Search Jefferson County Arrest Records

Jefferson County arrest records are kept by the Sheriff's Office. They run the biggest jail system in the state. About 43,000 inmates come through each year. Two jails handle all of this, one in Birmingham and one in Bessemer. The Sheriff has a free online search tool. It runs all day, every day. No sign up needed. Booking info gets posted within hours of intake. Once charges are filed, the 10th Judicial Circuit Court takes over. You can search those court records on Alacourt.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office covers all the unincorporated parts of the county. They also run all the jails. Sheriff Mark Pettway is in charge. He has over 800 people working for him. The office serves warrants, handles court security, and does civil process work. This is the most populous county in Alabama, so there is a lot going on.

Online Inmate Search

The Sheriff's Office has a free inmate search at sheriff.jccal.org. It updates in real time. When someone gets booked or released, it shows up right away. Search by first name, last name, or booking number. You get the full name, date of birth, booking date and time. Charges and bond amount show up too. It tells you which jail they are in. Mugshots are there if they have them. Works for both Birmingham and Bessemer jails.

Some tips for the search. Type at least two letters of the last name. Leave the first name blank to see everyone with that last name. Results come up with the newest bookings first. Click on a name to see all the details. That includes every charge and the bond info.

Jefferson County Jail Facilities

Jefferson County has two jails. Birmingham Jail is the main one. Most people go through there first. Bessemer Jail handles the western side of the county. On any given day, about 1,000 inmates are in custody between the two. Both places have video visits, a commissary, and ways to call or message people on the outside.

Birmingham Jail

Birmingham Jail is the main detention center. All felony bookings go here. Most misdemeanors from Birmingham and nearby areas do too. No matter where in the county the arrest happened, this is usually where people get processed first.

Bessemer Jail

Bessemer Jail is on the west side of the county. It serves Bessemer and the nearby towns. Some inmates get moved here from Birmingham. If Bessemer police or nearby agencies make an arrest, booking usually happens here first.

Court Records and Case Information

After an arrest, charges get filed through the 10th Judicial Circuit Court. Felonies go to Circuit Court. Misdemeanors and traffic cases go to District Court. Both courts keep records you can search online. Use Alacourt to look them up.

Alacourt Case Search

The Alacourt Public Access portal is free. It has court case records for all Alabama counties, including Jefferson. Go to pa.alacourt.com. Pick Jefferson County. Select Criminal as the case type. Type in the name. You get case numbers, charges, hearing dates, and status. View case details and final outcomes at no cost.

Circuit Court Clerk

The Circuit Court Clerk keeps all court records. Criminal case files, judgments, and sentencing docs are all there. Need a certified copy? Go in person or mail a request. This office also handles expungement petitions and requests to seal records.

District Court

District Court handles misdemeanors, traffic tickets, and preliminary hearings for felonies. There are several district court locations in the county. Birmingham and Bessemer each have one. Other divisions exist too. Search case records on Alacourt by picking District Court as the case type.

Additional Arrest Record Resources

Alabama VINE

Use Alabama VINE to track inmates in Jefferson County. The system tells you when their status changes. It is free. Sign up for alerts by phone, email, or text. You get notified if someone is released, moved, or escapes. Call 1-877-846-3425 or visit the site to register.

Birmingham Police Department Records

Birmingham Police handle most arrests in the city. People still get booked at the county jail though. If you need an incident report or arrest report, ask Birmingham PD directly. Call their Records Division at (205) 254-1786 to get copies of police reports.

Federal Court Records

Federal cases in Jefferson County go through the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, Birmingham Division. These are separate from state records. Use PACER to search federal court records. PACER stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. The Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator helps you find people serving federal time.

State Prison Inmates

If someone gets sent to state prison, they move from Jefferson County Jail to an ADOC facility. Use the ADOC Inmate Search to find them. The database shows where they are held now. It also has sentence info and a projected release date.

Fees for Arrest Records

Processing Times

Legal Framework for Arrest Records

Public Records Law

Under Alabama Code § 36-12-40, everyone can inspect and copy public records. Some have limits, but most are open. Arrest records, booking info, and court records are public in Alabama. The jail logbook is specifically called out as a public record in the law.

What Information Is Public

This arrest info is public in Jefferson County: inmate name, date of birth, booking date and time, charges, bond amount, court dates, case outcomes, and mugshots. Some personal info can be kept private. That includes Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and home addresses.

Records Not Available to the Public

Juvenile records are private under Alabama law. Sealed and expunged records stay sealed. You cannot get those. Active investigation details and warrants that have not been served are also off limits. Mental health commitment records and some domestic violence protective order info may be restricted too.

Expungement in Jefferson County

Alabama lets people expunge some arrest records. You might qualify if charges were dropped. Same if you were found not guilty. Finishing a pretrial diversion program works too. Some non-violent convictions can be expunged after a waiting period. File a petition with the Jefferson County Circuit Court. It costs $500 unless you get a hardship waiver. A hearing may be set where the judge decides.

Legal Resources

Legal Aid Society of Birmingham

Legal Aid Society of Birmingham gives free legal help to low-income folks in Jefferson County. They can assist with expungement petitions. They also help you understand charges and connect you with defense resources. If you cannot afford a lawyer, this is a good place to start.

Birmingham Volunteer Lawyers Program

The Birmingham Bar has a volunteer lawyers program. They give free legal help to people who qualify. Expungement cases and other legal issues from past arrests are things they work on.

Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral

Need to hire a lawyer? The Alabama State Bar has a referral service. Call (800) 392-5660. They can connect you with attorneys in Jefferson County who do criminal defense and expungement cases.

Search Jefferson County Records

Use the search tool below to look up arrest records and criminal history information for Jefferson County and across Alabama.

Cities in Jefferson County

Jefferson County has over 35 cities and towns. Birmingham is the county seat. It is also the only city here with more than 100,000 people. When Birmingham Police or other city cops make an arrest, the person goes to the Jefferson County Jail for booking.

Other cities in Jefferson County include Hoover (partially in Shelby County), Bessemer, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Trussville, Gardendale, Center Point, Hueytown, Irondale, Leeds, Fairfield, Tarrant, Pleasant Grove, and Fultondale. Arrests in these cities are processed through the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office jail system.

Nearby Counties

If you need to search arrest records in neighboring counties, select a county below to access their sheriff's office and jail information.