Houston County, Alabama public records

In Houston County, deeds are recorded by the Houston County Probate Office, Recording Department; property values come from the Houston County Revenue Commissioner; court files are divided among the Houston County Circuit Clerk: Circuit Criminal and District Criminal divisions, the Houston County Circuit Clerk: Circuit Civil, District Civil and Small Claims and the Houston County Probate Court.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Voter records
11. Historical records
12. Good to know about Houston County records
13. Office addresses, phones and hours
14. Records that are not online: public records requests
15. Questions people ask
16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
17. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Houston County are recorded by the Houston County Probate Office, Recording Department.⁴

Online search

ingprobate.com/Houston_Probate²Free search, fee for copies

Cost

Free to search and view; $1.00 per page to download/print³

Who runs it

Ingenuity, Inc. (linked by the Probate Office)³

Copy fee

$1.00 per page (online download/print)³

Certified copy fee

$3.00 per certified copy; authentication of records $3.00/page + $2.00/certification (Probate Court fee schedule)¹³

How to order

In person at the Recording Department, 2nd floor, Administration Building, or print from the online land records site¹²

Recording fee

$3.00 a page plus $13.00 filing fee ($8 clocking, $3 preservation, $2 filing); $1.00 for each name over two; fees effective August 1, 2019¹⁴

Transfer tax

Deed: $1.00 per $1,000.00 of total sales price (minimum deed tax $0.50 if no equity above a mortgage filed with the deed); Mortgage: $1.50 per $1,000.00¹⁴

Plats

$28.00 plus $1.00 for each lot¹⁴

UCC filings

UCCs are filed with the Secretary of State unless the collateral pertains to real estate¹⁴

How deeds work in Alabama

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Houston County Revenue Commissioner (Assessing and Appraisal) sets property values⁵; the Houston County Revenue Commissioner, Collections Department bills and collects the tax⁶.

Property search

ingproperty.com/… (Property Record Search; free, no account shown)⁶

Tax bill search

Same Property Record Search shows and prints the current tax bill; pay online at the same link⁶

Appealing a value

Written appeal to the Board of Equalization within 30 days of the valuation notice date; for 2026, notices mailed June 30, 2026, appeal deadline July 30, 2026¹⁵

Tax due

Due October 1; delinquent after December 31¹⁵

Tax sale

Delinquent parcels are sold at an online tax lien auction through GovEase (2026 auction began May 4, 2026)¹⁶

Map copies

Tax maps: large 36x42 $10.00, small 17x22 $6.00; aerial and parcel-line prints $2.00-$30.00 by size¹⁷

How property tax works in Alabama

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Fees

Circuit Clerk copies $5.00 for 1-20 pages, $.50 per page thereafter; certification $5.00⁹

Filing fees

Circuit civil $266.00 ($6,001-$50,000) / $366.00 (over $50,000); district civil $267.00; small claims $72.00-$235.00⁹

Criminal records and background checks

Online search

pa.alacourt.com/default.aspx⁸Fee charged

About this search

Alacourt 'Just One Look', on-demand per-case access, fee-based⁸

Inmate roster

cc.southernsoftware.com/… (Inmate Listing, linked by the Sheriff's Office)¹⁸

Warrants

Arrest warrants are not public record until served¹⁹

How Alabama courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Houston County Probate Court.⁴

How to request

Since August 29, 2019 no licenses: the completed, notarized Alabama Marriage Certificate form is delivered to the probate court for recording within 30 days; any Alabama county probate court may record it¹²

Fee

Recording of Marriage Certificate: $80; correction $80; 2.5% added for card payments¹⁰

Copies

$3.00 per certified copy, in person with photo ID or by mail (written request with both spouses' names, copy of ID, money order payable to Judge Patrick H. Davenport, SASE)¹⁰

Alabama marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Houston County Circuit Clerk: Domestic Relations/Child Support (Room 105) and Juvenile.⁷

Which court

Domestic Relations division of the Circuit Court²⁰

Copies

Copy of divorce decree for a fee: call 334-677-4805 for an estimate or request in person with money order or cash payable to Houston County Circuit Clerk; credit cards not accepted²⁰

Filing fee

$214.00 initial filing²⁰

Alabama divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Any Alabama county health department, including the Houston County Health Department, 1781 East Cottonwood Road, Dothan¹¹

Ordering an Alabama birth certificate

Death certificates

Any Alabama county health department, including the Houston County Health Department¹¹

Ordering an Alabama death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Houston County Probate Court.⁴

Online search

ingprobate.com/Houston_Probate¹²

About this search

Or call the Probate Court to ask about an open estate¹²

Administration fee

Estate administration package $65.00; hearings, notices and postage $3.00 per page plus postage¹³

Certified copy fee

$3.00 per certified copy ($1.00 copy + $2.00 certification)¹³

Voter records

Kept by the Houston County Probate Office (Elections & Voting).⁴

Check your registration

Alabama Secretary of State voter registration (linked from the Probate Elections & Voting page)²¹

Absentee

The Circuit Clerk serves as Absentee Election Manager; Absentee Voting (334) 671-8700²²

Historical records

County history

houstoncountyal.gov/about⁵

Good to know about Houston County records

• Houston County is Alabama's youngest county, formed February 9, 1903 from parts of Henry, Dale and Geneva counties, so records for land in the county before 1903 are in those parent counties' offices.²³
• The Probate Office keeps a four-day week: Monday-Thursday 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., closed Fridays, while the courthouse (Circuit Clerk) is open Monday-Friday.⁴
• Recorded land records and marriage records are free to search and view online; only downloads cost $1.00 per page.³
• The Revenue Commissioner both assesses and collects property tax; a $30.00 fire fee is added to the tax bill for each residence, mobile home and commercial building outside the City of Dothan.²⁴
• The Circuit Clerk is also the county's Absentee Election Manager.⁸

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it

County Administration, Administration Building, 462 N. Oates St., Dothan, AL 36303, 334-677-4740 (Commission)²⁶

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Alabama with a full guide: Baldwin County, Calhoun County, Cullman County, Elmore County, Etowah County, Jefferson County, Lauderdale County, Lee County, Limestone County, Madison County, Marshall County, Mobile County, Shelby County, St. Clair County, Tuscaloosa County. Every county in the state: Alabama county list. Looking for another Houston County? Houston County, Georgia.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 27 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
2. Probate CourtHouston County Probate Office
3. Online Real Property Records AccessHouston County Probate Office
4. Probate OfficeHouston County Probate Office
5. Houston County, Alabama home pageHouston County Commission
6. Revenue Commissioner's OfficeHouston County Revenue Commissioner
7. Houston County Circuit Clerk home (20th Judicial Circuit)Alabama Administrative Office of Courts / Houston County Circuit Clerk
8. Circuit Clerk, Carla WoodallHouston County Circuit Clerk
9. Civil Fee SheetHouston County Circuit Clerk
10. Marriage CertificatesHouston County Probate Office
11. ADPH county health department locationsAlabama Department of Public Health
12. Probate FAQHouston County Probate Office
13. Probate Court FeesHouston County Probate Office
14. Recording and FeesHouston County Probate Office
15. Revenue FAQsHouston County Revenue Commissioner
16. Tax SaleHouston County Revenue Commissioner
17. GIS MappingHouston County Revenue Commissioner
18. Houston County Sheriff's Office homeHouston County Sheriff's Office
19. Magistrates & WarrantsHouston County Circuit Clerk
20. Domestic RelationsHouston County Circuit Clerk
21. Elections & VotingHouston County Probate Office
22. Circuit Clerk Office DirectoryHouston County Circuit Clerk
23. About Houston CountyHouston County Commission
24. Revenue CollectionsHouston County Revenue Commissioner
25. Circuit CivilHouston County Circuit Clerk
26. Contact / staff directoryHouston County Commission
27. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau