| Circuit Clerk | Limestone County Circuit Clerk (Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Circuit Clerk: Limestone County Courthouse, 200 Washington St West, Athens, AL 35611. Probate Judge: 100 South Clinton St, Suite D, Athens, AL 35611 |
| Phone | Circuit Clerk (256) 216-3865; Probate Judge (256) 233-6427 |
| Hours | Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday, closed 12:00–1:00 p.m. daily. Probate Judge: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday |
| 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 |
Limestone County, the fast-growing county west of Huntsville that includes Athens and the Limestone County side of the city of Madison, is the Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit of Alabama. The Limestone County Circuit Clerk keeps the case files for both circuit court (felonies, civil suits over $10,000, divorce, custody, and other domestic-relations matters) and district court (misdemeanors, small claims, civil cases up to $10,000, and county traffic citations) from the courthouse at 200 Washington Street West in downtown Athens. There is no separate district clerk.
The Judge of Probate, a separate elected official, keeps wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, and recorded land documents from an office on South Clinton Street, a short walk from the courthouse. Limestone County's probate office is one of the Alabama probate offices that offers an online lookup for both land records and probate case records through a vendor-run county services site.
Court-case searching follows the statewide Alabama pattern: a free docket viewer for Limestone County court dates on the clerk's site, with names, case histories, and document images available through Alacourt ACCESS ("Just One Look") for a per-search fee or an Alacourt.com subscription. Note that the clerk's office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. every day, which matters if you are driving in from Huntsville or Decatur.
Search Limestone County court records online
Circuit Clerk
Limestone County Circuit Clerk (Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit)
- Cost
- Office information and 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 Limestone County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Traffic
The site links to View Dockets (pa.alacourt.com, location code 15), Just One Look, AlaFile e-notice registration, AlaPay for fines, and pages for traffic court, jury service, and garnishment notices.
Other courts
Limestone County Probate Judge
- Cost
- Online land and probate case lookup available through the county's online-services vendor; recording and copy fees apply for documents
- Coverage
- Wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, and recorded documents (deeds, mortgages, UCC filings) for Limestone County
- Records
- Probate
The probate page links to the county's online services site (ingprobate.com/Limestone_Probate), which offers a Land Records lookup and a Probate Case Records lookup alongside tag renewals; account creation is offered but the site does not state fees or date coverage for the record lookups. Real-estate and UCC recording fee schedules are posted on separate pages of the probate site.
What is available online
The Circuit Clerk's site offers a free docket viewer for Limestone County court dates but no free name search; case histories and document images require Just One Look ($9.99 per search) or an Alacourt.com subscription, and fines can be paid through AlaPay. The probate office's online-services site provides a Land Records lookup and a Probate Case Records lookup, though it does not publish how far back the indexes reach; older estate files may require an in-person visit. Juvenile and adoption files are confidential and excluded from any public search.
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
Limestone County clerk offices
Circuit Clerk: Limestone County Courthouse, 200 Washington St West, Athens, AL 35611. Probate Judge: 100 South Clinton St, Suite D, Athens, AL 35611
Phone: Circuit Clerk (256) 216-3865; Probate Judge (256) 233-6427
Hours: Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday, closed 12:00–1:00 p.m. daily. Probate Judge: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday
Circuit- and district-court records. Visit the Circuit Clerk at 200 Washington St West, Athens, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (the office closes from noon to 1:00 p.m.). Bring the case number if you have it, or the party names and an approximate filing year. For a request by mail, write to the clerk at that address, describe the documents you need, state whether you need certified copies, and include a phone number so the office can quote the fee. Copy fees are set under a directive of the Administrative Office of Courts and are not posted on the site; call (256) 216-3865 to confirm.
Online. View Dockets on the clerk's site is free for court dates. Just One Look at pa.alacourt.com ($9.99 per search) returns case detail and document images; Alacourt.com is the subscription version for attorneys and businesses. Fines and court costs can be paid through AlaPay.
Probate records. Try the Probate Case Records and Land Records lookups on the county's online services site first, then request copies from the Probate Judge's office at 100 South Clinton St, Suite D, Athens, in person or by mail. Recording fee schedules for real-estate and UCC documents are posted on the probate office's pages; call (256) 233-6427 for copy and certification charges on existing records.
Municipal tickets. Citations written by Athens or Madison city police go to that city's municipal court, not the Circuit Clerk.
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
What are the Limestone County Circuit Clerk's hours?
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the office closed for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. every day. Plan an in-person visit around that midday closure.
Can I look up Limestone County probate or land records online?
Yes. The Probate Judge's page links to the county's online services site, which offers a Probate Case Records lookup and a Land Records lookup. The site does not state how far back its indexes go, so older files may still require a visit to the office on South Clinton Street.
Is there a free search for Limestone County court cases?
The Circuit Clerk's View Dockets link shows scheduled court dates at no charge. A name or case-number search with case detail requires Just One Look ($9.99 per search) or an Alacourt.com subscription.
Which office has a Limestone County divorce record?
The Limestone County Circuit Clerk at 200 Washington St West in Athens, since divorce and custody cases are heard in circuit court. The Probate Judge keeps marriage records, wills, and estates, not divorce files.
Sources
- Limestone County — Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit of Alabama (Circuit Clerk) — https://limestone.alacourt.gov/
- Limestone County, AL — Probate Judge — https://www.limestonecounty-al.gov/Departments/Probate-Judge
- Limestone County — Online Services (land and probate records lookup) — https://www.ingprobate.com/Limestone_Probate/
- 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.