Jefferson County Public Records
Jefferson County public records are maintained by the Probate Court and Circuit Clerk in Birmingham. As Alabama's most populous county with over 674,000 residents, Jefferson County offers the most extensive online records access in the state through its LANDMARK WEB portal.
Jefferson County Quick Facts
Jefferson County Probate Court
The Probate Court handles property records for Jefferson County. This includes deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and marriage certificates. The current Probate Judge is Hon. Yashiba (Red) Blanchard. Jefferson County has two courthouse divisions that serve different parts of the county.
The Birmingham Division serves the east side of the county. This covers Birmingham, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, and Trussville. Most records requests go through this location. The Bessemer Division serves the west side, including Bessemer, Hueytown, and Pleasant Grove. Both offices can search records and make copies for you.
| Birmingham Office |
716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N Birmingham, AL 35203 Phone: (205) 325-5420 |
|---|---|
| Records Room | Phone: (205) 325-5512 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Website | jeffcoprobatecourt.com |
Search Jefferson County Records Online
Jefferson County has the most advanced online records system in Alabama. The LANDMARK WEB portal lets you search property records for free. You only pay when you view document images. Registration is free and takes just a few minutes.
The portal contains these records:
- Birmingham Index: 1987 to current
- Birmingham Images: 1993 to current
- Bessemer Index and Images: 1965 to current
- Real property and marriage records
Visit landmarkweb.jccal.org to search Jefferson County records online. E-recording is also available for attorneys and title companies. The county archives include land records from the 1800s that have been digitized with state funding.
Jefferson County Court Records
The Circuit Clerk maintains all trial court records in Jefferson County. This is separate from the Probate Court. Court records include civil cases, criminal cases, family matters, and traffic cases. You can search these through the state Alacourt system.
AlacourtAccess at pa.alacourt.com covers all Jefferson 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 website is at jefferson.alacourt.gov.
Jefferson County has two court divisions like the Probate Court. The Birmingham Division handles cases from the east side. The Bessemer Division handles cases from the west side. Both divisions maintain their own case files.
Jefferson County Recording Fees
Jefferson County sets its own fee schedule for recording and copies. These fees apply at both the Birmingham and Bessemer offices. Fees can change, so confirm current rates before you send payment.
Current fees for Jefferson County:
- Copy of recorded document: $1 per page
- Certified copy: $2 per page
- Plat copies: $15 each
- Online image viewing: per-page fee
The full fee schedule is at jeffcoprobatecourt.com. Recording fees include state and county portions. Deed tax is $0.50 per $500 of property value. Mortgage tax is $0.15 per $100 of debt.
How to Request Public Records
Jefferson County uses an online portal for public records requests. The NextRequest system lets you submit requests and track their status. This works for county government records outside of court and probate files.
Visit jeffersoncounty.nextrequest.com to submit a request. You can also submit requests in person at county offices. Under the 2024 law changes, the county must respond within 15 business days for standard requests.
For property records, go directly to the Probate Court. For court records, use Alacourt or visit the Circuit Clerk. These have their own systems separate from NextRequest.
Cities in Jefferson County
Jefferson County contains over 35 cities and towns. All of them file property records at the Jefferson County Probate Court. Court cases go through the Jefferson County Circuit Court based on which division covers the area.
Other cities in Jefferson County include Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Bessemer, Trussville, Gardendale, Center Point, Hueytown, and Irondale.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Jefferson County. If you need records from a neighboring area, select the county below.