Alabama Free Public Records Directory

Alabama is the 30th largest state in the U.S. at 52,419 sq. miles. It is located in the southeastern region of the U.S., and is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west.

Alabama has the 2nd largest inland water system in the U.S. with a total of 1,500 miles of waterways. Alabama’s North Region is mostly mountainous with the Tennessee River cutting a large valley and creating numerous creeks, streams, rivers, mountains and lakes. The remainder of the state, just over half, is a gentle plain with a general descent towards the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

The climate of Alabama is considered humid subtropical. Generally, Alabama has very hot summers and mild winters with abundant rainfall throughout the year. It is typically warmer in the southern part of the state, while the northern part, especially in the Appalachian Mountains in the northeast, tend to be cooler. Alabama’s summers are among the hottest in the U.S. It is also prone to tropical storms often severe with frequent lightning and large hail.

In the 16th century, the Spanish were the first Europeans to reach Alabama. The French founded the region’s first European settlement in 1702. Alabama became part of the British West Florida from 1763 to 1783. After the U.S. won the American Revolutionary War, the territory was divided between the U.S. and Spain. The more sparsely settled eastern half of the territory was separated and named the Alabama Territory on March 3, 1817. Alabama was admitted to the Union as a U.S. state on December 14, 1819, as the 22nd state.

Birmingham is Alabama’s largest city in population and has long been the most industrialized city. The Birmingham metropolitan area has a population of approx. 1,128,047, which is about one-quarter of Alabama’s population. The capital of Alabama is the city of Montgomery, nationally recognized for its downtown revitalization. The state of Alabama is the 24th most populous state in the U.S. with an estimated population of 4,863,300. It is comprised of 67 counties.

Like many states in the southern U.S., Alabama suffered economic hardship until World War II because of its dependence on agriculture. Industrial development related to World War II, brought prosperity to the state with rural workers pouring into the state for better jobs and a higher standard of living. Alabama, still known as the “Cotton State,” ranks between 8th and 10th in cotton production. Much of Alabama’s economic growth since the 1990s has been due to its expanding automotive manufacturing. It currently ranks 4th in the U.S. for vehicle exports. It is estimated that 20 million tourists visit the state each year including many from other countries. Some of the most popular areas include the city of Huntsville, the Gulf Coast beaches, and the State’s capital of Montgomery.^[1]

The over 25 types of Alabama public records are sorted by category for easy access.

Abbreviation	AL, Ala.
Capital	Mongomery
Population	4,863,300 (2016 est.)
Area size	52,419 sq. mi.
Demonym	Alabamian
Primary languages spoken	English
Governor	Kay Ivey
Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
U.S. Senators	Richard Shelby, Doug Jones
U.S. House Delegation	6 Republicans, 1 Democrat
Time Zone --Most of State --Phenix City	Central: UTC -6/-5 Eastern: UTC – 5/-4

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records; 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records.^[2] The Alabama Public Records Law is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to the records of government bodies at all levels in Alabama.^[3]

Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them. When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.