Baldwin County Public Records

Baldwin County public records are kept by the Probate Office and Circuit Clerk in Bay Minette. As Alabama's largest county by land area with over 230,000 residents, Baldwin County has three office locations and extensive online records access through its Public Search portal.

Baldwin County Probate Office

The Probate Office handles property records for Baldwin County. This includes deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and marriage certificates. The current Probate Judge is Harry D'Olive, Jr. Baldwin County has three office locations to serve its large geographic area. The main office sits in Bay Minette, with satellite offices in Fairhope and Foley.

The Bay Minette office is the main location. All marriage certificates are only recorded here. You cannot get a marriage license at the Fairhope or Foley offices. Those satellite offices can help with property searches and copies though. The three-office setup makes sense when you look at a map. Baldwin County stretches from Mobile Bay to the Florida line. Getting to Bay Minette from Gulf Shores takes almost an hour.

Search Baldwin County Records Online

Baldwin County offers free online access to property records through the Public Search portal. You can look up deeds, mortgages, and other recorded documents from 1899 to the present. That is over 125 years of land records available from your computer. No registration is needed for basic searches.

The portal at baldwin.al.publicsearch.us lets you search by name, document type, date range, and book/page number. Results show the recording date, document type, and parties involved. You can view document images for most records. Some older documents may not have digital images yet.

Baldwin County also has an Open Data Portal at open.baldwincountyal.gov. This site has GIS maps, parcel data, and other county information. It is a good tool for property research when used with the main records search. The county commission funds these online tools to help residents access public information.

E-recording has been available since October 2019. Title companies and attorneys can submit documents electronically. This speeds up the recording process and cuts down on paper handling. For regular folks, it means your deed might show up in the system faster after closing on a house.

Free Property Alert Service

Baldwin County offers a free fraud protection service for property owners. The Property Alert system sends you an email when any document gets recorded with your name on it. This helps you spot deed theft or title fraud quickly.

Here is how it works. You sign up with your name and email address. When someone records a deed, mortgage, or lien with your name, you get notified. If you did not file that document, you can take action fast. This service is free for Baldwin County property owners. Many other Alabama counties charge for similar alerts.

To sign up, visit the Probate Office website and look for the Property Alert link. The service covers any document type that includes your name as a party. You can add multiple name variations if needed.

Baldwin County Court Records

The Circuit Clerk maintains all trial court records in Baldwin County. This is separate from the Probate Office. Court records include civil cases, criminal cases, family matters, and traffic cases. The Circuit Clerk office is in the courthouse at Bay Minette.

You can search Baldwin County court records through the state Alacourt system. AlacourtAccess at pa.alacourt.com covers all Baldwin County courts. A name search costs $9.99 and includes one case detail. Extra cases cost $9.99 each. Document images cost $5.00 for the first 20 pages. The Circuit Clerk has a local website at baldwin.alacourt.gov too.

Baldwin County is part of the 28th Judicial Circuit. This circuit only covers Baldwin County, so the judges focus on local cases. The circuit handles circuit court and district court matters. Municipal courts for cities like Fairhope and Gulf Shores operate separately.

Baldwin County Recording Fees

Baldwin County sets its own fee schedule for recording and copies. These fees apply at the Bay Minette office and the satellite locations. Fees can change, so call ahead if you need to know the exact cost for your document.

Current fees for Baldwin County:

• Recording fee: varies by document type
• Copy of recorded document: $1 per page
• Certified copy: additional certification fee
• Marriage license: $86 (cash, money order, or check)
• Plat copies: priced per sheet

The deed tax in Alabama is $0.50 per $500 of property value. This is a state tax collected at recording. Mortgage tax is $0.15 per $100 of debt. These taxes apply on top of the recording fee. You pay them when you file the document with the Probate Office.

Marriage Certificates in Baldwin County

Marriage certificates in Baldwin County are only recorded at the Bay Minette office. The Fairhope and Foley satellite offices do not process marriages. This is important if you live in the south part of the county.

Alabama changed its marriage process in 2019. There is no longer a ceremony requirement. Both parties fill out a marriage certificate form, get it notarized, and file it with the Probate Office. The Probate Judge does not perform marriages anymore. Once the certificate is recorded, you are legally married. The recording date is your wedding date for legal purposes.

You can get a certified copy of a marriage certificate from the Probate Office. Bring a valid ID. The fee covers the search and certified copy. Old marriage records are also searchable through the online portal if the marriage was recorded in Baldwin County.

How to Request Public Records

Baldwin County responds to public records requests under the Alabama Open Records Act. You can make requests in writing or in person. The county has 15 business days to respond under the 2024 law changes. Some records may be available faster.

For property records, go directly to the Probate Office or use the online portal. These have their own process. For court records, use Alacourt or visit the Circuit Clerk. For other county records like commission meetings, permits, or contracts, contact the relevant department.

The county website at baldwincountyal.gov lists contact information for each department. Many records are already posted online through the Open Data Portal. Check there first before you file a formal request. You might find what you need without waiting.

Cities in Baldwin County

Baldwin County contains over 20 cities and towns. All of them file property records at the Baldwin County Probate Office. Court cases go through the Baldwin County Circuit Court in Bay Minette. None of the cities in Baldwin County have populations over 50,000, so they do not have dedicated pages on this site.

Major cities in Baldwin County include Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fairhope, Foley, Daphne, and Spanish Fort. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are beach resort towns along the Gulf of Mexico. Fairhope sits on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and has a walkable downtown. Daphne and Spanish Fort are bedroom communities near Mobile. Bay Minette, the county seat, is in the northern part of the county.

Robertsdale, Loxley, Summerdale, Silverhill, and Magnolia Springs are smaller towns in the central and southern parts of the county. The populations are growing fast across the whole area. Baldwin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Alabama.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Baldwin County. If you need records from a neighboring area, select the county below.