Coffee County, Alabama State Court Records
Coffee County court records are official legal documents created for the purpose of judicial proceedings. They exist for various case types, including civil, criminal, probate, traffic, and family cases. The Coffee County Circuit Clerk is the county's main custodian of these records. This office is primarily in charge of creating, updating, preserving, and providing record copies to interested individuals upon request.
Court records are often dependent upon and connected to other public records maintained by various public agencies within the county and across the state. For instance, criminal court records are often associated with and may contain arrest records maintained by law enforcement agencies. Similarly, vital records-which are handled by the Center for Health Statistics and include marriage, divorce, birth, and death certificates-often relate to adoption, name change, and paternity cases.
Are Coffee County Court Records Public?
Yes. Most Coffee County court records are public, including docket entries, orders, judgments, pleas, subpoenas, summonses, and other documents generated and maintained by the county's courts. As set forth in Alabama Code 36-12-40, every citizen of the commonwealth has the right to inspect and copy the state's public records except as otherwise provided by statute. Also known as the Alabama Public Records Policy, this law mandates that government agencies provide reasonable means by which members of the public can obtain their records.
Exceptions exist to this policy in order to prevent the disclosure of privileged or otherwise protected information, including information with the potential to compromise a legal proceeding or investigation, or jeopardize the security of any individual or government facility. General exemptions from the public records policy include juvenile information, attorney-client privileged information, sealed or expunged records, active investigation records, sensitive personal information (e.g., financial account details, driver's licence numbers, and social security numbers), and mental health proceeding records.
What Information is Available in Coffee County Court Records?
The following court record information is available during public inspection and copying:
- Case docket entries
- Party names and case numbers
- Case status
- Name of presiding judge and court
- Attorney names
- Judgments, orders, pleadings, petitions, and other case entries
- Filing dates
Coffee County Court Records Search
Individuals looking for Coffee County court records may search statewide electronic databases, visit the relevant court clerk's office, or visit the courthouse in person.
Online Access
Alacourt Access is Alabama's primary official online resource for court record searches. This tool is maintained by the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts and covers records for criminal, civil, small claims, domestic relations, traffic, and child support cases. Searches are by party name or case number and require certain fees that vary by the record type obtained and the court type.
Mail and Phone Requests
Record requests can also be sent by mail to the clerk's office. However, it is best to call the office ahead for mailing instructions and applicable fees at (334) 347-2519 or (334) 897-2954. See above for mailing addresses.
In-Person Access
In-person court record access is facilitated by the Coffee County Circuit Clerk's Office, with locations at Enterprise and Elba. Interested persons must submit a request, which must contain a case party's name or a case number, along with fees (where applicable). See below for office addresses and operating hours.
Coffee County Circuit Clerk (Elba)
30 Court Avenue
Elba, AL 36323
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Coffee County Circuit Clerk (Enterprise)
101 South Edwards Street
Enterprise, AL 36330
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
For probate records, visit the Coffee County Probate Office at
230-P North Court Street
Elba, AL 36323
Monday-Thursday: 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Mailing address:
101 South Edwards Street
PO Box 311247
Enterprise, AL 36331
Phone: (334) 347-2688
Fees for Court Records in Coffee County
The Alabama Public Records Law allows agencies to charge reasonable fees to cover the cost of processing or reproducing a public record, although records are typically viewable for free. Probate court records can be viewed online at no cost, with a $2.00 fee required for printing. The Alacourt Access Portal charges the following fees for records:
- Name Search: $9.99
- Case Number Search: $9.99
- Document Images: $5.00 for the first 20 pages and $0.50 per page thereafter
- District Case: $19.99
- Circuit Case: $29.99
Coffee County Courthouse Locations
Coffee County falls within Alabama's 12th Judicial Circuit and operates various courts, including the circuit, district, probate, and municipal courts. The County maintains separate courthouses for each court at its two different county seats-Elba and Enterprise. Note that some of these courts are located at the same address. Find court addresses and contact information below:
Coffee County Circuit Court - Elba
230 Court Avenue
Elba, AL 36323
Phone: (334) 897-2954
Coffee County Circuit Court - Enterprise
101 South Edwards Street
Enterprise, AL 36330
Phone: (334) 347-2519
Coffee County District Court - Elba
230 Court Avenue
Elba, AL 36323
Phone: (334)897-2954
Coffee County District Court - Enterprise
101 South Edwards Street
Enterprise, AL 36330
Phone: (334) 393-2750
Coffee County Probate Court - Elba
230 Court Avenue
Elba, AL 36323
Phone: (334) 897-2211
Coffee County Probate Court - Enterprise
101 South Edwards Street
PO Box 311247
Enterprise, AL 36331
Phone: (334) 347-2688
Elba Municipal Court
312 Simmons Street
Elba, AL 36323
Phone: (334) 897-1254
Fax: (334) 897-1254
Enterprise Municipal Court
501 South Main Street
PO Box 31100
Enterprise, AL 36331
Phone: (334) 347-1211
Kinston Municipal Court
PO Box 26
Kinston, AL 36453
Phone: (334) 565-3116
Criminal Records Access in Coffee County
The Coffee County circuit and district courts share jurisdiction over criminal cases originating in the county's court system. The Circuit Court handles felonies and certain appeals from the district court, while the district court handles misdemeanors, preliminary hearings, and some violations. Less serious matters like ordinance violations and traffic offenses are overseen by the county's municipal courts.
The circuit clerk's and the district clerk's offices handle in-person checks for criminal court records and assess a fee for this service. Criminal court records can also be obtained online via Alacourt Access, the statewide court record search portal. This resource displays charges, dispositions, court dates, case actions, and most docket entries.
Criminal background checks are handled by a separate agency-the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). This is typically done by completing the ALEA criminal history check form and submitting it along with a $25.00 fee.
Coffee County Probate Records
The Coffee County probate court handles adoptions, commitments, conservatorships, guardianships, name changes, will probate, and administration of estate. All records arising from these cases are assumed public, although restrictions exist for certain cases, such as adoptions and commitments. Depending on the nature of the case, an entire record may be restricted or specific portions redacted to ensure that nonpublic or sensitive personal information remains protected.
Public copies of probate court records are available through the probate office at $1.00 per plain page and $3.00 per certified copy. People can also view probate court records online for free and pay a $2.00/page fee for printing.
Coffee County Family Court Records
Family court cases fall within the jurisdiction of the Coffee County Circuit Court and include cases like paternity, child support, child custody, domestic violence protection orders, and divorce cases. The Coffee County Circuit Clerk's Office maintains all ensuing records and is responsible for handling public record requests. To obtain case information, contact the circuit clerk's office or peruse the statewide search portal.
Although these records are generally assumed public, restrictions exist for cases involving minors (e.g., custody or support cases) and for certain sensitive adult cases (e.g., domestic violence protection orders). Certified copies of records are typically only available to case parties or immediate family members. While plain copies cost $1.00 per page, certification costs $3.00 per copy.
Federal Court Records in Coffee County
Federal court records refer to documents that cover information about cases heard under federal law, such as interstate matters, civil rights claims, bankruptcy matters, and federal criminal offenses. The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama handles federal cases arising from Coffee County.
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
100 West Troy Street
Dothan, AL 36303
Phone: (334) 954-3600
Email: almdcourt@almd.uscourts.gov
Federal case records are available through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), which allows users to look up case details by party name or case number. This includes available docket entries and case documents. Users are required to create an account and pay the applicable search fee: $0.10 per page, with most case documents capped at $3.00 per document.
