| Circuit Clerk | Baldwin County Circuit Clerk (Twenty-Eighth Judicial Circuit) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Circuit Clerk: Baldwin County Courthouse, 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, Bay Minette, AL 36507. Satellite courthouses: 1100 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope, AL 36532; 201 East Section Ave, Foley, AL 36535. Probate Office (main): 220 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette, AL 36507 |
| Phone | Circuit Clerk (251) 937-0280; Fairhope satellite (251) 928-3002; Foley satellite (251) 943-5061. Probate Court (Citizen Service Center) (251) 580-1695; Probate Recording, Bay Minette (251) 937-0230 |
| Hours | Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. Probate Office: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday (longest waits 11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; appointments encouraged) |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Probate records: $1.00 per page (Code of Alabama § 12-19-90). Circuit/district clerk copies: set by directive of the Administrative Director of Courts under Rule 30, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration; confirm with the clerk |
| Certified copy fee | Probate records: $3.00 per document (certificate with seal) in addition to the per-page copy charge. Circuit/district clerk certification: confirm with the clerk |
Baldwin County, the fast-growing Gulf Coast county east of Mobile Bay (Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and the county seat of Bay Minette), makes up the entire Twenty-Eighth Judicial Circuit of Alabama. The Baldwin County Circuit Clerk keeps the records of both circuit court (felonies, larger civil suits, divorce and custody) and district court (misdemeanors, small claims, civil cases up to $10,000, and county traffic citations). Because the county is large and its population is concentrated on the Eastern Shore and in the south, the clerk runs a main office at the courthouse in Bay Minette plus satellite courthouses in Fairhope and Foley.
A separate elected official, the Judge of Probate, keeps wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, name changes, and recorded documents such as deeds and mortgages. The Probate Office also has four public locations (Bay Minette, Fairhope, Foley, and Robertsdale), but marriage certificates are recorded only in Bay Minette, and the Probate Court's judicial docket is a separate function from the license and tag counters most people associate with the office.
As in every Alabama county, the circuit clerk's own website does not host a free case search. It links to the statewide docket viewer for Baldwin County, to Alacourt ACCESS ("Just One Look") for pay-per-search case detail, and to AlaFile for e-filing. The Probate Court, by contrast, runs its own free web inquiry for probate case records.
Search Baldwin County court records online
Circuit Clerk
Baldwin County Circuit Clerk (Twenty-Eighth Judicial Circuit)
- Cost
- Office information and daily dockets are free; Alacourt/Just One Look search ($9.99 per search) and copy fees apply for case detail
- Coverage
- Circuit- and district-court criminal, civil, domestic relations, small claims, and traffic cases for Baldwin County, including cases heard at the Fairhope and Foley satellite courthouses
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Traffic
The site links to View Dockets (pa.alacourt.com, location code 05), Just One Look, AlaFile, court-cost pages, and a downloadable Request for Record Search form hosted on the county's baldwincountyal.gov domain.
Other courts
Baldwin County Probate Court
- Cost
- Probate case inquiry is free to search online; recording and copy fees apply for documents
- Coverage
- Wills and estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, name changes, and involuntary-commitment proceedings for Baldwin County
- Records
- Probate
The Probate Court's own Web Inquiry (probatecourt.baldwincountyal.gov/DuProcessCourtInquiry) shows case events, charges, and docket notes for cases marked public record, refreshed nightly. Recorded documents (deeds, mortgages) are handled by the Probate Office's Recording division at the same locations.
What is available online
The Circuit Clerk's site offers a free docket viewer for Baldwin County court dates but no free case search; party names, case histories, and document images come through Just One Look ($9.99 per search) or an Alacourt.com subscription. Written record-search requests go to the clerk on the county's Request for Record Search form. The Probate Court runs a separate, free Web Inquiry for probate cases marked public record, refreshed nightly from the court's case management system, with Social Security numbers stripped from every display. Recorded land documents are searched through the Probate Office's recording system, not through the court inquiry.
Which clerk has your record
In Alabama, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Alabama page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts (41 judicial circuits) | Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other domestic-relations cases; Civil cases exceeding $10,000 (and $3,000–$10,000 by discretion) | Circuit Clerk of the county |
| District Courts | Misdemeanor criminal cases and preliminary felony hearings; Civil cases between $3,000 and $10,000; Small claims up to $6,000 | Circuit Clerk of the county |
| Probate Courts | Wills and estate administration; Guardianships and conservatorships; Adoptions | Judge of Probate of the county |
| Municipal Courts | Municipal ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued within city limits; Class C misdemeanors when tried by the city | Municipal court clerk for that city |
Request records in person or by mail
Baldwin County clerk offices
Circuit Clerk: Baldwin County Courthouse, 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, Bay Minette, AL 36507. Satellite courthouses: 1100 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope, AL 36532; 201 East Section Ave, Foley, AL 36535. Probate Office (main): 220 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette, AL 36507
Phone: Circuit Clerk (251) 937-0280; Fairhope satellite (251) 928-3002; Foley satellite (251) 943-5061. Probate Court (Citizen Service Center) (251) 580-1695; Probate Recording, Bay Minette (251) 937-0230
Hours: Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. Probate Office: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday (longest waits 11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; appointments encouraged)
Circuit- and district-court records. Visit the Circuit Clerk at 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, in Bay Minette, or one of the satellite courthouses in Fairhope (1100 Fairhope Ave) or Foley (201 East Section Ave). Bring the case number if you have it; otherwise the party names and approximate filing year. For a request by mail, download the Request for Record Search form linked from the clerk's website, complete it, and send it with payment to the Bay Minette office; call (251) 937-0280 first to confirm the current copy and search fees, which the clerk sets under a directive of the Administrative Office of Courts.
Online. Use View Dockets on the clerk's site (free) to see upcoming court dates, or Just One Look at pa.alacourt.com ($9.99 per search) for case detail and document images. Attorneys and businesses with recurring needs use an Alacourt.com subscription.
Probate records. Search the Probate Court's Web Inquiry online at no charge for estate, guardianship, conservatorship, adoption (sealed), and name-change cases, then request copies from the Probate Office at 220 Courthouse Square in Bay Minette or any of the Fairhope, Foley, or Robertsdale locations. Marriage certificates are recorded only in Bay Minette. The office encourages appointments through its online scheduling portal or by calling (251) 239-4311.
Traffic tickets. Citations written by the sheriff or state troopers in Baldwin County go through the Circuit Clerk (district court); tickets written by city police in Foley, Gulf Shores, Daphne, Fairhope, or Orange Beach are handled by that city's municipal court, not the county.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Alabama |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Probate records: $1.00 per page (Code of Alabama § 12-19-90). Circuit/district clerk copies: set by directive of the Administrative Director of Courts under Rule 30, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration; confirm with the clerk |
| Certified copy | Probate records: $3.00 per document (certificate with seal) in addition to the per-page copy charge. Circuit/district clerk certification: confirm with the clerk |
Probate judges charge the statutory schedule in Code of Alabama § 12-19-90 — $1.00 per page for a copy of an instrument and $3.00 for each certificate with seal — which county probate offices such as Shelby, Lee, and Tuscaloosa reproduce on their posted fee sheets. Circuit clerks are governed instead by Rule 30 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, which says copy costs "shall be established by directive of the Administrative Director of Courts" and lets clerks charge for record searches; no statewide amount is published online, and court files remain free to inspect at the clerk's office. Parties and their attorneys may receive copies free at the clerk's discretion.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Alabama court records are presumed open under the state's public-records law, Code of Alabama § 36-12-40, but several categories are restricted or excluded from any public search:
The Alabama guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free online case search for Baldwin County court records?
Only for probate cases. The Baldwin County Probate Court's Web Inquiry is free and shows public probate case events and docket notes. Circuit- and district-court cases require Just One Look ($9.99 per search) or an Alacourt.com subscription; the Circuit Clerk's site offers only a free docket viewer.
Do I have to go to Bay Minette to get Baldwin County court records?
Not necessarily. The Circuit Clerk staffs satellite courthouses in Fairhope and Foley, and the Probate Office has counters in Bay Minette, Fairhope, Foley, and Robertsdale. Marriage certificates, however, are recorded only at the Bay Minette probate office.
How do I request a record search from the Baldwin County Circuit Clerk by mail?
Complete the Request for Record Search form linked from baldwin.alacourt.gov, include the case number or party names and year, state whether you need certified copies, and mail it with payment to 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, Bay Minette, AL 36507. Call ahead to confirm the current fee.
Where are Baldwin County wills and estate files kept?
With the Baldwin County Probate Court under the Judge of Probate, a separate office from the Circuit Clerk. Estate, guardianship, and conservatorship cases can be located through the court's free Web Inquiry before you request copies.
Sources
- Baldwin County — Twenty-Eighth Circuit Court of Alabama (Circuit Clerk) — https://baldwin.alacourt.gov/
- Baldwin County Circuit Clerk — Court Costs — https://baldwin.alacourt.gov/court-costs/
- Baldwin County Commission — Judge of Probate Court — https://www.baldwincountyal.gov/government/probate-office/probate-court
- Baldwin County Probate Court — Web Inquiry — https://probatecourt.baldwincountyal.gov/DuProcessCourtInquiry
- Baldwin County Commission — Probate Office Contact Us — https://baldwincountyal.gov/government/probate-office/contact-us
- Baldwin County Commission — Probate Office — https://baldwincountyal.gov/government/probate-office
- Alabama Administrative Office of Courts — https://www.alacourt.gov/
- Alabama Judicial System — Judicial System Chart — https://judicial.alabama.gov/Appellate/JudicialSystemChart
- Alacourt ACCESS ("Just One Look") — https://pa.alacourt.com/
- Alacourt.com 2.0 (subscription service) — https://v2.alacourt.com/
- ALEA Alabama Background Check Program — https://www.alea.gov/sbi/criminal-justice-services/criminal-records/alabama-background-check
- Alabama Appellate Courts Public Portal — https://publicportal.alappeals.gov/
- Alabama Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality — https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/RulesPrivacyConfidentiality.pdf
- Code of Alabama, Title 15, Chapter 27 — Expungement — https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/title-15/chapter-27/section-15-27-1/
- Code of Alabama, Title 36, Chapter 12, Article 3 — Public Writings — https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/title-36/chapter-12/article-3/section-36-12-40/
- Code of Alabama, Title 12, Chapter 19 — Court Finances — https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/title-12/chapter-19/article-3/division-2/section-12-19-71/
- Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, Rule 30 — Copies, certified copies; cost for copies — https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/ja30.pdf
- Shelby County Probate — Public Fee Schedule (Code of Alabama § 12-19-90) — https://www.shelbyal.com/DocumentCenter/View/892/Probate-Public-Fees
- Lee County Probate Recording — Fees — https://www.leeco.us/government/probate_judge/recording/fees.php
See also: all Alabama counties.