How to Look Up Court Records in Alabama
Where Alabama court records live and how to search them — the official judiciary site, the statewide portal where one exists, and what is public versus sealed.
Search Alabama case records online by name or case number.
The official Alabama courts site — court structure, locations, and records guidance.
How to Search Alabama Court Records Online
Alabama's Unified Judicial System is made up of trial-level circuit and district courts, the Court of Civil Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Alabama Supreme Court as the highest court. Statewide trial court case information is maintained electronically and searched online through Alacourt, the Administrative Office of Courts' public access service.
To look up a case, start at Alacourt (Alabama Trial Court System). Search by the party's name or, for an exact match, the case number, then open the docket to see the filings, hearing dates, and outcome. Begin at the official portal above rather than a commercial records site, which resells the same public data.
Are Alabama Court Records Public?
Most trial court case records are public, but juvenile, sealed, and expunged matters are restricted. Alacourt is a subscription-based service (paid registration), while docket and general court information is available free on the judiciary site. These records are provided for general reference and are not a consumer report; they must not be used for employment, tenant, or credit screening governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Criminal, Civil, and Family Court Records
Alabama's trial courts hear criminal, civil, family, and probate matters, and the public search generally covers the same categories — with the confidential ones held back. Juvenile cases, adoptions, and many family matters are restricted by law, and sealed or expunged records do not appear at all. When a case does not turn up, that is often the system protecting a restricted record rather than a gap in the portal.
Searching by Name or Case Number
A case number pulls a single case directly and is the fastest route when you have it. A name search returns everyone who matches, so narrow it by filing date, court, and case type to separate people who share a name. A middle initial or an approximate year often turns a long list into one clear result.
Getting Copies and Certified Records
Reading a docket online is usually free, but an official or certified copy — the kind an agency or employer will accept — comes from the clerk of the court that holds the file, and typically carries a per-page or per-document fee. Order certified copies from the court itself, not a third-party site. These are court records for informational lookups, not a background-screening product, and may not be used for employment, tenant, or credit decisions governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Court systems rename portals, change fees, and adjust what they publish online without notice, so treat this page as a map, not the territory: for anything that matters, confirm the current rules with the court or the clerk's office directly.