The Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Role
Alabama trial-court filings flow through the Circuit Clerk. The Birmingham Division Circuit Clerk runs the records for both Circuit Court and District Court in Birmingham. The Bessemer Division Circuit Clerk does the same for Bessemer Cutoff cases. The clerk manages filings, indexes case files, takes court costs and fees, issues certificates of judgment, and runs the administrative side of court records.
The Tenth Judicial Circuit page is clear about a limit on the office: the law prohibits the Circuit Clerk from giving legal advice. The site cites Alabama Code Section 34-3-6 for the restriction on unauthorized practice of law. The clerk can give procedural information, forms, and access to records. It cannot tell a person what to file, how a statute applies, or what a judge will do.
Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Contact
The Birmingham Division Circuit Clerk office sits inside the Jefferson County Courthouse in Room 400. The Bessemer Circuit Clerk runs from the Bessemer courthouse complex.
Circuit Clerk, Birmingham Division
Jacqueline Anderson-Smith
Jefferson County Courthouse, Room 400
716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N.
Birmingham, AL 35203
(205) 325-5355
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F
Circuit Clerk, Bessemer Division
Bessemer Courthouse Complex
Bessemer, AL 35020
See division site
Bessemer Cutoff Division
The Birmingham Circuit Clerk site links forms, fee tables, and the Tenth Judicial Circuit administrative orders.
Jefferson County Circuit Court Filing Fees
The Tenth Judicial Circuit posts its filing-fee tables on the local site. The circuit civil schedule notes its date is June 21, 2012 and tells users to confirm fees with the Circuit Clerk before paying. The table below lists the most common fee items.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Circuit civil, one plaintiff and one defendant up to $50,000 | $251.00 |
| Circuit civil over $50,000 or unspecified amount | $351.00 |
| Pro ami | $251.00 |
| Verified complaint | $251.00 |
| Most appeals (driver license, tax, unemployment) | $251.00 |
| Foreign judgments, quiet title, modify petitions, injunctions, interpleader | $251.00 |
| Temporary restraining order | $251.00 |
| Appeal or transfer from Probate to Circuit | $251.00 |
| Jury demand | $100.00 |
| Service by Jefferson County Sheriff | $10.00 |
| Subpoena | $12.00 |
| Cost of execution | $30.00 |
| Appeals to Court of Civil Appeals or Supreme Court | $200.00 |
The fee page is the source for the table above and is updated on the local Tenth Judicial Circuit site.
Forms and AlaFile
Local court forms for Jefferson County are filtered in the Alabama eForms library at eforms.alacourt.gov/local-county-forms/jefferson. Pro se filers should look at the local set before drafting from scratch. The state form library at Alabama Judicial System rules and forms covers the broader statewide forms.
Attorneys e-file through AlaFile. The Tenth Judicial Circuit's site notes that attorneys can register to receive free electronic notices and orders, with no fees or ongoing charges for notices and orders. Lay users do not need an AlaFile account to access records; AlaFile is the attorney filing and notice system, not a public search portal.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is a copy stamped by the clerk to confirm it is a true copy of the original. Most legal uses require a certified copy rather than a plain copy. The Circuit Clerk handles certified copies for circuit and district court records; Probate Court handles them for marriage, will, and recorded land documents.
- Identify the case clearly: case number, party name, and document type.
- Visit the right Circuit Clerk office or send a written request by mail.
- Pay the per-page copy fee plus the certification fee.
- For mail requests, include a self-addressed stamped envelope and money order payment.
- Ask for the certification stamp on each page if required by the receiving party.
Note: Rule of Judicial Administration 30 allows the clerk to require a written request and to charge per-page fees for conventional and certified copies.
Certificate of Judgment
A certificate of judgment is a clerk-issued document confirming a money judgment in a civil case. It is often recorded with Probate Land Records to create a judgment lien against real property. The Tenth Judicial Circuit links a Request for Certificate of Judgment or Exemplification PDF for use with the clerk's office. The PDF asks for case-identifying information, requester contact, and payment details.
The exact PDF field list sits on the form itself. Filers should call the Circuit Clerk to confirm any current cover-sheet rules or related court costs before mailing the request.
The Clerk Cannot Give Legal Advice
The Tenth Judicial Circuit and the Circuit Clerk page are explicit: the website is procedural information and the clerk cannot give legal advice. The cite is Alabama Code Section 34-3-6 on unauthorized practice of law. That rule shapes what kind of question the counter staff can answer.
- Forms, fees, and filing procedures - yes, the clerk can help.
- Record requests and certified copies - yes, the clerk can help.
- How to draft a pleading - no, ask a lawyer.
- Whether a statute applies to your facts - no, ask a lawyer.
- How a judge will rule - no.
Probate Court vs. Circuit Clerk
Many users come into the Circuit Clerk looking for a marriage certificate or a recorded deed. Those records are not in the Circuit Clerk file. Probate Court holds marriage certificates filed under Alabama Act 2019-340, recorded deeds and mortgages, will and estate files, guardianship and conservatorship orders, mental-health commitments, and adoptions.
The Circuit Clerk holds civil, criminal, domestic relations, and traffic court files. Family Court records are handled separately and are largely sealed. For probate, see probate records. For marriage and divorce, see marriage and divorce records.
Domestic Relations and District Civil Fees
Domestic relations cases have a separate fee table on the local site at domestic relations filing fees. District civil cases have their own table at district civil filing fees. Common case types covered include divorce, custody, modification, protection from abuse, small claims, debt collection, and unlawful detainer.
The Tenth Judicial Circuit advises confirming the current amount with the Circuit Clerk before paying, since posted schedules can lag a fee change. Some pro se filers qualify for a fee waiver; the office can describe the waiver paperwork but cannot decide eligibility.
Jury Service Through the Clerk
The Tenth Judicial Circuit's jury information page covers security, prohibited items, juror pay, mileage, and employer notice. Jurors are paid $25 per day plus $0.625 per mile. Jurors cannot be terminated for service, and the court issues work certificates as needed. Parking for jurors is limited to the Jefferson County deck at Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard and the Boutwell Auditorium overflow deck at 801 North 19th Street.
The juror FAQ page lists answers to common questions about reporting, postponement, and rescheduling. The Clerk's office handles juror records as part of court administration but is not the right office for legal advice about service.