Alabama
Alabama Court Records: How to Search Alacourt, What It Costs, and How Expungement Works
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 10, 2026). · 4 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Alabama's court records live in a single, paid, statewide system. There is no free public portal for looking up a case by name the way many other states offer. Alacourt, the electronic access system built for the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, is the state's one real option, and it charges for nearly every meaningful search.
That paid-only model shapes the rest of the Alabama picture: what Alacourt actually covers, what a search costs, and where the state's own expungement process fits in once a case is over.
Information last verified on 2026-08-10. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
This guide is part of a broader look at court records by state. For the general mechanics of federal versus state versus county searches, see how to look up court records and are court records public.
Alacourt: Alabama's Only Statewide Search, and It Is Not Free
Alacourt is the electronic case-access system built for the Alabama court system, and it comes in two public-facing versions. Pa.alacourt.com, marketed as Just One Look, lets someone pay for a single search without committing to an ongoing subscription. V2.alacourt.com is the full subscription product aimed at frequent users such as attorneys, employers, and background-screening firms. Neither offers a free tier.
According to Alacourt's own published pricing on the pa.alacourt.com portal, a name search costs $9.99, which includes one case detail, with each additional case detail from that search also billed at $9.99. A case number search follows the same $9.99 structure. Document images cost $5.00 for the first 20 pages of a case, then $0.50 per page after that. A separate case-monitoring subscription, which tracks a case for its full lifetime, costs $19.99 for a district-level case and $29.99 for a circuit-level case.
Alacourt covers Alabama's trial courts statewide: criminal, civil, small claims, state traffic, domestic relations, and child support cases from all 67 counties. Search is available by party name or case number, and subscription tiers add attorney-name and business-name search.
Alabama's Public-Records Framework
Alabama starts from the presumption most states use: court records are open unless a specific law, rule, or order says otherwise. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press summarizes Alabama's framing this way: the public has a right to inspect and take copies of any court record unless expressly prohibited by law, rule, or a court order. That presumption traces to Alabama's public records statute, Code of Alabama § 36-12-40.
One detail in that statute matters for anyone searching from out of state. SB270, enrolled in the 2024 regular session and effective October 1, 2024, rewrote § 36-12-40(a) so the statutory inspection right runs to every resident rather than every citizen. Section 36-12-43(b)(3) defines a resident as an individual permanently domiciled in Alabama, with reasonable proof such as an Alabama driver license or voter registration, and the standard request form set out in § 36-12-45 asks the requester to certify that you are an Alabama resident with standing to make a request for public records pursuant to Alabama law. That limit attaches to the statutory public-records right. Access to court files also rests on the separate common-law presumption that court filings are open, and Alacourt is a paid vendor service that sells searches without testing residency, so a non-resident is not shut out of Alabama case records in practice.
The same 2024 law carved the courts out of its new request procedures. Section 36-12-40(b) exempts the judicial branch of state government, and any office identified in Article VI of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, from §§ 36-12-43 through 36-12-45. Those are the sections that carry the new machinery, including the requirement in § 36-12-44 that a public officer acknowledge a proper request within 10 business days and provide a substantive response within 15 business days of that acknowledgment, extendable in 15-business-day increments on written notice. Those deadlines, described on our Alabama public records laws page, therefore do not bind a circuit or district court clerk. A court-record request runs through the clerk's own office and the court's rules instead.
Alabama has also adopted its own statewide Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality, which identify categories of information that stay confidential even inside an otherwise public case file. This guide does not reproduce that rule's specific category list, since the rule's full text could not be independently verified in this session. If a document's public status is in question for a specific case, the clerk of the court that handled it is the right point of contact.
Certified Copies
For a certified copy of an Alabama court document, contact the clerk of the circuit or district court where the case was filed. Fees are set at the county level; this guide does not publish a single statewide fee figure because none was confirmed from a primary source.
Sealing Your Record: Alabama Calls It Expungement
Alabama does not use the word sealing in its statute. Relief from a criminal record in Alabama is called expungement, and it runs through a petition to the court rather than an automatic process. Alabama is not one of the states currently running a Clean Slate-style automatic record-clearing program. For the eligibility rules, waiting periods, and filing steps under Title 15, Chapter 27 of the Code of Alabama, see Alabama expungement laws, which this guide does not duplicate.
Using Alabama Court Records the Right Way
Alacourt is built for checking a specific case, whether it is your own or one you have a legitimate reason to look into, not for compiling a background file on someone else. If an Alabama court record is used to screen a job applicant or a tenant, that use is governed separately by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, a criminal conviction is exempt from the standard seven-year reporting window that applies to most arrests and civil judgments, meaning it can be reported indefinitely unless Alabama has expunged it. The FTC's 2023 settlement with TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate, over marketing public-records reports for tenant and employee screening without following federal background-check law, is a reminder that a paid case-lookup tool like Alacourt is not itself an FCRA-compliant screening product.
Related Resources
Court Records by State covers the full 50-state picture. See also How to Look Up Court Records, Are Court Records Public?, Alabama Expungement Laws, Alabama Background Check Laws, Alabama Warrant Search, and Alabama Public Records Laws.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Alabama's Alacourt system and expungement law. It is not legal advice. Portal pricing and coverage change; verify current details with Alacourt or a licensed Alabama attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
Last updated: 2026-08-10. Portal facts and fees reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free way to search Alabama court records?
No confirmed free statewide option exists. Alacourt, through pa.alacourt.com for single searches or v2.alacourt.com for a subscription, is Alabama's primary electronic case-access system, and both charge for searches.
How much does an Alacourt search cost?
Per Alacourt's own published pricing, a name or case number search costs $9.99 with one case detail included, document images cost $5.00 for the first 20 pages then $0.50 per page after, and case monitoring costs $19.99 for a district case or $29.99 for a circuit case.
What courts does Alacourt cover?
Trial court records from all 67 Alabama counties, covering circuit and district courts: criminal, civil, small claims, domestic relations, state traffic, and child support cases.
Do I have to be an Alabama resident to see Alabama court records?
Not in practice. Since October 1, 2024, the statutory right in Code of Alabama 36-12-40 to inspect public records runs to Alabama residents, defined as individuals permanently domiciled in the state, and the standard request form asks a requester to certify residency. That limit attaches to the statutory public-records right. Court files are also open under the separate common-law presumption of access, and Alacourt sells searches to anyone who pays without testing residency.
Do the 2024 public-records response deadlines apply to a court clerk?
No. Code of Alabama 36-12-40(b) exempts the judicial branch from Sections 36-12-43 through 36-12-45, which are the sections carrying the 10-business-day acknowledgment and 15-business-day substantive response requirements. A court-record request goes through the clerk's office under the court's own rules instead.
Does Alabama call it sealing or expungement?
Expungement. Alabama does not use sealing as a statutory term, and relief is granted through a court petition under Title 15, Chapter 27 of the Code of Alabama, not automatically.
Can I use Alacourt to screen a job applicant or tenant?
Not on its own. Alacourt is a paid case-lookup tool, not an FCRA-compliant screening product. Employment and tenant screening are separately governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Updates
Added that Alabama's statutory right to inspect public records has run to Alabama residents since SB270 took effect on October 1, 2024, and that Section 36-12-40(b) exempts the judicial branch from the request and response deadlines in Sections 36-12-43 through 36-12-45, so those timelines do not bind a court clerk.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Code of Alabama 1975, Title 36: Public Officers and Employees.
§ 36-12-40Rights of Citizens to Inspect and Copy Public Writings; Exceptions.In forcecited in 6 of our articles
(a) Every resident has a right to inspect and take a copy of any public record of this state, except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law. Provided however, registration and circulation records and information concerning the use of the public, public school, or college and university libraries of this state shall be exempted from this section. Provided further, any parent of a minor child shall have the right to inspect the registration and circulation records of any school or public library that pertain to his or her child. Notwithstanding the foregoing, records concerning security plans, procedures, assessments, measures, or systems, and any other records relating to, or having an impact upon, the security or safety of persons, structures, facilities, or other infrastructures, including without limitation information concerning critical infrastructure, as defined at 42 U.S.C. § 5195c(e), and critical energy infrastructure information, as defined at 18 C.F.R.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-02 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at alison.legislature.state.al.us
Cited in 25 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Chambers v. Birmingham News Company (1989) held that section 36-12-40 carries a presumption of disclosure, that the Stone exceptions are strictly construed, and that the party refusing disclosure bears the burden. Blankenship v. City of Hoover (1991) applied it to uphold a request form asking purpose and to excuse employee W-2 forms.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Bedingfield v. Birmingham News Co. (Supreme Court of Alabama 1992, 595 So. 2d 1379)“…no exception to the requirement of public disclosure. See, Ala.Code 1975, § 36-12-40. When a trial court makes findings of…”
- Chambers v. Birmingham News Company (Supreme Court of Alabama 1989, 552 So. 2d 854)✓A county commission refused to give a newspaper the resumes and job applications it received for a new county post; the court affirmed the order releasing them, holding that § 36-12-40 carries a presumption of disclosure and that the official refusing bears the burden.
- Advertiser Co. v. Auburn University (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama 1991, 579 So. 2d 645)✓Media companies used § 36-12-40 to force release of a law firm's investigative report on an Auburn University official, then asked that their attorney fees be taxed to the university; the court held such fee awards are discretionary, not required, and affirmed the denial.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Alabama Public Records Law: Requests, Deadlines, and Denials, Alabama Police Body Camera Laws (2026): Access & Rules, Alabama License Plate Reader Laws (2026)
§ 36-12-44Duties of Public Officers; Requests for Public Records Clarification or Additional Information; Timing.In forcecited in 3 of our articles
(a) A public officer shall respond to a standard request subject to each of the following provisions: (1) The public officer may require the requester to submit his or her request using a standard request form or by following the written procedures for accepting requests for public records established by the public officer. (2) The public officer may require the requester to pay a reasonable fee set by the public officer before the requester may receive any public records. If the public officer elects to charge a fee, the public officer shall notify the requester of the estimated fee and withhold any public records until receipt of payment. The requester may opt not to pay the fee and thus not receive any substantive response. Additionally, the public officer shall have the discretion to require the requester to pay all or a portion of the estimated fee prior to searching for any responsive public records. (3) The public officer shall acknowledge a proper request within 10 business days of receiving the request. (4) The public officer shall provide a substantive response fulfilling or denying a proper request within 15 business days of acknowledging receipt.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at alison.legislature.state.al.us
Also relied on in: How to Get a Police Report in Alabama (2026): Crash & Incident Reports
United States Code Title 15
§ 1681cRequirements relating to information contained in consumer reportsIn forcecited in 61 of our articles
Except as authorized under subsection (b), no consumer reporting agency may make any consumer report containing any of the following items of information: Cases under title 11 or under the Bankruptcy Act that, from the date of entry of the order for relief or the date of adjudication, as the case may be, antedate the report by more than 10 years. Civil suits, civil judgments, and records of arrest that, from date of entry, antedate the report by more than seven years or until the governing statute of limitations has expired, whichever is the longer period. Paid tax liens which, from date of payment, antedate the report by more than seven years. Accounts placed for collection or charged to profit and loss which antedate the report by more than seven years. Any other adverse item of information, other than records of convictions of crimes which antedates the report by more than seven years.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-16 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 383 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Katz v. Donna Karan Co. (2017) addressed the FACTA truncation rule in 1681c(g) and affirmed dismissal for lack of Article III standing, treating material risk of harm as a fact question. Edward Seamans v. Temple University (2014) held the seven-year window in 1681c(a)(4) is extended for an education loan only until that loan is repaid.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Katz v. Donna Karan Co. (Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2017, 872 F.3d 114)✓A shopper sued two stores whose receipts printed the first six digits of his credit card number; the Second Circuit affirmed dismissal for lack of standing, seeing no clear error in the finding that those digits show only the card issuer, not a material risk of identity theft.
- Edward Seamans v. Temple University (Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 2014, 744 F.3d 853)✓A defaulted university loan kept appearing on a borrower's credit reports after he repaid it because the school never reported the delinquency date; the Third Circuit held the Higher Education Act suspends section 1681c(a)(4)'s aging-off rule only until repayment.
- Gonzales v. Arrow Financial Services, LLC (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2011, 660 F.3d 1055)✓A debt buyer offered to settle health club debts over seven years old, saying that if it was reporting the account the bureaus would be told it was settled; the Ninth Circuit, treating those debts as unreportable under section 1681c(a)(4), called that implication misleading.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: How Long Does a Felony Stay on Your Record? (2026), Alabama Background Check Laws (2026 Guide), Louisiana Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)
Search our full record of US law — 2.1 million sections, every state + federal →
Sources and References
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Open Courts Compendium, Alabama(rcfp.org)
- Alacourt ACCESS (pa.alacourt.com), Just One Look pricing(pa.alacourt.com)
- Cornell Legal Information Institute, 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports(law.cornell.edu)
- Federal Trade Commission, FTC Says TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate Deceived Users About Background Report Accuracy, Violated FCRA(ftc.gov).gov
- Alabama Legislature, SB270 (2024 Regular Session), Enrolled Act amending Code of Alabama §§ 36-12-40 and 36-12-41 and adding §§ 36-12-43 through 36-12-46, effective October 1, 2024(alison.legislature.state.al.us).gov
- Code of Alabama § 36-12-40, Rights of Residents to Inspect and Copy Public Records; Exceptions(alison.legislature.state.al.us).gov
- Code of Alabama § 36-12-44, Duties of Public Officers; Requests for Public Records; Timing(alison.legislature.state.al.us).gov