Understanding Civil Court Records in Alabama

Civil court records in Alabama are maintained by the judiciary and consist of documents from non-criminal cases. These cases do not involve prosecutions by the state but rather legal actions initiated by private parties to resolve personal conflicts. Breach of contract, property disputes, and family law are common issues that often lead to the generation of civil court records.

Access to Alabama civil court records is governed by the Alabama Public Records Law and the Alabama Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality. These regulations affirm the public's right to access to all court records, including civil records, unless other laws or regulations prohibit the disclosure.

Civil Court Record Statistics Reported by Alabama Courts

The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts regularly publishes reports on civil cases in the state on its Civil Court Statistics dashboard. About 204,211 civil cases were filed in 2024 alone, revealing a significant increase from the 170,249 cases filed in 2023. Mobile County (19,053), Madison County (14,390), and Montgomery County (14,251) recorded the highest numbers of filed civil cases.

Account collection was the most frequently filed case type, accounting for 86,202 cases. Other commonly filed cases included contract/ejectment/seizure (39,109 cases), unlawful detainer (31,873 cases), and miscellaneous small claims (16,499 cases). The total number of cases disposed of in the state for 2024 was 188,126.

How Civil Records Differ from Criminal Records in Alabama

Civil and criminal court records are two distinct types of court records, each with a unique focus. Civil court records exclusively cover details from legal proceedings of private disputes, while criminal court records feature only information from criminal prosecutions. Civil records and criminal records are also generally public, but may face nuanced restrictions. Criminal records are usually subject to more stringent limitations than civil records. The table below provides further clarification on the differences between civil and criminal court records.

Focus	Civil Court Record	Criminal Court Record
Governing Law	Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure	Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure
Purpose	Resolve private disputes and claims	Prosecution and punishment of offenses
Common Case Types	Property disputes, divorce, probate, landlord-tenant conflicts	Murder, theft, fraud, DUI (driving under the influence)
Remedies/Outcomes	Injunctions, monetary compensation, declaratory relief	Criminal penalties, including fines, incarceration, and probation

Structure of the Civil Court System in Alabama

Civil courts in Alabama are embedded in the state's unified judicial system, overseen by the Supreme Court of Alabama and administered through the Administrative Office of Courts. Alabama does not operate specialized civil courts; instead, civil cases are handled by the trial courts, generally the district and circuit courts.

Under Ala. Code § 12-12-30, district courts handle civil cases (including small claims) where the monetary claims exceed $6,000 but not $20,000. The circuit court, under Ala. Code § 12-11-30 has exclusive jurisdiction over civil cases where the dispute is above $20,000 and concurrent jurisdiction with the district court for cases above $6,000. Monetary valuations do not include interest and costs.

Civil cases are treated in accordance with the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure. This sets its handling apart from criminal cases that follow the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure. Hence, record-keeping and appeal paths are quite different.

The table below provides basic information on Alabama courts and the civil cases they handle.

Court	Type of Civil Cases
Alabama District Courts	Handle cases not exceeding $20,000 in damages
Alabama Small Claims Courts (a specialized division of the District Court)	Oversee cases less than $6,000 in financial value
Alabama Circuit Courts	Has jurisdiction over cases where the dispute is above $6,000
Probate Courts	Handle estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and adoptions
Alabama Court of Civil Appeals	Hears appeals for civil cases where the amount disputed does not exceed $50,000 and domestic relations cases, including annulment, divorce, adoption, and child custody cases
Alabama Supreme Court	Receives appeals for civil cases above $50,000 and from the Alabama Public Service Commission

Public Access to Civil Court Documents in Alabama

All court records, including civil court records in Alabama, are presumed to be public in line with the Alabama Public Records Law, which grants citizens the right to examine and copy any public record. Furthermore, the Alabama Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality (notably, rules 104, 201, 301, 302, and 303), which took effect from January 1, 2025, coordinate access to court records.

Although civil court records are public by default, certain records or specific circumstances require them to be sealed or made confidential. Generally, a judge will seal a record if state law or a court rule mandates it, or if they determine that an interest in confidentiality outweighs the public's need for access. The following records are examples of confidential records in Alabama:

Juvenile records
Finalized adoption records
Certain family law matters
Abuse and neglect records
Involuntary mental health commitment records
Trade secrets and other confidential commercial information

How to Lookup Alabama Civil Court Records

There are several ways to access civil court records in Alabama. One way is to visit the Clerk of Court's office of the court that handled the case. Some courthouses, like the Calhoun County Courthouse, have public access computers that visitors can use to search for records. Operating these computers is free, and the search criterion is generally a case party's name or the case number, depending on the system. If the required record is found on the computer, visitors may then request a copy from the clerk. For courthouses lacking public computers, individuals may approach the clerk or on-seat staff and provide the search information to obtain the court record.

Many courts in Alabama also allow mail-in requests if an individual does not wish or is unable to obtain the record in person. This usually involves penning down the request that clearly describes the required record, and mailing it to the court along with a self-addressed envelope and payment for the copies. Payment for copies of court records applies to both in-person and mail-in requests. Standard copies of a court record cost 50 cents per page, and certification costs $5 per document. Some clerks may also charge a search fee if an extensive search is required or the record has been archived or microfilmed.

Alternatively, individuals may search for civil court records on the Alabama "Just One Look" Portal. The portal is a centralized system containing civil court record information from all trial courts in Alabama. The system is subscription-based, and the price depends on the type of search being done.

Types of Civil Cases Filed in Alabama Courts

Civil cases surround a wide range of legal issues, from complex matters like intellectual property infringement to more common issues like divorce. Essentially, any legal matter a person/entity has with another person/entity is classified as a civil case. Below are some of the more common civil cases in Alabama.

Domestic Relations Cases: These include divorce, paternity, child custody, and any family-related issue. The Circuit Court and Probate Court preside over these cases. Some counties also have a Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court dedicated to such cases.
Contract Disputes: These involve conflicts over agreements made between persons, such as breach of contract and unpaid debts. The amount of compensation involved determines whether the District Court or the Circuit Court handles the case.
Tort: These cases arise when one person claims to have suffered harm/injury due to the negligence, deliberate act, or otherwise wrongful action of another party. Typical examples are medical malpractice, personal injury, and defamation.
Real Estate Disputes: These are quite common, involving disputes over real estate transactions, boundary disagreements, or eviction and rental matters.
Probate Cases: Probate cases revolve around estate administration, guardianships, conservatorships, wills, and adoptions. The Probate Courts exclusively oversee these matters.

Information Captured in Alabama Civil Court Files

Alabama civil court files provide elaborate documentation on all proceedings and filings related to a civil case. These records are filed with and maintained by the Clerk of Court in the county where the case was initiated. While civil court files contain comprehensive information about a case, individuals may not always have access to a file's full contents, especially when confidential or privileged information is present-for example, social security numbers or financial account numbers.

Typical contents of a civil court file in Alabama include

Complaints and responses
Evidence and exhibits
Motions, trial transcripts, and notices
Dockets and action summaries
Court orders and judgments

Retention and Archiving of Civil Court Records in Alabama

Trial courts in Alabama retain and store civil court records in accordance with the Supreme Court-approved Retention Schedule. The schedule is updated based on recommendations made by the Unified Judicial System Record Committee to the Supreme Court.

Per the retention schedule, circuit court civil records are retained permanently, while civil records from the district court, including small claims, may be destroyed 10 years after case closure. Nevertheless, all courts must permanently retain case action summary sheets.

Digital civil court records are maintained indefinitely unless a court orders their obliteration. Additionally, the Administrative Director of Courts (ADC), in cooperation with the Unified Judicial System Record Committee, may authorize the deletion of a digital court record 25 years after the final disposition. Alternatively, these records may be transferred to the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Members of the public can obtain a copy of an archived civil court record through the Clerk of Court's office where the case was originally filed.