How to Find Booking Reports in Alabama
Alabama maintains booking reports at the county level. Each of the 67 county sheriff offices creates and stores these records when someone enters a jail. This decentralized system means you need to contact the right county to find what you need. Most counties now offer free online jail rosters. You can search by name and view booking dates, charges, and bond amounts without paying a fee.
Alabama Booking Reports Quick Facts
What Are Booking Reports in Alabama?
A booking report documents when someone enters a county jail. Jail staff create this record during intake. It captures key facts about the arrest and the person held. The arresting agency provides charge information. Jail staff add booking details like photos and fingerprints. Each record has a unique booking number assigned at the time of processing.
These records serve as the official log of who enters and leaves a jail. They help track inmates through the system. Courts use them for scheduling and case management. The public uses them to find out who is in custody. Alabama law requires sheriffs to keep these records open for inspection. Under Code of Alabama § 36-22-8, sheriffs must maintain public jail books with details on every prisoner. This law dates back decades and ensures transparency in the arrest and detention process across all Alabama counties.
City police make arrests within city limits. They transport arrested people to the county jail for booking. The sheriff's staff complete the intake process. All booking records stay with the county, not the city. This is how Alabama's system works in every corner of the state.
What Do Alabama Booking Reports Contain?
Booking reports contain personal data about the person arrested. You will find full names and dates of birth. Physical descriptions appear on most records. This includes height, weight, eye color, and hair color. Home addresses at the time of arrest are often listed. Mugshots show what the person looked like when booked.
Booking reports in Alabama typically include the following:
- Full name and known aliases
- Date of birth, age, gender, and race
- Physical description and mugshot photo
- Home address at time of arrest
- Booking number and date with time
- Criminal charges with statute citations
- Bond or bail amount set by court
Charges come with statute citations that show exactly what law was allegedly broken. Bond amounts indicate what someone must pay to get released before trial. Court dates may appear once scheduled. Arresting agency information tells you which police department or sheriff made the arrest. Fingerprints are collected but not released to the public.
Who Can Access Alabama Booking Reports?
Alabama limits public records access to state residents. This is one of only seven states with such a rule. If you live in Alabama, you have broad rights to view these records. Out-of-state requests may face denial. Code of Alabama § 36-12-40 gives Alabama residents the right to inspect public records. This law applies to booking reports held by county sheriff offices.
Current inmate rosters are widely available online. Over 50 counties post these for free on their sheriff websites. You do not need to give a reason to view them. News media access these daily for crime reporting. Employers check them for background purposes. Family members search to find out if someone is in custody. Bail bondsmen use them to find potential clients. Anyone in Alabama can search without explaining why.
Some limits apply to what you can see. Juvenile records stay sealed under Code of Alabama § 12-15-133. Active investigation files may be exempt from disclosure under § 12-21-3.1. Records that have been expunged under Chapter 15-27 must be removed from public view. But for most adult bookings, the information is open to the public in Alabama.
Alabama Booking Report Fees
Most online roster searches are free. You can view current inmates without paying anything. This is the fastest and cheapest way to check if someone is in jail. Just visit the county sheriff website and search by name. Results show within seconds.
For official copies, fees vary by county. Most clerks charge 50 cents to one dollar per page for plain copies. Certified copies cost more. Some counties charge a flat fee of five to twenty-five dollars for certified booking records. There is no standard fee set by the state. Each county decides its own rates. Call ahead to confirm current costs before making a trip.
State-level background checks through ALEA cost twenty-five dollars. These require fingerprint submission. You must send a money order or cashier's check. Personal checks are not accepted. ALEA checks show statewide criminal history, not just one county. The process takes several weeks by mail. Court records through Alacourt Access cost $9.99 per name search. This shows all court cases tied to an arrest, including outcomes.
Alabama Laws on Booking Reports
Several state laws control access to booking records in Alabama. These laws balance public transparency with privacy concerns. Understanding them helps you know what you can and cannot get. The main laws come from Title 36 and Title 41 of the Alabama Code.
Code of Alabama § 36-22-8 requires sheriffs to maintain a public record book for all prisoners. This book must include each person's name, age, charges, date of commitment, and release date. The records must be open during office hours. This is the main law that makes booking reports public in Alabama.
Section 36-12-40 establishes the general right of Alabama citizens to inspect public records. Section 36-12-41 requires public officers to provide certified copies upon demand and payment of reasonable fees. Section 41-9-623 requires criminal justice agencies to submit fingerprints and identifying data to the state criminal justice center for all felony arrests.
Privacy laws limit some access. Juvenile records are confidential under § 12-15-133. Records of ongoing investigations may be withheld under § 12-21-3.1 until the case is resolved. Expunged records must be destroyed or sealed under the expungement statutes in Chapter 15-27.
Can You Search Alabama Bookings Online?
Yes. The fastest way to find current booking information is online. Most large counties maintain real-time jail rosters. These update within hours of a booking. You can search without creating an account. Results appear instantly on most sheriff websites.
Over 50 Alabama counties have free online inmate rosters. Major counties like Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery all have search tools. Some use systems like SmartWEB or Tyler Technologies. Others use platforms from CountyGovServices. The format varies but the basic information is similar. You enter a name, hit search, and see results if there is a match.
For state prison inmates, use the Alabama Department of Corrections search at doc.alabama.gov. This covers only people serving sentences in state prisons. It does not show county jail inmates awaiting trial. For court records tied to arrests, use Alacourt Access at pa.alacourt.com. This system charges $9.99 per name search. VINELink at vinelink.com lets you register for notifications when an inmate's custody status changes.
Note: Some smaller rural counties do not have online rosters. For these, phone calls or in-person visits to the sheriff's office are required.
How to Get Booking Reports
Alabama offers several ways to get booking reports. The method you choose depends on what you need. Online searches work for current inmate status. Phone calls help with quick questions. In-person visits let you get official copies.
For online searches, visit the county sheriff's website. Look for links labeled "Jail Roster," "Inmate Search," or "Who's in Jail." Enter a name to search. Most sites do not require registration. Results show booking dates, charges, and bond amounts. Some include mugshots. This is free on most county sites in Alabama.
For phone inquiries, call the county jail directly. Have the person's full name and date of birth ready. Staff can confirm if someone is in custody. They can give you basic booking information. For sensitive details or official copies, you may need to visit in person. Bring a valid photo ID when you go. Ask for the records division. Specify what you need. Pay any required fees. Processing times vary by county in Alabama.
County Jails in Alabama
Alabama has 67 counties. Each operates its own jail through the county sheriff's office. The largest counties process tens of thousands of bookings yearly. Jefferson County handles over 43,000 annually. Mobile and Montgomery each handle thousands more. Smaller rural counties may see only a few hundred bookings per year.
Online access varies widely across the state. Major counties like Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa offer robust search tools. Medium-sized counties like Baldwin, Morgan, Shelby, and Lee also have good online systems. Some smaller counties lack any online roster. For these, you must call or visit the sheriff's office to get booking information.
One county has no active jail. Choctaw County closed its jail in July 2019. Inmates arrested there now go to neighboring counties like Clarke, Washington, or Marengo. Two counties have dual county seats with separate facilities. Coffee County uses both Elba and Enterprise. St. Clair County uses both Ashville and Pell City. This affects where booking records are kept in those areas.
Alabama Cities for Booking Reports
Ten Alabama cities have populations over 50,000. Huntsville is now the largest at 230,402 residents. It passed Birmingham in 2021. Mobile, Birmingham, and Montgomery follow close behind. Tuscaloosa, Hoover, Auburn, Dothan, Madison, and Decatur round out the list. City residents use their county sheriff's office for booking records. City police make arrests but counties handle detention.
A few cities operate their own jails for short-term holds. Birmingham, Montgomery, Hoover, and Dothan have city detention facilities. But even in these cities, most bookings end up at the county jail. The county sheriff maintains the official booking records. City police create arrest reports. The sheriff creates booking records. Both are useful for different purposes.
Browse Alabama Booking Reports by County
Each county in Alabama has its own sheriff who maintains booking records. Pick a county below to find local contact info and resources for jail rosters in that area.
Booking Reports in Major Alabama Cities
Residents of major cities access booking reports through their county sheriff. Pick a city below to learn where to find jail records in that area.