| Circuit Clerk | Madison County Circuit Clerk |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Circuit Clerk: Madison County Courthouse, 100 North Side Square, Room 217, Huntsville, AL 35801. Probate Judge: 1918 Memorial Pkwy NW, Huntsville, AL 35801 |
| Phone | Circuit Clerk (256) 532-3300; Probate Judge (256) 532-3330 |
| Hours | Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. Probate Judge: 8:30 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 |
Madison County's trial courts are the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit, based at the courthouse on North Side Square in Huntsville. The Madison County Circuit Clerk keeps records across roughly ten divisions covering civil, criminal, domestic, child support, traffic, juvenile, and warrant matters for both circuit and district court, and the office says most records are electronically imaged.
The Judge of Probate, a separate elected office, keeps wills, estates, guardianships, and recorded documents from a location on Memorial Parkway, with an archives facility outside Huntsville for older filings.
As in the rest of Alabama, the circuit clerk's own website is mainly informational; full case searches and document images go through the statewide Alacourt system, either the pay-per-search Just One Look tool or an Alacourt.com subscription.
Search Madison County court records online
Circuit Clerk
Madison County Circuit Clerk
- Cost
- Office information is free; Alacourt/Just One Look search and copy fees apply for case detail
- Coverage
- Circuit- and district-court civil, criminal, domestic relations, child support, and traffic cases for Madison County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Traffic
The office site directs users to www.alacourt.gov and Just One Look for online case searches.
Other courts
Madison County Probate Judge
- Cost
- Free to search office information; recording and copy fees apply
- Coverage
- Wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, and recorded documents for Madison County
- Records
- Probate
Confirmed via web search of the official madisoncountyal.gov domain; the page returned a 403 to automated verification, so treat this listing as unverified until checked manually.
What is available online
The Circuit Clerk's site describes ten divisions of electronically imaged records but does not offer a free public case search; use Just One Look or Alacourt.com for case detail and document images. The Probate Judge's office maintains a separate recorded-documents system and an off-site archives facility in Owens Cross Roads for older files.
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
Madison County clerk offices
Circuit Clerk: Madison County Courthouse, 100 North Side Square, Room 217, Huntsville, AL 35801. Probate Judge: 1918 Memorial Pkwy NW, Huntsville, AL 35801
Phone: Circuit Clerk (256) 532-3300; Probate Judge (256) 532-3330
Hours: Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. Probate Judge: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Circuit- and district-court records. Visit or write to the Circuit Clerk at 100 North Side Square, Huntsville, with the case number if known, or search online through Just One Look or Alacourt.com. Mailed requests should include a return address and phone number along with the case details.
Probate records. Contact the Madison County Probate Judge's office on Memorial Parkway for wills, estates, guardianships, and recorded documents; older files may be held at the archives facility in Owens Cross Roads.
Confirm probate details before relying on them. The Circuit Clerk's address, phone, and hours were confirmed on the clerk's official site; the probate office's website blocks automated verification, so its phone, hours, and online-search details come from search results and should be confirmed by phone.
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
How do I search Madison County court records online?
The Circuit Clerk's own site is informational rather than a search tool; use the statewide Just One Look service ($9.99 per search) or an Alacourt.com subscription to search Madison County circuit and district court cases.
Who keeps Madison County probate and estate records?
The Madison County Probate Judge, a separate office from the Circuit Clerk, located on Memorial Parkway in Huntsville, with an archives facility in Owens Cross Roads for older records.
Are Madison County juvenile records public?
No. Juvenile case files are confidential under Alabama law and are not included in Just One Look, Alacourt.com, or any public search.
How do I request a certified copy from the Madison County Circuit Clerk?
Request it in person at 100 North Side Square or by mail, including the case number, the document needed, and payment. Call the office first to confirm the current fee.
Sources
- Madison County Circuit Clerk (Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit) — https://madison.alacourt.gov/circuit-clerk/
- Madison County — 23rd Judicial Circuit (office contact and hours) — https://madison.alacourt.gov/
- Madison County, Alabama — Probate Judge — https://www.madisoncountyal.gov/departments/probate-judge
- Madison County, Alabama — Court System Information — https://www.madisoncountyal.gov/departments/court-system-information
- 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.