Cullman County Court Records

Court records are official documents prepared by a court that detail judicial proceedings pertaining to a court case. Cullman County court records provide an account of legal proceedings that occur within the local courts. Court records are created and maintained so individuals who were not present during a court proceeding on a case can have a detailed account of the proceedings.

Cullman County court records are maintained with the Circuit Clerk. The following information is generally found in a court record:

• Personal information of the parties involved
• The case details
• The case status
• Exhibits
• Judgements
• Dockets
• Motions
• Petitions

Are Court Records Public in Cullman County?

Yes. Per sections 36-12-40 of the Code of Alabama, Cullman County public records generally comprise court records. This means that any member of the public may examine Cullman County court records without restriction except under certain circumstances. Certain court records are inaccessible to the general public by state law. Access is usually restricted to authorized persons. These records include juvenile court, adoption, paternity, and sealed records.

Cullman County Court Records Search

Cullman County court records can be obtained in a couple of ways. These include:

• The Clerk of Court in custody of the desired court record
• Alabama Courts online court records database
• A third-party vendor

Cullman County Courts

The court in Cullman County operates under the Alabama 32nd Judicial Circuit. The county’s court system consists of a circuit, district, and probate court. The circuit court hears divorce cases, protection from abuse cases, any civil cases with damages exceeding $10,000, felony cases, and some misdemeanor cases. The district court handles juvenile dependency and delinquency cases, paternity issues, traffic violations, and misdemeanor offenses. The probate court is responsible for probate matters, adoptions, guardianships, and name changes.

Cullman County has a single court building that accommodates all its courts. Below is the building’s address:

Cullman County Courthouse
500 2nd Avenue Southwest
Cullman, AL 35055

Cullman County Criminal Records

Cullman County Criminal records comprise the criminal history of individuals arrested in the county. An arrest is usually a person’s initial contact with the criminal justice system and is the beginning of the individual’s criminal record. Once a suspect is arrested, the arresting law enforcement agency creates an arrest record to document the arrest.

Researchers interested in acquiring a Cullman County arrest record may visit the local law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest to request the record.

A person may request their own criminal history record from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). A request can be made by completing the ALEA Application to Review Alabama Criminal History Record Information (CHRI). The application may be completed electronically. The requesting party is required to submit a valid photo ID along with the completed CHRI application and have their fingerprints taken either in person or sent by mail to ALEA’s office. The ALEA’s office address is:

301 S. Ripley Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
(Adams Avenue side)

The department’s mailing address:

P.O. Box 1511
Montgomery, AL 36102-1511

The fee for a criminal history record is $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy requested simultaneously. Payment can be made by money order or cashier's check.

Individuals can contact the ALEA by phone at (334) 676-7897 for further inquiries.

Get Cullman County Civil Court Records

Civil court records are generated to document the legal proceedings of a civil case. Legal disputes between two parties are considered civil cases.

In Cullman County, a civil case may be heard in the Circuit Court or District Court depending on the nature of the case. However, the circuit clerk maintains all Cullman County civil court records regardless of the court that tried the case. Inquisitors may visit the clerk’s office at the courthouse to request access to a civil court record. The clerk may require a fee from the requester to provide a copy of the requested court record.

Individuals who want to access a civil court record remotely may do so on the Alabama court records database. A civil court record can be searched by name or case number. The fee for searching the database is $9.99.

Cullman County Marriage Records

To be legally married in Cullman County, a prospective couple needs to acquire a marriage license from the probate court. In Alabama, a ceremony is not necessary to finalize a marriage union. A marriage is considered valid once both parties successfully sign all necessary documents. The couple is after that required to return the license with a $71 filing fee. The probate court may provide the couple with a copy of their marriage certificate upon filing. Failure to provide the license for recording within 30 days will render the marriage invalid.

Once recorded, the original copy of the marriage certificate is forwarded to the Alabama Department of Health. Marriage certificates maintained with the Department of Health can be obtained by any member of the public. Individuals can obtain a Cullman County marriage certificate in person at the Cullman County Department of Health. The department is located at:

601 Logan Avenue South West
Cullman, AL 35055
Phone: (256) 734-1030

A Cullman County marriage certificate can be requested by completing the vital records Mail-In Application and mailing it to the Alabama Vital Records division.

Alabama Vital Records
P.O. Box 5625
Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5625

A marriage certificate request costs $15 for the first certificate and $6 for each additional request.

Individuals may also order a marriage certificate through the state’s third-party vendor or search out marriage records for a fee on the Cullman probate court Online Record Search portal. Marriage records before August 1936 can only be obtained from the county that issued the marriage license.

Cullman County Divorce Records

The Circuit Court handles divorce cases in Cullman County. Cullman County divorce records are publicly available and can be accessed by anyone who has sufficient information about the desired record. To access a divorce record, an inquirer may visit the Clerk of Circuit Court office. If the requested divorce record is available, the inquirer may obtain a copy for a fee. Online access to Cullman County divorce cases is provided through the Alabama Judiciary's court records search tool.

A certified divorce record, also known as a divorce certificate, can be obtained in person at the Department of Health in Cullman County. It can also be requested via mail or through the state’s vital record partner vendor. A request via mail involves forwarding a completed vital records mail-in application form to the Alabama Vital Records division. A person requesting a divorce certificate needs to have the names of both parties before marriage, the date of the divorce, and the county where the divorce occurred.

A Cullman County divorce certificate costs $15 for an initial copy and $6 for each subsequent copy requested simultaneously. A divorce certificate from the Department of Health is available only for divorces that took place in Alabama starting from 1950. Information on divorces prior to 1950 is to be acquired from the court.

Cullman County Birth and Death Records

The Department of Health, Cullman County documents and maintains records of births and deaths in Cullman County. These records are kept to ensure the preservation of vital events that occur. They are useful in various spheres including health, employment, education, and identity verification. The state of Alabama started preserving birth and death records in 1908. Births, deaths, marriages, and divorces constitute Cullman County's vital records.

Per Alabama law, birth and death records are confidential for 125 years and 25 years, respectively. They are accessible only to select individuals during the confidentiality period. Persons authorized to access an individual’s birth record include:

• The owner of the record
• A parent or legal guardian of the record’s subject
• Current spouse, child, or immediate relative
• The attorney of an authorized individual

Individuals who can access a person’s death record before it becomes public are:

• The parents of the individual represented on the record
• The deceased’s spouse
• A child or immediate relative of the deceased
• A grandchild when establishing entitlement
• An attorney representing the family or estate
• An informant listed on the death record

A birth or death certificate can be obtained in person from the health department in Cullman County. It can also be obtained by mailing a completed vital records mail-in application to the Alabama Health Department’s Vital Records Division. The requester will need to provide their ID to obtain a certificate. Online requests can be made through the vital records third-party vendor. Acquiring a birth or death certificate costs $15 for the first copy and $6 per additional copy requested at the same time.

A Cullman County keepsake birth certificate can be acquired for $45.

Cullman County Probate Court Records

Probate cases have to do with the administration of a deceased’s estate. The probate court handles probate matters in Cullman County. A copy of a Cullman County probate court records may be obtained in person at the Clerk of Circuit Court’s office. Researchers may also look up probate case records on the probate court’s online record search website.

Cullman County Property Records

A property record is a document containing information on a property. Property records typically contain information on deeds, mortgages, and liens. The probate court is charged with the recording of Cullman County property records. The Cullman County Revenue Commissioner’s Office is the county’s official assessor. Individuals who acquire a property in Cullman County are obligated to record the property’s deed with the probate court and assess the property at the Revenue Commissioner's office. The assessment of a property is required to calculate the tax to be paid on the property.

Land records can be accessed at the probate court’s office or through the online records search portal on the probate court’s website. A property in Cullman County can also be searched online via the Revenue Commissioner’s Property Search page. A property search on the page can be done by name, company, PIN, parcel, account, subdivision, and address. A search reveals the parcel information and tax information of a property.

Cullman County Court Records Online

Cullman County court records may be located using third-party online resources like Alabamacourtrecords.us. Third-party vendors generally reduce the potential hassle of obtaining court records through official sources. Most third-party vendors provide researchers access to a broad range of court records, making it easier for individuals seeking multiple court records.

Nonetheless, these platforms cannot access confidential Cullman County court records. They can only be obtained directly from the Circuit Court clerk.