Coosa County Public Records

Coosa County public records are kept by the Probate Court and Circuit Clerk in Rockford. This rural county of about 10,000 people has limited online access, so most records requests must be done in person or by mail.

Coosa County Probate Court

The Probate Court is where you go for property records in Coosa County. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and marriage licenses are all filed here. The office sits in the courthouse at Rockford. Staff can help you search records and make copies.

Coosa County is small, so the Probate Court handles a lower volume of records than bigger counties. This can work in your favor. Wait times are usually short, and staff often have more time to help with your search. The downside is that the office has limited hours and no online search portal. You need to visit in person or send a written request by mail.

Property records in Coosa County go back to the 1830s. Older records are kept in bound books at the courthouse. Some have been damaged over the years due to age, but most are still readable. The county has not yet digitized these older records. If you need a document from before the 1980s, plan to visit the courthouse or hire a local title searcher.

Coosa County Court Records

Court records in Coosa County are handled by the Circuit Clerk. This is a separate office from the Probate Court. The Circuit Clerk keeps files for civil cases, criminal cases, domestic relations, and traffic matters. Coosa County is part of the 40th Judicial Circuit, which it shares with Clay County.

You can search Coosa County court records through the state Alacourt system. This is the same system used by all Alabama counties. Go to pa.alacourt.com and run a name search. The cost is $9.99 for a search that includes one case detail. Each additional case costs $9.99. Document images are $5.00 for the first 20 pages.

The Circuit Clerk also handles filing for new cases. If you need to file a lawsuit or respond to one, this is where you go. Small claims cases under $6,000 are heard in District Court. Larger civil matters go to Circuit Court. The filing fees depend on the type of case and amount in dispute.

Criminal records from Coosa County are also in Alacourt. These include misdemeanor and felony cases. Some records may be sealed or expunged. If you need a record that has been sealed, you must petition the court for access. The clerk can tell you if a record is available or restricted.

Property Records in Coosa County

Property records include deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and plats. The Probate Court maintains these records. When someone buys or sells land in Coosa County, the deed must be recorded here to be valid against future buyers.

To search property records, you need the owner's name or the legal description of the property. The staff can search their index books for you if you visit in person. For a written request, include as much detail as you can. The more info you give, the faster they can find what you need.

Coosa County does not have an online property search portal. Larger counties like Jefferson and Madison have web systems where you can search from home. Coosa County has not yet set up this kind of system. The county has a small budget and a small staff, so online tools may be years away.

If you need to search Coosa County property records but cannot visit Rockford, you have a few options. You can send a written request with a check for the search fee. You can hire a local title company or abstractor to do the search for you. Or you can use a statewide data service that has collected some Coosa County records, though these may not be complete.

Vital Records

Vital records include birth, death, and marriage certificates. In Alabama, the state Center for Health Statistics keeps most vital records. But marriage licenses are issued and filed at the county level.

Coosa County issues marriage licenses at the Probate Court. Alabama no longer requires a ceremony or witnesses. You fill out a form, pay the fee, and get your license. The signed form is then recorded by the Probate Court. You can get certified copies of marriage records from the county where the marriage was licensed.

Birth and death certificates must be requested from the Alabama Department of Public Health. The state office is in Montgomery. You can order certificates online through VitalChek or by mail. The current fee for a birth or death certificate is $15. Extra copies cost $6 each.

Older vital records may be harder to find. Alabama did not require statewide registration of births until 1908. Deaths were not tracked statewide until 1908 either. Records from before then may exist at the county level, in church records, or in family bibles. The Coosa County Probate Court may have some early records in their files.

Coosa County Recording Fees

Coosa County follows Alabama's standard fee schedule for most recordings. Fees can change, so call ahead to confirm the current rates. Having the exact amount ready will speed up your request.

• Deed recording: $1 per page plus $5 base fee
• Mortgage recording: $1 per page plus $5 base fee
• Copy of recorded document: $1 per page
• Certified copy: $2 per page plus certification fee
• Marriage license: $70

The county also collects state recording taxes. For deeds, the tax is $0.50 per $500 of sale price. For mortgages, the tax is $0.15 per $100 of debt. These taxes go to the state, not the county. The Probate Court collects them at the time of recording.

Payment methods vary by office. Cash is always accepted. Most offices take checks made out to the Probate Judge. Some offices now take credit cards, but there may be a service fee. Call ahead to ask about payment options if you plan to pay with a card.

How to Request Records

There are three ways to get public records from Coosa County: in person, by mail, or through the state Alacourt system for court records. Each method has its own pros and cons.

In person is the fastest way. Go to the courthouse in Rockford during business hours. The staff can search their records while you wait. You can look at documents and decide what copies you need. Payment is due when you pick up your copies.

By mail takes longer but works if you cannot visit. Write a letter that explains what records you need. Be as specific as you can. Include the names, dates, and property descriptions if you know them. Enclose a check for the estimated fees. The office will process your request and mail the copies to you. This can take one to three weeks depending on how busy they are.

For court records, the Alacourt system is the best option. It is available 24 hours a day from any computer. The downside is the cost. The search fee and per-case fees add up fast if you need multiple records. But for a quick check on one case, it is faster than driving to Rockford.

Communities in Coosa County

Coosa County has no large cities. The county seat of Rockford is the main town with a few hundred people. Other small communities include Goodwater (which is partly in Tallapoosa County), Kellyton, Equality, and Weogufka. All of these communities file property records at the Coosa County Probate Court in Rockford.

Because the county has no cities over 100,000 people, there are no city-specific pages for Coosa County. All records for the entire county are handled at the courthouse in Rockford. This makes searching simpler in a way. You only have one office to contact for county records.

Nearby Counties

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