How to get a copy of a deed in Alabama

Who holds it: Judge of Probate (probate office) in the county where the property is located¹

Last checked against official sources on November 7, 2026.

On this page

Fees
More details
Related records in Alabama
How Alabama handles it
Deeds in Alabama counties with a full guide
Official copies vs look-alike sites
Sources

Copy fee

$1.00 per page (statutory base, Ala. Code § 12-19-90(b)(25)); local acts may differ²

Fees

Recording fee: $3.00 per page statutory base recording fee (Ala. Code § 12-19-90(b)(22)); $1.00 per extra name over two grantors/grantees. Local laws may set different/additional fees, and Category 2 counties and Cullman County are excluded from the 2000 increases.²
Certified copy fee: Statutory base: $1.00/page copy plus $3.00 per certificate with seal (Ala. Code § 12-19-90(b)(19)); local acts may differ²
Plat fee: Recording or copying plats: $1.00 per lot, minimum $15.00, maximum $200.00 per map²

More details

Which county: Recorded in the county where the land is; in divided counties or counties with courthouse annexes, may be recorded in any division/courthouse when records are electronically indexed³

Liens: liens at the county: Tax liens, judgments, lis pendens affecting real property are recorded with probate (may be recorded in any courthouse in divided counties)³

How Alabama handles it

Judge of Probate is the county recording office (deeds, mortgages, plats, liens) and also runs the probate court¹
Property tax office title varies: Revenue Commissioner in most counties; separate Tax Assessor and Tax Collector in some (e.g. Jefferson, Madison, Tuscaloosa); Property Tax Commissioner in Shelby⁴

Deeds in Alabama counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

County	Office	Search online	Fee
Baldwin County	Baldwin County Probate Office - Recording Division⁶	Search⁵Free search	$1.00 per page (fee must be paid before the copy is sent)⁷
Calhoun County	Calhoun County Probate Judge⁹	Search⁸	$1.00 per page⁸
Cullman County	Cullman County Judge of Probate - Recording Department¹¹	Search¹⁰	$1.00 per page (statutory base, Ala. Code § 12-19-90(b)(25)); local acts may differ¹²
Elmore County	Probate Recording Department¹⁴	Search¹³	$1.00 per page (state statutory base, Ala. Code 12-19-90(b)(25)); no Elmore schedule published¹⁵
Etowah County	Etowah County Probate Office - Recording¹⁷	Search¹⁶	Statutory base $1.00 per page (Ala. Code 12-19-90(b)(25)); Etowah County probate copy fee not published¹⁸
Houston County	Houston County Probate Office, Recording Department²⁰	Search¹⁹Free search, fee for copies	$1.00 per page (online download/print)²¹
Jefferson County	Jefferson County Probate Court, Land Records office²³	Search²²Free search	$1.00 per page; plats $15.00 per page²⁴
Lauderdale County	Probate Office, Recording Department²⁵	—	$1.00 per page (statutory base, Ala. Code § 12-19-90(b)(25)); local acts may differ²⁶
Lee County	Lee County Probate Judge's Office - Recording²⁷	—	$1.00 per page²⁸
Limestone County	Limestone County Probate Judge²⁹	Search²⁹	—
Madison County	Judge of Probate³⁰	Search³⁰	$1 per page³¹
Marshall County	Marshall County Judge of Probate - Public Records Office³²	Search³²	Statutory base $1.00 per page (Ala. Code 12-19-90(b)(25)); county fee sheet is image-only³³
Mobile County	Probate Court of Mobile County - Recording Division³⁴	Search³⁴Free search, fee for copies	Photo copy $1.00 per page; real property copy $1.00 (Ala. Code 12-19-90(b)(25))³⁵
Shelby County	Shelby County Probate Office, Recording³⁶	Search³⁶	$1.00 per page³⁷
St. Clair County	Probate Office: Ashville and Pell City offices³⁸	—	$1.00 per page (statutory base, Ala. Code § 12-19-90(b)(25)); local acts may differ³⁹
Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County Judge of Probate - Probate Records & Recording⁴⁰	—	$1.00 per page (deeds)⁴¹

For any other county, see the county list on the Alabama guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Alabama office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: deeds and land records in every state. Everything else in Alabama: Alabama public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

Code of Alabama 1975 § 35-4-50: Conveyances required to be recorded in office of probate judgeAlabama Legislature (ALISON)checked November 4, 2026
Code of Alabama 1975 § 12-19-90: Judge of probate - schedule of feesAlabama Legislature (ALISON)checked November 4, 2026
Code of Alabama 1975 § 35-4-62: Locations for recording conveyancesAlabama Legislature (ALISON)checked November 4, 2026
County Offices/Appraisal and Assessment RecordsAlabama Department of Revenuechecked November 4, 2026
Probate - RecordingBaldwin County Commissionarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
Probate OfficeBaldwin County Commissionarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
Probate - Recording FeesBaldwin County Commissionarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
Probate JudgeCalhoun County Probate Officechecked November 4, 2026
Calhoun County, Alabama home pageCalhoun County Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
Recording Department InformationCullman County Courtschecked November 4, 2026
Cullman County homeCullman County, Alabamachecked November 4, 2026
Code of Alabama 1975 § 12-19-90: Judge of probate - schedule of feesAlabama Legislature (ALISON)checked November 4, 2026
Probate County RecordingElmore County Commissionchecked November 7, 2026
Directory & FAQsElmore County Commissionchecked November 7, 2026
Code of Alabama 1975 § 12-19-90: Judge of probate - schedule of feesAlabama Legislature (ALISON)checked November 7, 2026
Deeds and RecordsEtowah County Probate Officechecked November 4, 2026
Etowah County homeEtowah County Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
Code of Alabama 12-19-90Alabama Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
Probate CourtHouston County Probate Officechecked November 4, 2026
Probate OfficeHouston County Probate Officechecked November 4, 2026
Online Real Property Records AccessHouston County Probate Officechecked November 4, 2026
ArchivesProbate Court of Jefferson County, Alabamachecked November 4, 2026
Land RecordsProbate Court of Jefferson County, Alabamachecked November 4, 2026
Recording FAQProbate Court of Jefferson County, Alabamachecked November 4, 2026
County home pageLauderdale County, Alabamachecked November 7, 2026
Code of Alabama 1975 § 12-19-90: Judge of probate - schedule of feesAlabama Legislature (ALISON)checked November 7, 2026
Lee County, ALLee County, Alabamachecked November 4, 2026
Lee County, ALLee County, Alabamachecked November 4, 2026
Probate JudgeLimestone County Probate Judgechecked November 7, 2026
Recorded DocumentsMadison County, Alabamaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
Recording fees (All Other Fees)Madison County, Alabamaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
Marshall County Alabama Online (home)Marshall County Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
Code of Alabama 12-19-90Alabama Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
Probate Court of Mobile County homeProbate Court of Mobile Countychecked November 4, 2026
Records FeesProbate Court of Mobile Countychecked November 4, 2026
Probate CourtShelby County Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
Probate Public Fees (PDF)Shelby County Probate Courtchecked November 4, 2026
Probate Office | St. Clair County, ALSt. Clair County, Alabamachecked November 7, 2026
Code of Alabama 1975 § 12-19-90: Judge of probate - schedule of feesAlabama Legislature (ALISON)checked November 7, 2026
Tuscaloosa County home pageTuscaloosa County Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
Tuscaloosa County Record and Recording FeesTuscaloosa County Probate Officechecked November 4, 2026