| Circuit Clerk | Mobile County Circuit Clerk |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Circuit Clerk: Government Plaza, 205 Government St, Suite 913, Mobile, AL 36644-2913. Probate Court: Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government St, Mobile, AL 36602 (mail: P.O. Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601) |
| Phone | Circuit Clerk (251) 574-8806; Probate Court — Judicial (251) 574-6001, Records (251) 574-6070, Recording (251) 574-6040 |
| Hours | Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday (probate hours not published online; call ahead) |
| 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 |
Mobile County's trial courts are the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, and the Mobile County Circuit Clerk keeps records for both circuit court (felonies, larger civil suits, divorce and custody) and district court (misdemeanors, small claims, traffic) out of the Government Plaza courthouse in downtown Mobile. Case files — civil, criminal, domestic, child support, traffic, and juvenile — are largely electronically imaged, though juvenile records are confidential and never appear in a public search.
A separate elected official, the Judge of Probate, keeps wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, and recorded documents at the Mobile County Government Center Annex, a few blocks from the circuit courthouse.
For online searching, the circuit clerk's office directs users to the statewide Alacourt system — Just One Look for a one-time, pay-per-search lookup, or Alacourt.com for attorneys and businesses with ongoing needs — rather than hosting its own free case-search tool.
Search Mobile County court records online
Circuit Clerk
Mobile 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 Mobile County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Traffic
The office site links to www.alacourt.gov and Just One Look for on-demand case searches; it does not publish a free case index of its own.
Other courts
Mobile County Probate Court
- Cost
- Free to search office information; recording and copy fees apply
- Coverage
- Wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, and recorded documents for Mobile County
- Records
- Probate
The Probate Court's site links to its own Benchmark judicial case search (benchmark.probate.mobilecountyal.gov) and a separate land-records search, so estate and guardianship cases can be located online without Alacourt.
What is available online
Case files handled by the Circuit Clerk are largely electronically imaged, which the office says makes information more readily available to judges, clerks, and the public, but full case detail and document images are only available through Just One Look or an Alacourt.com subscription, not a free public search on the clerk's own site. The Probate Court's site provides information about its own recorded-document and estate services.
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
Mobile County clerk offices
Circuit Clerk: Government Plaza, 205 Government St, Suite 913, Mobile, AL 36644-2913. Probate Court: Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government St, Mobile, AL 36602 (mail: P.O. Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601)
Phone: Circuit Clerk (251) 574-8806; Probate Court — Judicial (251) 574-6001, Records (251) 574-6070, Recording (251) 574-6040
Hours: Circuit Clerk: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday (probate hours not published online; call ahead)
Circuit- and district-court records. Visit the Circuit Clerk's office at Government Plaza (205 Government St) with the case number if you have it, or search online through Just One Look or Alacourt.com. Mailed requests should include the case number or party names and year, the documents needed, whether certified copies are required, and payment or a request for a fee quote.
Probate records. Contact the Mobile County Probate Court at the Government Center Annex (151 Government St) for wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, and recorded documents.
Juvenile records. Juvenile case files are confidential and are not available through the circuit clerk's public search or Alacourt.
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
Are Mobile County court records searchable online?
Not directly on the circuit clerk's own site. Full case detail requires the statewide Just One Look service ($9.99 per search) or an Alacourt.com subscription; the clerk's site mainly provides office information and links to those tools.
Which office has my Mobile County divorce or custody case?
The Mobile County Circuit Clerk. Domestic-relations cases are heard in circuit court, and the circuit clerk keeps the file, whether the case is a divorce, custody dispute, or child-support matter.
Where do I find a will or estate record in Mobile County?
At the Mobile County Probate Court, a separate office from the Circuit Clerk located at the Government Center Annex. Probate handles wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, and recorded documents.
Can I get Mobile County court records by mail?
Yes. Write to the Circuit Clerk with the case number or party names and year, the specific document you need, whether it should be certified, and payment or a request for a fee quote.
Sources
- Mobile County Circuit Clerk (Thirteenth Judicial Circuit) — https://mobile.alacourt.gov/clerk-bio/
- Mobile County Probate Court — https://probate.mobilecountyal.gov/
- Mobile County — Thirteenth Judicial Circuit court information — https://mobile.alacourt.gov/
- Mobile County Probate Court — Contact — https://probate.mobilecountyal.gov/about-us/contact/
- Mobile County official website — Government Plaza — https://www.mobilecountyal.gov/government/government-plaza/
- 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.