.html **For a search of existing records:** - Online search through the Barbour County system: ingprobate.com/barbour_probate — has both probate case records and marriage records - For a certified copy from the state: Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics — $15.00 first copy (records back to August 1936) · 334-206-5418 **Pre-1936 marriages:** must come from the Barbour County Probate Office directly — the state didn't centralize records before then. **Note on what's actually in the index:** the online search returns names and dates. For legal use (name change, immigration, estate work), you need the certified copy with the seal — that comes from either Probate or ADPH, not the online index.