St. Clair County Arrest Records

St. Clair County arrest records contain compilations of arrest-related events that occurred in the county. The records include arrest information such as the arrestee’s name, physical description, charges, and arrest date and location.

Law enforcement officers generate arrest records after apprehending suspected lawbreakers. In some instances, officers conduct arrests to prevent potential crimes from occurring. Arrested persons are temporarily held at the St. Clair County jail.

The county’s local law enforcement agencies are primarily responsible for creating and maintaining arrest records as arrest or incident reports. To obtain St. Clair County arrest records, interested parties must submit a request to the agency that conducted the arrest.

Crime-related public documents may also contain information on arrest events. For instance, St. Clair County court records feature arrest data such as warrants, charges, and bond amounts.

Are Arrest Records Public in St. Clair County?

St. Clair County arrest records are mostly accessible to the public, per Al. Code §36-12-40, interested parties can legally obtain arrest records from government agencies designated as record custodians. In turn, record custodians must disclose requested documents, provided the requester fulfills the eligibility requirements. For example, requesters must provide a valid ID when requesting confidential arrest records.

Note: Alabama state laws prevent the public disclosure of certain arrest records. Records under this category may include information whose disclosure is judged to not be in the public’s best interest.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In St. Clair County, public arrest records contain information on the following:

• The arrestee’s name and physical description, including mugshots, age, race, and weight.
• Charges
• Arresting agency
• Bond
• Address

St. Clair County Arrest Statistics

According to Alabama’s Crime Statistics Report, St. Clair County’s local law enforcement agencies conducted 4,625 arrests in 2018. The Alabama Department of Correction also provides inmate statistics reports for all correctional facilities. Per the report, St. Clair County jail housed 1,045 inmates by the end of March 2024.

Find St. Clair County Arrest Records

Interested parties can find St. Clair County arrest information in inmate records. To find inmate records, the inquirers must contact the record custodians in charge of maintaining the records. For instance, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office hosts an inmate roster for detained arrestees. Inquirers seeking arrest information must input the inmate’s name in the allocated search box. The inmate roster also provides information on arrestees released in the last 48 hours.

Inmate records are also under the purview of the Alabama Department of Corrections. The agency features an online search database for inmates currently serving in the state’s prisons. Record seekers using the portal may find inmate records by inputting the AIS number or the inmate’s full names.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator offers an alternative option for finding St. Clair County arrest records. Unlike other online repositories, the portal only provides information on current inmates in federal penal institutions.

Free Arrest Record Search in St. Clair County

In St. Clair County, citizens can search arrest records online or offline. To get free online arrest records, citizens may use any of the following official search sites:

• The St. Clair County inmate roster
• The Alabama Department of Corrections inmate search portal
• The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator

Alternatively, third-party search sites offer free access to St. Clair County arrest records. These sites are convenient options for accessing arrest records since they are typically easy to use. Furthermore, some sites allow users to download records in different file formats. Despite the benefits, users should note that third-party search sites are unregulated and do not offer reliable arrest information.

St. Clair County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

St. Clair County arrest records are not the same as criminal records. Although both records contain crime-related data, they are different in the following ways:

They contain different information

Arrest records only contain arrest-related information, such as the arrestee’s name, charges, arrest date, and the arresting agency. In contrast, criminal records contain comprehensive information about an individual’s past. Such records may include arrest information, court case records, and inmate data.

They are under the purview of different government agencies

St. Clair County’s law enforcement agencies are the primary custodians of arrest records. The agencies also create the records after an arrest event. However, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency oversees the creation and maintenance of criminal records.

They have different social implications.

Arrest records do not reveal if the record subject committed an offense. Thus, they do not have negative social implications for the record subject. However, criminal records serve as evidence of court conviction and may lead to consequences such as discrimination in the community.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

St. Clair County arrest records remain on record until they are sealed or expunged. Arrestees can expunge their records by following the state-outlined procedures. Note that certain arrest charges are not eligible for expungement.

Expunge St. Clair County Arrest Records

Per Alabama Code Section 15-27, you can expunge arrest records by petitioning St. Clair County's circuit court. Upon receiving the petition, the court will schedule a hearing date to review it. The court may grant or deny the request by considering various factors. For instance, the court will check if the petitioner meets the legal requirements for expunging arrest records.

Who is eligible to expunge arrest records in St. Clair County?

There are different requirements for expunging arrest records in St. Clair County. To expunge dismissed or non-conviction arrest records, the arrestees must fulfill the following criteria:

• It is more than three months after the charges were dismissed with prejudice.
• Charges were dropped after the arrestee completed a court-approved treatment program.
• It has been more than 90 days since the arrest charges were dropped
• Charges were dismissed without prejudice after one year had elapsed.

In contrast, you can expunge misdemeanor conviction records under these conditions:

• You have fulfilled court-mandated payments and completed the parole or probation requirements.
• The conviction is not a violent or sex-related offense.
• It is more than three years after the conviction date.
• The conviction is not for a serious traffic offense
• The conviction was not classified as a felony.
• The conviction is not for an offense classified as moral turpitude.

Per Section 15-27-1, you can expunge a felony conviction under these conditions:

• It is over six months after getting a pardon certificate from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles.
• Your political and civil rights were restored post-conviction.
• The conviction was not for severe traffic, violent, or sex-related offenses.

How to expunge St. Clair County arrest records

You can expunge St. Clair County arrest records by following these instructions:

1. Request a certified copy of your criminal record from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The requester must mail a completed request form, fingerprint card, and a $25 money order or check to the agency at:
   Criminal Records and Identification Unit
   ATTN: Background Checks
   P.O. Box 1511
   Montgomery, Alabama 36102-1511
2. Fill out and print the Petition for Expungement of Records form.
3. Attach a copy of the arrest records if the charges were dismissed or did not lead to a conviction. For criminal conviction records, request a copy of the court record from the court that oversaw the case.
4. Enclose a $500 filing fee.
5. Submit the aforementioned documents to the circuit court at:

Circuit Clerk - Asheville
100 6th Avenue
Suite 400
Ashville, Al 35953
Phone: (205) 594-2184

Circuit Clerk - Pell City
1815 Cogswell Avenue
Pell City, Al 35125
Phone: 9205) 338-2511

The court will review the petition and may grant or deny the request. If the request is granted, the court will issue an expungement order to all agencies holding the record.

St. Clair County Arrest Warrants

In St. Clair County, arrest warrants are documents that provide justification for an arrest. Court judges may issue arrest warrants for these reasons:

• The offender has the potential to abscond
• The offender failed to appear before the court.
• The offender committed a crime or has the intention to do so.

Furthermore, court judges issue arrest warrants to arresting agencies. Arrest warrants issued in St. Clair County may include the following details:

• The defendant’s name and physical features.
• Arrest charges
• Warrant number
• Warrant issuance date.
• Court judge or magistrate’s name.

Do St. Clair County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In St. Clair County, arrest warrants do not expire unless the defendant gets arrested or the court recalls them. Note that arrest warrants remain valid even after the statute of limitation for the crime has elapsed. Interested parties can view active warrants via the county sheriff’s website.