I own a home in Alabama
Homestead exemption, property taxes, deeds, and storm damage.
From homestead exemptions and low property taxes to the Probate Judge, tornado season, and starting a business, CountyOffices gives you clear Alabama-specific guidance for the things that matter.
Reviewed against official Alabama government sources • Updated as laws and requirements change
Homestead exemption, property taxes, deeds, and storm damage.
Alabama has some of the lowest property taxes in the country, and homestead exemptions push them lower still. Every owner-occupied primary residence gets a basic homestead exemption exempting the first $4,000 of assessed value from state tax and up to $2,000 from county tax. If you're 65 or older, permanently and totally disabled, or legally blind, you're exempt from all state property tax, and can qualify for a larger county exemption too - homeowners 65+ with net taxable income under $12,000 can be exempt from all ad valorem tax. Apply through your county Tax Assessor (in most counties, part of the Revenue Commissioner's office) by December 31 to take effect the following year; it's not automatic and doesn't carry over when you sell. Deeds and mortgages on your property are recorded with the county's Judge of Probate, not a separate Register of Deeds.
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-4-1-.23, county Revenue Commissioner offices
Closings, title searches, deeds, recording fees, and property records.
Real estate closings in Alabama typically involve a title company or closing attorney, and Alabama is one of a handful of states where an attorney is customarily involved in the closing itself. Deeds are recorded with the county Judge of Probate, not a separate Register of Deeds or County Recorder - Alabama's Probate Court handles this function statewide. Recording carries a deed tax and, if there's a mortgage, a mortgage recording tax based on the loan amount, both collected by the Probate Judge's office at the time of recording. Before closing, a title search through the Probate Court's records confirms there are no liens or competing claims on the property. Many counties now offer online deed searching through the Probate Court website, though availability and depth vary by county.
Sources: county Judge of Probate offices, Alabama Dept. of Revenue
Safe rooms, weather alerts, insurance documents, and county resources.
Alabama sits in Dixie Alley, with tornado risk peaking twice a year: a spring maximum in March through May and a secondary, often underestimated, late-fall peak in November. Know whether your home has a safe room or safe space before storm season starts - Alabama has one of the country's most active state-supported safe room rebate and grant programs, run through the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, since the state has been hit by several of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. Sign up for county-level weather alerts through your local Emergency Management Agency, which vary in how they notify residents (sirens, apps, reverse-911 calls). After a storm, county Revenue Commissioners can reassess storm-damaged property, and your county Probate Court holds the property records you'll need for insurance and any FEMA claims if a federal disaster is declared.
Sources: Alabama Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, county Emergency Management offices
Probate, wills, estates, and county filing steps.
Probate in Alabama is handled by the county Judge of Probate, the same office that records deeds and marriage certificates - a broader combination of duties than most states give a single office. Alabama does offer a simplified path for small estates: a Summary Distribution is available when the estate's personal property doesn't exceed a statutory threshold, letting heirs avoid a full administration. Whether an estate needs full administration depends on its size, whether there's a will, and whether real property is involved. Filing starts with the Judge of Probate in the county where the deceased lived; while Alabama doesn't require an attorney for every probate matter, many families use one for anything beyond the simplest estates given how much rides on getting the paperwork right the first time.
Sources: county Judge of Probate offices, Code of Alabama Title 43
Marriage certificates, divorce filing, name changes, and official records.
Alabama does things differently here: since 2019, the state no longer issues marriage licenses. Instead, couples complete a marriage certificate form (no ceremony officiant sign-off required beforehand) and record it with the Judge of Probate in any Alabama county - it doesn't have to be where you live. There's no waiting period and no blood test requirement. Both parties complete and sign the certificate, which the Probate Judge's office then records, making the marriage official once filed. Divorce, by contrast, goes through Circuit Court, not the Probate Court - filed in the county where either spouse resides. Alabama allows both fault and no-fault divorce; "incompatibility of temperament" is the standard no-fault ground. Name changes after marriage typically just require your recorded marriage certificate; after divorce, many people restore a prior name directly in the divorce decree.
Sources: county Judge of Probate offices, Code of Alabama Title 30
Current use values, land records, county roads, and rural services.
If you own five or more acres used for crops, pasture, or timber, Alabama's current use program can value that land based on what it produces rather than what it would sell for - often a significant tax reduction, especially on land near growing areas where market value has outpaced agricultural value. The Alabama Dept. of Revenue calculates current use values annually by soil productivity group, separately for cropland, pastureland, and timberland, and your county tax assessor applies those figures to your parcel once you've filed an application. Properties under five acres can still qualify but may need to submit more documentation, like a forest management plan. One thing to know before you apply: if you later convert the land to a different use, the county can retroactively assess it at market value for the prior three tax years, so this isn't a decision to make and forget. Farm and timber land questions typically start with your county Revenue Commissioner or Tax Assessor's office.
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, Code of Alabama Sections 40-7-25.1 to 40-7-25.3
Birth, death, marriage, court, property, and business records.
Birth and death certificates from 1908 onward come from the Alabama Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery, which offers online, mail, and in-person ordering; birth records are restricted to the person named, immediate family, and legal representatives. Marriage certificates are recorded by the Judge of Probate in the county where the certificate was filed, with recent years also available through the Center for Health Statistics. Property records - deeds, mortgages, liens - are held by the county Judge of Probate, generally searchable online or in person at no charge to search (copies carry a fee). Court records for Circuit Court cases (felonies, major civil suits, divorce) come from the Circuit Clerk in the county where the case was filed; Probate Court cases (estates, guardianships) are separate, held by the Judge of Probate. Business records are filed with the Alabama Secretary of State's Business Services division. For older, pre-1908 records, the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery is the primary statewide repository.
Sources: Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, county Judge of Probate offices, Alabama Administrative Office of Courts
Licenses, permits, EIN, sales tax, and local requirements.
Alabama business registration starts with the Secretary of State's Business Services division, where you file to form an LLC or corporation, register a trade name, and get your entity into the state's business database. From there, most businesses also register with the Alabama Dept. of Revenue for a Business Privilege Tax account and, if selling taxable goods or services, a sales tax license. You'll need an EIN from the IRS if you're not a sole proprietor with no employees. County and city government add their own layer: many Alabama counties and cities require a business license through the county Probate Judge's office or license department, and local requirements vary more than in states with a centralized county business office. Zoning and building permits, if you're opening a physical location, come from your city or county planning department.
Sources: Alabama Secretary of State, Alabama Dept. of Revenue, IRS
Estates, deeds, elections, and car tags can all run through the Probate Judge's office.
In most states, "probate court" only handles estates. In Alabama, the county Judge of Probate is one of the broadest offices in local government: it records deeds and mortgages, processes marriage certificates, handles wills and estate administration, oversees guardianship and conservatorship filings, rules on mental health commitment petitions, and in many counties also issues vehicle tags and handles election administration. There's no separate Register of Deeds or County Recorder in Alabama - that function lives inside the Probate Court. This consolidation means that for a wide range of life events (buying a home, getting married, settling an estate), the Judge of Probate's office is very often your starting point, even though the name suggests a narrower role.
Sources: county Judge of Probate offices, Code of Alabama Title 12, Chapter 13
Since 2019, Alabama couples record a marriage certificate with probate instead of getting a license.
Alabama is one of the very few states that has done away with the marriage license entirely. Since a 2019 law took effect, couples no longer apply for a license before marrying. Instead, both parties fill out and sign a marriage certificate form, which is then recorded with the Judge of Probate in any Alabama county - no ceremony, officiant, or witness signature is required as a precondition to recording. This also means there's no waiting period between applying and marrying, unlike most states. The change was intended to remove the state from involvement in solemnizing marriages while still creating an official legal record. If you're looking for "the marriage license office," Alabama's version is simply the county Probate Court's marriage certificate process.
Sources: county Judge of Probate offices, Code of Alabama Section 30-1-9.1
In many counties one office, the Revenue Commissioner, both values property and collects the tax.
Many states split property valuation and tax collection into two separate elected offices. In a large number of Alabama counties, both jobs are combined into a single office: the Revenue Commissioner, who both appraises property (the assessor function) and bills and collects the resulting tax (the collector function). Not every county uses this consolidated model - some still maintain separate elected Tax Assessor and Tax Collector offices - so which structure your county uses is worth checking directly. Either way, this office (whatever its exact title locally) is where you'll go for property tax questions, homestead exemption applications, and current use valuation for farm or timber land, and in many counties it also handles vehicle tag renewals.
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, county Revenue Commissioner offices
Alabama property taxes are among the nation's lowest, with extra breaks for homeowners 65 and older.
Alabama consistently ranks among the states with the lowest effective property tax rates in the country, thanks partly to a low statewide assessment ratio (residential property is assessed at just 10% of appraised value, not the full value) and partly to its homestead exemption structure. Every owner-occupied primary residence gets a basic exemption: the first $4,000 of assessed value is exempt from state tax, and up to $2,000 from county tax. Homeowners 65 or older, permanently and totally disabled, or legally blind are exempt from all state property tax, and those 65+ with net taxable income under $12,000 can be exempt from all property tax, state and county alike. None of this is automatic - you apply through your county Revenue Commissioner or Tax Assessor by December 31 for the following tax year, and you have to reapply annually for the senior/disability tiers.
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-4-1-.23
Vehicle registration renews at the county, in a month set by the first letter of your last name.
Alabama doesn't renew vehicle registrations by birthday or purchase anniversary the way many states do - it staggers renewals across the year based on the first letter of the owner's last name. A last name starting with A or D renews in January, B in February, C or E in March, and so on through the alphabet, with U through Z renewing in October. Commercial, fleet, and leased vehicles renew separately in October and November. If a vehicle is registered to two people, the renewal month follows the first-listed owner's last name. Registration is handled at the county level (through the Probate Judge's office, License Commissioner, or Revenue Commissioner depending on the county) rather than a standalone state DMV, and a late fee of $15 plus interest applies if you miss your assigned month, even if you never received a mailed reminder.
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, county License Commissioner and Probate offices
Qualifying farm and timber land may be valued on its use, not its market price.
Most states tax farmland and timberland at market value, the price it would fetch if sold for its highest and best use - often development. Alabama, since 1978, lets qualifying farm and timber land be assessed at "current use value" instead: what the land is worth based on what it actually produces, not what a developer might pay for it. The Alabama Dept. of Revenue recalculates current use values every year by soil productivity group, separately for cropland, pastureland, and timberland, using state agricultural data. Landowners with five or more acres in agricultural or forest use apply through their county tax assessor; properties under five acres can still qualify but face more documentation requirements. The tradeoff: if you later convert the land to a non-qualifying use, the county can reassess it at market value retroactively for the three prior tax years, so it's meant for genuine ongoing agricultural or forest use, not a short-term tax move.
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, Code of Alabama Sections 40-7-25.1 to 40-7-25.3
Alabama county records online availability varies considerably by county. The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts at alacourt.gov provides some online case access for Circuit and District Court records. Many counties offer property tax and assessment records through their Revenue Commissioner websites. Vital records require ordering through the Alabama Center for Health Statistics. The Alabama Department of Archives and History provides digitized collections of historical Alabama county records. For records not available online, contacting the relevant county office in person or by phone is often more effective than written requests given Alabama's limited open records law.
Alabama birth and death certificates from 1908 onward are maintained by the Alabama Center for Health Statistics within the Department of Public Health. Certified copies can be ordered online, by mail, or in person at the Montgomery office. Birth records are restricted to the individual named, immediate family members, and legal representatives. Pre-1908 births and deaths are found in county registers and church records, with many collections held by the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Some counties also maintained local birth registers that predate state-level recording.
Alabama county records for real property are split between two offices. Deeds, mortgages, and other recorded instruments are filed with the Judge of Probate in the county where the property is located, not a separate Register of Deeds. Tax assessment and collection records are maintained by the County Revenue Commissioner. Many counties provide online deed searching through the Probate Court website or third-party platforms. Property tax data is often available through county Revenue Commissioner portals. Researchers need to contact both offices for a complete picture of a property's ownership and tax history.
The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts operates an online case search portal at alacourt.gov that provides access to Circuit and District Court case information for many counties. Coverage and depth vary by county and court division. For complete case files, pleadings, and judgments, contact the Circuit Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Probate Court records are maintained separately by the Judge of Probate. Fees for certified copies of court documents are set by state statute and vary by document type.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery is the primary repository for historical Alabama county records statewide, holding deed books, probate files, court minutes, and tax records from many counties. The ADAH also holds Freedmen's Bureau records and other post-Civil War materials critical for tracing African American ancestry in Alabama. FamilySearch has digitized a portion of Alabama county records microfilm. County libraries and genealogical societies across the state maintain local collections. For Black Belt counties with deteriorated records, university special collections at Auburn University and the University of Alabama hold supplementary materials.
Alabama's Open Records Act at Code of Alabama Section 36-12-40 provides public access to government records, but the law is considered one of the weaker open records frameworks in the country. It does not set specific response deadlines and does not require written explanations for denials. To request Alabama county records, submit a written request to the custodian of records at the relevant county agency. In practice, in-person visits to county offices often yield faster results than written requests. If a request is denied, the requestor may pursue remedies through the circuit court, but the process is less defined than in states with stronger statutes.
The Judge of Probate in each Alabama county maintains one of the broadest record collections in state government. Alabama county records held by the Probate Court include deeds and mortgages, wills and estate files, marriage licenses, mental health commitment orders, guardianship and conservatorship files, and in many counties election records. Because deeds are recorded with the Judge of Probate rather than a separate Register of Deeds, the Probate Court is the starting point for both property research and estate research. Marriage license records held by the Judge of Probate typically include applications with ages, birthplaces, and parents' names.
Marriage licenses in Alabama are issued by the Judge of Probate in the county where the license was obtained. To obtain a copy, contact the Probate Court with the names of both parties and the approximate marriage date. The Alabama Center for Health Statistics also maintains marriage records for recent years. Historical marriage records are found in Probate Court deed books and microfilm held by the Alabama Department of Archives and History. FamilySearch provides indexed Alabama marriage records from many counties. Some early Alabama county records include marriage bonds and certificates predating formal license requirements.
Alabama criminal history records are maintained by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) through its Criminal History Unit. The public can request a criminal background check through ALEA for a fee. Individual county-level criminal case records within Alabama county records are accessible through the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts portal or by contacting the Circuit Clerk in the county where the case was heard. Certified criminal history information requires a formal ALEA request. Records of arrests that did not result in conviction may be expungeable under Alabama law.
Free access to Alabama county records for land varies by county. Some counties provide free online deed searching through the Probate Court website. Others use third-party platforms that charge subscription or per-search fees. Searching in person at the Probate Court is generally free. Property tax records are available through most county Revenue Commissioner websites, often at no charge. Older Alabama county records digitized by the Alabama Department of Archives and History or FamilySearch are generally available free online.
These are two distinct elected judicial offices in each Alabama county with separate record-keeping responsibilities. The Circuit Clerk maintains case files for the Circuit Court, including felony criminal cases, major civil litigation, and domestic relations matters, including divorce. The Judge of Probate maintains Probate Court records including estate files, deeds, mortgages, marriage licenses, and mental health proceedings. Alabama county records for property and marriage go to the Judge of Probate; records for divorce and civil litigation go to the Circuit Clerk. The two offices are separate and do not share filing systems.
Fees for Alabama county records vary by record type and county. The Alabama Open Records Act does not specify a uniform fee schedule, so individual agencies set copying costs. Certified copies of deeds and court documents carry per-page fees established by state statute or county policy. The Alabama Center for Health Statistics charges fixed fees for certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates. The court sets Probate Court fees for estate document copies. Contacting the relevant office before submitting a request is the best way to confirm current fee schedules.
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Alabama's homestead exemption deadline is genuinely distinctive: you must occupy the property as your primary residence by October 1 of the tax year, but you have until December 31 to actually file the application with your county Revenue Commissioner - a longer window than many states allow. This same December 31 date is also when you must report any improvements made to your property (additions, pools, major renovations) before October 1 of that year, so the two obligations share a deadline even though they're different filings. Vehicle tag renewal in Alabama runs on a genuinely unique staggered schedule tied to the first letter of your last name rather than a single statewide date: A and D renew in January, B in February, C and E in March, and so on through U-Z renewing in October, with commercial and fleet vehicles renewing in October-November. Miss your specific month and a $15 penalty plus interest applies. Property tax bills are typically due by December 31 as well, covering October 1 through September 30 of the following year. If you're appealing a property valuation, Alabama's Board of Equalization appeal window is tied to your specific county's notice date, so track that date carefully once your assessment notice arrives.
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, county Revenue Commissioner and Probate Judge offices, Code of Alabama §40-9-19 and §40-12-242
If you disagree with your property's assessed value in Alabama, the appeal process runs through your county's Board of Equalization - a local body separate from the Revenue Commissioner's office that originally set the value.
If you disagree with your property's assessed value in Alabama, the appeal process runs through your county's Board of Equalization - a local body separate from the Revenue Commissioner's office that originally set the value. The specific appeal window is tied to when your county's Board of Equalization mails its notice of assessed value, so once that notice arrives, note the deadline printed on it, since Alabama doesn't run this appeal window off a single statewide calendar date. When appealing, bring genuine supporting evidence: comparable sales of similar properties, documentation of condition issues affecting value, or an independent appraisal - a bare assertion that the value "seems too high" carries little weight without something concrete backing it up. The Board of Equalization reviews your evidence alongside the Revenue Commissioner's basis for the original valuation and issues a ruling. If you disagree with the Board's decision, further appeal to circuit court remains available, though that's a more formal, typically attorney-involved step. This same Board of Equalization process also handles exemption denials - if your homestead exemption application was denied and you believe it shouldn't have been, the appeal path runs through the same board.
Read the full property tax appeal guide →
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Revenue, county Board of Equalization and Revenue Commissioner offices, Code of Alabama §40-3-1 through §40-3-25
Alabama's public records law gives residents genuinely broad access to government-held records, rooted in a long-standing statute (Code of Alabama §36-12-40) that presumes records made or received by public officials in the course of their duties are open for public inspection and copying.
Alabama's public records law gives residents genuinely broad access to government-held records, rooted in a long-standing statute (Code of Alabama §36-12-40) that presumes records made or received by public officials in the course of their duties are open for public inspection and copying. You generally don't need to state a reason for requesting a record or prove a personal stake in it - the presumption runs toward disclosure, and an agency withholding a record needs to point to a specific legal exemption to justify that denial. Certain categories carry recognized exemptions, including law enforcement investigative records that would harm an ongoing investigation, certain personnel and medical records, and records specifically sealed by court order, but the default position favors access rather than secrecy. Real estate records - deeds, mortgages, liens - are held in the Probate Office of the county where the property sits, and Alabama's Probate Judge offices genuinely handle a wide range of records beyond just estates, including marriage certificates since 2019. Court records for civil, criminal, and probate matters are similarly held at the county level. Business entity records are filed with the Alabama Secretary of State, searchable statewide. If a request is denied, the specific statutory basis should be provided, and unresolved disputes can ultimately go to court.
Read the full open records guide →
Sources: Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, Code of Alabama §36-12-40, county Probate Judge offices
Alabama sits in a genuine tornado corridor, with two distinct peak windows - a primary severe weather season in spring (March through May) and a real secondary peak in late fall (November) that many residents outside the region don't expect.
Alabama sits in a genuine tornado corridor, with two distinct peak windows - a primary severe weather season in spring (March through May) and a real secondary peak in late fall (November) that many residents outside the region don't expect. Know your county's warning system and, if you have one, your safe room or storm shelter location before severe weather season starts, since Alabama has invested significantly in community and residential safe room grant programs given the state's tornado history. Your county Emergency Management Agency issues local warnings and coordinates immediate response when severe weather threatens. After a tornado or storm causes damage, your county Revenue Commissioner can adjust your property's assessed value to reflect storm damage, and if a federal disaster is declared, FEMA assistance becomes available for both individual homeowners and local government recovery costs - apply through FEMA once a declaration covers your county. Insurance claims should be filed promptly with thorough documentation (photos, a written inventory, receipts for any emergency repairs), since claim processes carry their own timelines. Building permits for storm repairs and rebuilds go through your county or city building department, and rules can differ depending on whether you're in a floodplain or simply rebuilding storm damage.
Sources: Alabama Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, county Emergency Management Agency and Revenue Commissioner offices
As a new Alabama resident, you have 30 days from moving to register your vehicle in the state with a valid out-of-state license, and a $15 penalty applies if you miss that window.
As a new Alabama resident, you have 30 days from moving to register your vehicle in the state with a valid out-of-state license, and a $15 penalty applies if you miss that window. Once registered, remember Alabama's genuinely distinctive tag renewal system: your annual renewal month is determined by the first letter of your last name rather than a single date for everyone - A and D renew in January, B in February, C and E in March, continuing through U-Z in October, with a $15 penalty plus interest for missing your specific month. For a driver's license, Alabama generally expects new residents to transfer their out-of-state license within a reasonable window after establishing residency; check with your county's ALEA Driver License office for the current specific timeline and required documents. If you've purchased a home, remember the homestead exemption requires occupying the property by October 1 but allows filing through December 31 - a genuinely generous window compared to many states' harder March or April deadlines. Register to vote through your county Board of Registrars or when transacting other state business through Alabama's Motor Voter options. Property tax bills, once you own a home, are generally due by December 31 for the October-through-September tax year.
Sources: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Driver License Division, Alabama Dept. of Revenue, county Revenue Commissioner offices, Alabama Secretary of State
Alabama laws apply statewide, but offices, services, procedures and local requirements can vary by county. Select your county for verified local offices, services and official resources.
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