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Office: Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 714 28th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Phone: (205) 349-2377
Website: tuscaloosacounty.org/ema
Alert System: CodeRed; Tuscaloosa County Emergency Alert; AL Alert statewide
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; contact EMA; extensive tornado shelter network since April 27, 2011
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: West Alabama county; Tuscaloosa is home to the University of Alabama; April 27, 2011 EF4 tornado devastated a large swath of Tuscaloosa – transformative event that led to major upgrades in storm shelter infrastructure, alert systems, and EMA capacity; Black Warrior River flood risk; sophisticated multi-agency emergency management; UA student population (38,000+) creates mass notification complexity
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Tuscaloosa County Highway Department – (205) 349-3870
Public Transit: Tuscaloosa Transit Authority (TTA) – (205) 349-1111; fixed-route bus service in Tuscaloosa metro; UA Crimson Ride campus transit; demand-response available
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com; UA game day traffic management (Bryant-Denny Stadium – 100,000+ capacity)
Notes: I-20/I-59 runs through county; US-82 corridor; Black Warrior River bridges; University of Alabama game day traffic management is one of Alabama’s largest recurring traffic events; Tuscaloosa National Airport for general aviation; Amtrak Crescent stops at Tuscaloosa
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Tuscaloosa County Building Department – (205) 349-3870
Address: 714 28th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Services: Building permits for unincorporated areas; rebuilding oversight post-2011 tornado
Notes: City of Tuscaloosa (extensive permit office – very active); Northport, Moundville, Brookwood, Vance, Coaling have separate permits; UA construction generates major permit activity; Mercedes-Benz plant (Vance) and suppliers generate industrial permits; post-2011 tornado rebuilding created sustained construction activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Tuscaloosa County Veterans Service Office – (205) 349-3870
Address: 714 28th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
VA Medical: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center – 3701 Loop Rd E, Tuscaloosa | (205) 554-2000 (full-service VA medical center – major regional facility)
Services: Full range – benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment, pension, compensation, mental health; UA College of Community Health Sciences supports veteran health research
Notes: Tuscaloosa VA is a full-service VA medical center serving west Alabama; UA’s connection to veteran research and healthcare education; active veteran student programs at UA
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Tuscaloosa Public Library / Tuscaloosa County Library System – tuscaloosalibrary.org | (205) 345-5820
Main: 1801 Jack Warner Pkwy, Tuscaloosa; branches in Northport, Holt, Brookwood, Moundville
UA Libraries: University of Alabama Libraries (Gorgas Library – extensive research collections; Alabama collections are nationally significant)
Services: Books, e-books (Alabama Digital Library), public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy, maker space, children’s programs, adult literacy; PARCA research resources
Notes: Well-developed system reflecting Tuscaloosa’s university city character; UA’s library system is one of the Southeast’s finest research collections; Paul W. Bryant Museum on campus is a major destination; strong genealogy and Alabama history collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
County/City Parks: Tuscaloosa Parks & Recreation – (205) 248-5280; Riverwalk (Black Warrior River); Kentuck Festival of the Arts (Northport); Snow Hinton Park; Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
State Parks: Lake Lurleen State Park – alapark.com | (205) 339-1558 (just northwest of Tuscaloosa – fishing, camping, swimming)
UA-Adjacent: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Crimson Tide football – 100,000+ capacity); Coleman Coliseum; Moundville Archaeological Site (prehistoric Native American site – one of the most significant in eastern US – in Tuscaloosa County)
Notes: University of Alabama athletics – particularly football – is the county’s dominant cultural and economic force; Moundville Archaeological Site is nationally significant; Kentuck Festival draws national folk/outsider art attention; Black Warrior River provides water recreation; Lake Lurleen is an accessible camping/fishing option
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Tuscaloosa County GIS – tuscaloosacounty.org/gis | (205) 349-3870
Parcel Search: Available through county GIS portal; Tuscaloosa City GIS also available
Notes: Well-developed GIS reflecting county’s resources; UA Geography department also maintains mapping resources; active development tracking important
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter – (205) 752-0011 | tuscaloosapets.com
Address: 1915 25th Ave E, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, owner surrenders, spay/neuter, microchipping, lost & found; active foster program
Notes: Metro animal shelter serves both city and county; UA student community creates unique animal service patterns (semester-end surrenders); active rescue community; Tuscaloosa SPCA active
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Tuscaloosa County Solid Waste – (205) 349-3870; City of Tuscaloosa Sanitation – (205) 248-5560
Recycling: Tuscaloosa city curbside recycling; county drop-off centers; UA campus recycling program
Environmental: Black Warrior River watershed (critically important – river flows through downtown Tuscaloosa); coal mining legacy in northern county; Mercedes-Benz plant environmental compliance; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov
Notes: Black Warrior River water quality is Tuscaloosa’s primary environmental issue; the river is both a recreation asset and drinking water source; Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway connects upstream; coal mining legacy in northern Tuscaloosa County (Brookwood area) creates reclamation and water quality challenges; UA’s large campus generates significant waste stream with active sustainability programs; post-2011 tornado debris management was a massive environmental operation
About Tuscaloosa County County
Tuscaloosa County is west-central Alabama’s Crimson Tide football capital and automotive manufacturing county – the University of Alabama’s championship football culture and the Mercedes-Benz plant’s global manufacturing footprint define a county whose twin economic engines of higher education and automotive production have made it one of Alabama’s most economically dynamic communities.
Tuscaloosa (the county seat, population ~100,000) is Tuscaloosa County’s governmental, academic, and cultural hub, an Alabama city whose football identity, university research mission, and Black Warrior River setting anchor a diverse and growing community between Birmingham and the Mississippi border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid: Via dhr.alabama.gov/county-office-contact/
Recommended
Search Tuscaloosa County public records for Tuscaloosa, Northport, Vance, and Tuscaloosa County residents.
Courts & Legal
Tuscaloosa County Probate Court at 714 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, phone 205-349-3840, handles probate.
Senior Services
Senior Services: Via tuscco.com (community services page)
Transportation: —
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
714 Greensboro Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
(205) 349-3870
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
714 Greensboro Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
(205) 349-3870
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Tuscaloosa County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Tuscaloosa Genealogical Society, 2012 Eleventh Street, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 – has led a long-term project to preserve and digitize 19th-century Circuit Court records (books from 1822, loose records mostly 1870s–1950s), added monthly and indexed online.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Tuscaloosa County Probate Office 2501 7th Street, Suite 100, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 Mailing address: P.O. Box 020737, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403 (205) 349-3870 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (call ahead to confirm, especially around lunch)
Step 1: figure out which path applies
This is the fork in the road that determines everything else – how long it takes, what it costs, and whether you need an attorney.
Small/Summary Distribution – for estates made up of personal property only (no real estate) worth up to roughly $47,000 (the threshold is CPI-adjusted annually; it rose from about $36,000 to ~$47,000 under the Revised Alabama Small Estates Act, effective October 1, 2025). No personal representative is appointed, and there’s no months-long court oversight – just a single verified petition.
Formal Probate – required if the estate includes real property, exceeds the small-estate threshold, or there’s a dispute among heirs. This appoints a personal representative (an executor if there’s a will, an administrator if there isn’t) with legal authority to act for the estate.
If the estate qualifies for summary distribution
Wait at least 30 days after the death before filing – filings submitted earlier will be rejected.
The surviving spouse (if there is one) is the only person who can file; if there’s no surviving spouse, any rightful heir can.
File a verified petition with the Tuscaloosa County Probate Court listing the decedent’s assets, debts, and heirs, plus the will if one exists.
Notice must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county; no distribution can happen until 30 days after publication.
The petitioner must separately notify the Alabama Medicaid Agency by certified mail (Medicaid has 30 days to respond with any claim against the estate – this step is required in every case, not just where Medicaid was involved).
Once both 30-day windows close and the judge approves, the court issues an order you can present to banks or other institutions to claim and distribute the property.
Simple, uncontested cases can wrap up in weeks to a few months. Anything with disputed debts or unclear heirs takes longer.
If formal probate is required
Gather what you’ll need before your first visit: the original will (if any), several certified copies of the death certificate, a list of assets and debts, and names/addresses of all heirs and beneficiaries.
File a Petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Petition for Letters of Administration (without one). Filing fee is a flat $45, plus $3/page for wills over 5 pages, and covers three certified copies of the letters.
Creditor notice must be published once a week for three successive weeks in a Tuscaloosa County newspaper of general circulation.
If uncontested with waivers filed, a hearing may not be required; otherwise the judge holds one and, if approved, issues the Letters.
The personal representative then has 2 months to file a full inventory of estate assets, and creditors have 6 months from the grant of letters (or 5 months from first publication, whichever is later) to submit claims.
After debts and taxes are settled, the representative files a final accounting; once approved, assets are distributed and the estate is formally closed.
Alabama requires an estate to stay open a minimum of 6 months, whether or not there’s a will.
A will must be filed for probate within 5 years of the date of death, or it loses effect.
What it costs
Court filing: $45 flat (plus the per-page will fee noted above).
Personal representative compensation: capped by law at 2.5% of the estate’s value received plus 2.5% of disbursements (extra allowed for genuinely extraordinary work).
Attorney fees: not fixed by statute – negotiated between the family and the attorney. Alabama doesn’t require an attorney for probate, but most formal (non-small-estate) cases benefit from one, especially if there’s a dispute or the estate includes real property.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
714 Greensboro Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
(205) 349-3870
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1600 28th Ave. E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
(205) 752-0616
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
714 Greensboro Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
(205) 349-3870
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
1200 Lurleen Wallace Blvd. N., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
(205) 758-7826
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Tuscaloosa County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Tuscaloosa County Health Department – (205) 554-4800
Address: 2600 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/tuscaloosa
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI/HIV testing, environmental health, vital records, restaurant inspections; robust services for county size
Notes: DCH Regional Medical Center and Northside Medical Center provide hospital services; UA College of Community Health Sciences supports public health programs; large university and medical community enhances county health infrastructure; post-2011 tornado trauma mental health programming notable
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Tuscaloosa
Population: 227,036
Area: 1,322 sq mi
Established: 1818
Public Records
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