Alabama Public Records

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.

Information on an unsolved murder in Alabama lives in three places. (1) The Alabama Attorney General's Cold Case unit at https://www.alabamaag.gov/cold-cases/ — public list of homicides and sexual assaults still under active review, with victim photos, case summaries, and a tip-submission form. (2) Alabama Project Cold Case at https://database.projectcoldcase.org/?state=Alabama — community-built database of unsolved homicides built from family submissions, news reports, and ALEA data; searchable by city, year, and victim name. (3) The investigating agency itself — usually the county sheriff's investigations division if the murder happened outside city limits, or the city police homicide unit (Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Huntsville all have one). For the actual case file, file an Alabama Open Records Act request under Code of Alabama § 36-12-40 — agencies routinely deny active-investigation files, but a charging document, autopsy report, or 911 transcript may be releasable. Anyone with information can call the ALEA tip line at 1-800-392-8011. Sources: Alabama AG (alabamaag.gov), Project Cold Case (projectcoldcase.org), ALEA (alea.gov).

Gadsden is the Etowah County seat, and arrests there usually pass through one of two agencies: Gadsden Police (city) or Etowah County Sheriff (county). Of all the Alabama counties, **Etowah has one of the more transparent online systems**. **Etowah County Sheriff's Office:** - Address: 827 Forrest Avenue, Gadsden, AL 35901 - Non-emergency: 256-546-2825 (24 hours) - Crime tips: 256-543-2893 - Online inmate roster (live and active): etowahcountysheriff.com/roster.php - Detention Center: same number, 256-546-2825 - The roster shows current inmates with booking date, charges, mugshot - Recent bookings page at etowahsmartweb.kalleo.net/smartwebclient — has booking number, MNI number, age, charges - 48-hour release list also available **Gadsden Police Department (for city-level arrests):** - Phone: 256-549-4578 - For records requests, contact the Police Department directly through the City Clerk **For older arrests:** - Etowah County Circuit Clerk: 256-549-5430 — case files persist long after jail archives - Alabama Unified Judicial System case search: alacourt.gov (free, name-based, statewide) **For complete personal background:** - ALEA fingerprint check: $25.00 first copy. The state-level CHRI is the only definitive record. **Quick tip:** the Etowah County Sheriff's smart-web portal and the standard inmate roster sometimes return different results — try both. The smart-web has booking numbers (e.g., ECSO26JBN004287) which are useful if you need to reference a specific booking later.

Jackson County is part of Alabama's **38th Judicial Circuit**, with the courthouse in Scottsboro. **Jackson County Courthouse** - Address: 102 East Laurel Street, Scottsboro, AL 35768 - Phone: 256-574-9320 - Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday–Friday - Circuit Clerk: Bart Buchanan **What the court handles:** - Circuit Civil (suits over $20,000, divorces, big civil disputes) — 2nd floor, Civil Division: 256-574-9203 - Circuit Criminal (felonies) - District Court (misdemeanors, small claims, civil under $20,000) - Probate (estates, wills, guardianships) — Probate Office at 205 Liberty Lane, Scottsboro · 256-574-9290 - Domestic relations / family **How to search records:** **Free statewide docket search** at alacourt.gov — name-based, covers all Alabama trial courts including Jackson. Use "Just One Look" for quick on-demand access. This shows case numbers, parties, charges, and case status. It does NOT give you the full case file. **Full case files** (motions, orders, evidence): request from the Circuit Clerk in person, by mail, or by phone. Small fees apply for printed or certified copies. Call 256-574-9320 for current copy fees. **For paid full-document access:** pa.alacourt.com — Alacourt subscription service, which gives you docket sheets and downloadable filings. **What's NOT in the public search:** - Sealed cases (court-ordered) - Expunged records (Alabama allows certain misdemeanors and dismissed felonies to be expunged) - Most juvenile cases - Some domestic violence and child custody material **For federal cases:** Alabama state courts don't house federal records. Bankruptcy, federal criminal, and federal civil cases are on **PACER** (pacer.uscourts.gov). Jackson County falls under the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.