Search Marshall County Court Records
Alacourt ACCESS is the official on-demand service for Alabama trial-court records. It covers criminal, civil, small claims, state traffic, domestic relations, and child-support cases. It supports name and case-number searches. A case detail can show court action, status, settings, parties, financial history, and a case action summary. Each search costs $9.99, and document images cost extra. The free Marshall County location 58 docket uses setting dates and an optional last name.
A case number is the best starting key. If it is unknown, gather the party's full name, filing period, issuing agency, and case type. A city citation may belong to municipal court, a probate matter to the Probate Office, and a state trial-court case to the Circuit Clerk.
- Identify Circuit, District, Probate, or Municipal Court from the case subject and location.
- Search Alacourt by case number or name for state trial-court records.
- Use the county 58 screen for a hearing date, then confirm any missing case with the Circuit Clerk.
- Read all docket events and the final disposition. A filed charge is not the same as a conviction.
- Use the Guntersville public computer or request a certified copy from the record custodian when needed.
Marshall County Court System
Marshall County is Alabama's Twenty-Seventh Judicial Circuit. Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court. District Court handles district civil, small claims, eviction, state or county traffic, county misdemeanors, and felony beginnings. Probate Court is separate and led by Probate Judge Andrea Lecroy. Municipal courts handle city traffic, ordinance violations, and city misdemeanors.
The local court lists Circuit Judges Christopher Abel, Matt Elliott, and John M. Mastin, plus District Judges Mitchell S. Floyd and Zachary A. Ross. Civil appeals may route to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals or Supreme Court, while criminal appeals route through the Court of Criminal Appeals. The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts connects the statewide filing, payment, and court-service channels.
Typical felony flow: District Court beginning › Grand Jury › Circuit Court › Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals › Supreme Court review where allowed
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | General jurisdiction | Higher civil claims, domestic relations, indicted felonies, District Court appeals |
| District Court | Limited jurisdiction | Lower civil, small claims, eviction, county traffic, misdemeanors, early felonies |
| Probate Court | County probate jurisdiction | Estates, guardianship, conservatorship, adoption, name changes, records |
| Municipal Court | City and police jurisdiction | City traffic, ordinances, and city misdemeanors |
The Alabama Judicial System places Marshall County courts within the statewide framework.
The statewide source helps distinguish local trial work from appellate administration.
Marshall County Court Locations
Marshall County has a main courthouse in downtown Guntersville and a second court building in downtown Albertville. Circuit Clerk Angie Johnson serves court users at both. The Guntersville office contains the public records computer. Albertville includes Circuit and District judicial functions and routes divorce, child support, protection-from-abuse, and juvenile calls. Probate Court is across the civic block at a separate office.
Marshall County Courthouse
424 Blount Avenue, Suite 201
Guntersville, AL 35976
(256) 571-7785
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Albertville Courthouse
133 South Emmett Street
Albertville, AL 35950
(256) 878-4515 or (256) 878-4521
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Marshall County Probate Office
425 Gunter Avenue, Suite 110
Guntersville, AL 35976
(256) 571-7764 or (256) 571-7732
probate@marshallco.org
The official Guntersville courthouse source confirms the primary county location.
The courthouse view connects Circuit Clerk access with the downtown Guntersville civic block.
Marshall County Court Record Types
Circuit Civil files higher-value disputes, while District Civil holds lower claims, small claims, and evictions. Criminal files can include complaints, warrants, bond, pleas, motions, indictment, sentence, probation, costs, and disposition. Traffic files show citations, pleas, fines, insurance proof, driving-school records, failure-to-appear action, and outcome. Domestic relations includes divorce, custody, support, and later orders.
Probate records cover estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoption, name changes, and commitments. Marriage certificates are recorded through Probate, while full divorce files stay with the Circuit Clerk. Juvenile, adoption, and mental-health matters require cautious access because they are not ordinary public files.
- Criminal records: District, Circuit, or Municipal Court based on charge stage and location.
- Civil records: complaints, service, motions, orders, judgments, appeals, and collection.
- Family records: divorce, support, custody, protection-from-abuse, and juvenile routing.
- Probate records: estates, fiduciary cases, adoptions, commitments, names, and public recordings.
- Traffic records: District Court for county or state tickets and municipal court for city citations.
What Marshall County Records Show
A case record identifies the case number, court, division, parties, filing date, judge, service, settings, status, and actions. Financial entries may show filing fees, fines, costs, bond, restitution, garnishment, or execution. Document entries can point to pleadings, motions, notices, orders, judgments, and affidavits. A public record may redact protected identifiers.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court identifier used for searches and clerk contact. |
| Parties | Plaintiff/defendant, State/defendant, petitioner/respondent, or probate roles. |
| Docket Events | Filing, service, motion, hearing, trial, judgment, appeal, and collection. |
| Status | Pending, set, disposed, dismissed, defaulted, appealed, or transferred. |
| Disposition | The outcome of the case or individual charge. |
| Sentence / Judgment | The criminal consequence or civil decision entered by the court. |
Marshall County Court Public Access
Alabama public-record law and court privacy rules work together. Ordinary public writings are open unless a law makes them exempt, and a custodian may charge a reasonable fee for copies. Court Rule 104 makes court records accessible unless sealing, confidentiality, law, rule, or a court order restricts them. Marshall County access includes Alacourt, the county docket, a public computer, clerk contact, and separate probate or municipal channels.
Key Statutes:
Alabama Code Section 36-12-40 supports resident inspection and copying of public writings.
Alabama Code Section 36-12-41 requires a proper-request copy after payment of a reasonable fee.
Alabama Court-Record Privacy Rule 104 preserves access while defining restricted records.
Restricted Marshall County Court Records
Juvenile legal and law-enforcement records are confidential under Alabama Code Section 12-15-133. Adoption records and hearings are confidential under Section 26-10E-30. Mental-health proceedings, sealed cases, and expunged matters may also be withheld. Public files should not reveal full Social Security numbers, account numbers, protected minor data, or other confidential identifiers.
An authorized person seeking a restricted file should contact the custodian and explain the legal basis for access. A court order may be required. An expungement limits ordinary public access but does not erase every authorized government use.
Marshall County Court Programs
The Circuit Clerk phone menu confirms a Drug Court/Worthless Checks division at (256) 571-7785, option 2. No official local program page with current eligibility, length, or judge was found, so users should confirm terms directly. Marshall County Traffic Court also publishes a defensive-driving compliance path. Depending on the case, a driver may complete school before the first setting or after appearance, then submit the certificate and meet the court-cost requirement. Albertville Municipal Court links a court-referral channel, but its current terms must be confirmed with that city.
Marshall County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Phil Sims leads the Marshall County Sheriff's Office at 423 Blount Avenue in Guntersville. The 24-hour non-emergency number is (256) 582-2034. The office publishes a current inmate roster with name search, current and released filters, booking dates, charges, and profiles. Roster entries are for convenience and are not certified court records. Detention staff should confirm current bail, charges, and case numbers.
The sheriff also publishes an app download page, most-wanted material, press releases, VINELink custody notification, and OffenderWatch alerts. The official page does not document app-only search features, so the app should be treated as another agency channel rather than a promised warrant or jail tool.
The official Marshall County site connects county offices and public forms.
The county source helps separate court, probate, commission, and sheriff responsibilities.
Marshall County Probate and Marriage
Probate Judge Andrea Lecroy heads Probate Court, the Licensing Office, and the Public Records Office. The office records Alabama marriage certificates and handles estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, commitments, adult name changes, and recordings. Online land and probate case lookups use the Ingenuity service. Divorce case files remain with the Circuit Clerk, while certified divorce certificates may be obtained from Alabama public-health channels.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- A person named to administer a will and estate.
- Conservator
- A court-appointed person responsible for another person's property or finances.
Marshall County Court Search Fees
Online search and document costs differ from court filing fees. Alacourt posts the prices below. Civil filing fees vary by claim and procedure, so they should not be confused with record-access costs. Certified-copy pricing should be confirmed with the custodian before ordering.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alacourt name search | $9.99 |
| Alacourt case-number search | $9.99 |
| Document images, first 20 pages | $5.00 |
| Each later image page | $0.50 |
| District case monitoring | $19.99 |
| Circuit case monitoring | $29.99 |
Interpret Marshall County Court Records
A plaintiff starts a civil case, while a defendant is sued or charged. A petitioner asks for relief in a petition-based case, and a respondent answers it. Service is legal delivery of papers. A motion asks the judge to act. A continuance postpones a hearing. A judgment resolves a civil claim, and a disposition states a criminal case or charge outcome. An indictment is a formal felony charge returned by a grand jury. Read the action history in date order and match each outcome to the right charge or claim.
Marshall County Record Limits
The county docket warns that some cases may not appear electronically. Sheriff roster charges and bail can change after court. A portal may also omit an older file, a confidential document, or an item not offered as an image. Verify court dates with the Circuit Clerk, current detention information with the jail, probate detail with the Probate Office, and city cases with the right municipal court.
Note: Confirm a Marshall County court date, disposition, balance, or certified copy with the office that maintains the original record.
Marshall County Court History
Marshall County was established on January 9, 1836, and was named for Chief Justice John Marshall. Guntersville is the county seat, yet the modern court system also has an Albertville courthouse division. Circuit Clerk Angie Johnson took office in 2019 after decades of work connected to prosecutor offices. The split remains important for record access because the public computer and many general clerk functions are in Guntersville, while divorce, support, protection-from-abuse, and juvenile routing uses Albertville.
Recent Marshall County Court Changes
Several dated changes affect how local records and services work. A $25 sheriff service fee for civil papers took effect on August 1, 2023. Alabama's revised notary process took effect the next month, and the Probate Office now describes an application, clerk verification, training, bond, and recording steps. Jail mail changed on December 1, 2024, when ordinary inmate mail stopped going directly to the facility and shifted to a Jonesboro, Arkansas scanning address for JailATM communication accounts.
State court privacy rules took effect on January 1, 2025. They now provide the statewide framework for redaction, confidentiality, sealing, and access to Marshall County court records. These changes make the date and source of instructions important. A prior form, fee, mailing address, or privacy summary may no longer describe the current process. Confirm civil service costs with the Circuit Clerk, probate or notary steps with the Probate Office, jail mail with Corrections, and protected court access under the current Alabama rules.
Marshall County Court Questions
Where can court records be searched?
Use Alacourt ACCESS for paid state trial-court case searches, the county 58 docket for settings, or the public computer in the Guntersville Circuit Clerk office. Contact municipal court for city citations and the Probate Office for probate or land records.
Why is a case missing online?
The official docket warns that some cases may not appear electronically. The matter may also be municipal, probate, confidential, sealed, expunged, older, or filed in another jurisdiction. Confirm it with the court that should hold the record.
Is a booking charge a conviction?
No. A booking charge is an accusation recorded at intake and can change after court. Read the criminal court file through disposition and sentence. Detention staff should confirm current bail and charge information.
Can the Circuit Clerk give legal advice?
No. Staff may explain general court procedures, provide schedules, and report information found in a file. They may not recommend language, predict an outcome, contact a judge privately, change an order, or choose a deadline for a party.
Federal Courts for Marshall County
Marshall County lies in the federal Northern District of Alabama. Federal crimes, federal questions, constitutional claims, diversity suits, and bankruptcy matters are separate from Marshall County state court records. PACER is the official federal record system. The Northern District of Alabama provides court information, and bankruptcy uses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
The federal district source has its own record and filing channels.
This distinction prevents a federal filing from being mistaken for a missing county case.
Appeals in Alabama state cases use the Alabama Appellate Courts Public Portal.
The appellate portal covers public documents filed or issued on or after March 20, 2022.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama is a federal prosecution source.
The federal prosecution office does not maintain Marshall County Circuit or District court files.