How to Look Up Eviction Records in Alabama 2026

Where to Search Alabama Eviction Records

In Alabama, an eviction (the state calls it an "unlawful detainer") is filed and decided in the county District Court where the rental sits, and the case file lives with that county's court clerk. There is no statewide online portal that lets you search every county at once, access is county-by-county, so you start at the county clerk of the county where the tenant lived. Some counties expose records through local terminals or limited online lookups; many still require a phone call or an in-person visit to the courthouse.

The other defining fact about Alabama is what it lacks: there is no statutory right to expunge or seal a civil eviction record. Once an unlawful-detainer case is on a county docket, it generally stays a public court record. That shapes everything below, how a landlord should weigh a result, and how little recourse a tenant has to erase one. Certified copies run $1–$3 per page.

How to look up an Alabama eviction record

Because Alabama has no single statewide search, you work one county at a time. Identify the county where the tenant rented, that is the District Court with jurisdiction, and contact that county's court clerk. Ask the clerk's office how they make civil case records available: some counties offer a public-access terminal at the courthouse or a limited online index, while others answer record requests by phone or in person. Search by the party's full legal name, and bring (or be ready to supply) identifying details, since common names produce overlapping results. You can request to view the file at no charge in many offices; you only pay when you want copies. A certified copy, the version you would use for a formal screening file or a dispute, costs $1 to $3 per page. If your applicant lived in more than one county, you have to repeat the search in each.

How to read the result: a filing is not a judgment

The single most important habit when reading an Alabama unlawful-detainer file is to check the disposition, not just the fact that a case exists. A filing is not a judgment. Cases are dismissed, settled, decided for the tenant, or resolved when the renter pays and stays, and a case that never reached a judgment against the tenant says little about that person's reliability. Look for whether the court entered a judgment, who it favored, whether a money award was attached, and whether the matter was dismissed or withdrawn. In the District Court file you may also see whether the tenant appeared or defaulted. Treat an open or dismissed case very differently from a final judgment for the landlord. Reading the disposition is also what keeps your screening defensible: acting on the mere existence of a filing, rather than its outcome, is exactly the kind of decision that draws fair-housing and accuracy complaints.

Expungement and what it means for landlord screening

Alabama provides no statutory mechanism to expunge or seal a civil eviction record. Unlike states that let tenants petition to clear a dismissed or old case, an Alabama unlawful-detainer record generally remains a public court record indefinitely. For a landlord, that permanence is not a license to use everything you find. Tenant-screening reports are governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): most civil records, including evictions, generally fall off a consumer report after seven years, the data must be accurate and current, and if you deny an applicant based even in part on a screening report you must send an adverse-action notice with the reporting agency's details. So the court file may live forever, but what a screening company can lawfully report to you is narrower. The pivotal caution: build your decision on the case's outcome and an FCRA-compliant report, not on a raw filing pulled off a county docket.

The tenant's side: limited options in Alabama

For Alabama renters, the honest answer is that the state offers no expungement or sealing process for eviction records, so there is no petition to file to make a case disappear from the county District Court docket. What a tenant can do is focus on accuracy and outcome. If a case was dismissed, decided in your favor, or settled, make sure the court file reflects that disposition correctly, and request a certified copy ($1–$3 per page) so you can show a prospective landlord the actual result rather than letting them assume the worst from a bare filing. If a tenant-screening company reports an eviction that is wrong, outdated, or not yours, the FCRA gives you the right to dispute it directly with that company and have it investigated and corrected. Keeping your own documentation, payment records, the lease, any settlement, is the most effective tool Alabama tenants have.

Step-by-Step: How to Search Alabama Eviction Records

1. Identify the county court. Find the District Court website for the county where the property is located.
2. Search by party name. Enter the prospective tenant's full legal name (last name, first name) as a defendant/respondent. Try name variations including maiden names.
3. Filter by case type. Select eviction, forcible detainer, unlawful detainer, or summary possession as the case type depending on the court's terminology.
4. Review the disposition. Identify whether the case resulted in a judgment for the landlord (eviction), dismissal (tenant won or case settled), or is still pending. A filing alone does not mean the tenant was evicted.
5. Check the filing date. Consider how old the record is, most tenant-screening best practices recommend discounting records older than 5-7 years.
6. Request certified copies if needed. For a certified copy of the court record, contact the District Court clerk's office directly. Fees are typically $1-$3/page.

This page is maintained by the Eviction Risk Map research team and reflects Alabama's court structure as administered by the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, which oversees the District Courts that hear unlawful-detainer (eviction) cases. Alabama has no statutory eviction-record expungement provision, so no sealing citation is provided. Last reviewed June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; consult a licensed Alabama attorney for guidance on a specific record or eviction matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I look up an eviction record in Alabama?

Start with the county where the rental was located. Eviction (unlawful-detainer) cases are heard in that county's District Court, and the case file is held by the county court clerk. Because Alabama has no statewide online portal, you search county-by-county: contact the clerk's office to learn whether they offer a public-access terminal, a limited online index, or in-person/phone lookups, then search by the party's full legal name.

Are Alabama eviction records public?

Yes. Unlawful-detainer cases filed in Alabama District Court are public court records, and they generally remain accessible. There is no statewide search site, so you access them through the individual county clerk where the case was filed. You can usually view a file for free; certified copies cost $1 to $3 per page.

Can a tenant expunge an eviction record in Alabama?

No. Alabama has no statutory right to expunge or seal a civil eviction record, so there is no petition a tenant can file to remove an unlawful-detainer case from the county docket. A tenant's best options are to make sure the court file shows the correct disposition (such as a dismissal or a ruling in the tenant's favor) and, under the federal FCRA, to dispute any inaccurate or outdated eviction reported by a tenant-screening company.

How much does a certified copy of an Alabama eviction record cost?

Certified copies of court records run $1 to $3 per page in Alabama. Viewing a file at the county clerk's office is often free; the fee applies when you request copies, and a certified copy is the version you'd want for a screening file or a formal dispute.

Related Alabama Landlord Guides

Court portal information sourced from the Alabama court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published Alabama statutes (see citations above). Last updated August 28, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.