Arrest Records for Dale County, Alabama

If you’re checking a name against Dale County’s criminal history — your own record before a court date, a relative’s case status, or a file you need for legal preparation — the county’s court records live in two places: the Dale County Circuit Clerk’s Office, overseen by Circuit Clerk Delores Woodham, and the statewide Alacourt paid-search index at the Thirty-Third Circuit Court records portal. The Clerk’s Office reported hours are Monday–Tuesday 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, Wednesday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, and Thursday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, though early closures have been reported — confirm before driving. Booking records held by the Dale County Sheriff’s Office are a separate system, open to public inspection under Alabama law.

If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Dale County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.

If your person has a history in other states

The Alacourt index covers Dale County and Alabama’s other sixty-six counties, but it won’t surface records from other states, federal cases, or charges that pre-date the portal’s online window. A nationwide third-party search may help fill gaps that local portals often leave — it can surface records across multiple states and name variants you might not think to check. The preliminary scan is free; a full report requires creating an account.

Sponsored: Nationwide Criminal Background Check (we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

This tool is not a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA and may not be used to screen anyone for employment, housing, credit, or any other purpose covered by that law.

How to look up arrest records in Dale County

Weekday mornings are the most reliable window for reaching the Dale County Circuit Clerk’s Office in person or by phone — the office closes at noon on Thursdays and has closed early on at least one occasion, so plan accordingly. The four pathways below each pull from a different system; knowing which one holds the record you need saves a wasted trip.

Alacourt paid-search index. Alabama’s statewide trial-court index covers all sixty-seven counties, including Dale, but it charges a per-name fee. The free portal covers appellate cases only — it will not show a Dale County Circuit or District Court criminal case. To search trial-court records, you pay through the Alacourt subscriber system. Circuit Clerk Delores Woodham’s office information and case-search access are available through the Dale County Thirty-Third Circuit Court records portal. Traffic cases have a separate entry point through the Dale County Traffic Court records system.

Clerk records request — in person or by mail. If you’re checking your own record, walk-in requests at the Dale County Courthouse in Ozark typically carry lower fees than third-party requests, and you can bring a government-issued photo ID to confirm your identity on the spot. The Clerk’s Office is handicap accessible. Parking in downtown Ozark is limited — the courthouse cannot arrange parking for visitors, so allow extra time. Fines and fees can be paid without convenience charges using cash or money order in person, or by mailing a money order to PO Box 1350, Ozark, AL 36360. Call the Clerk’s Office to confirm the current records-request fee before visiting, as it is not published online.

Sheriff’s Office booking records. Alabama law requires the county sheriff’s jail register to be open to public inspection. The Dale County Sheriff’s Office is at 124 Adams Street, Ozark, Alabama, with office hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring a valid ID — it is required to enter the premises. Ample parking is available in the lot. A new booking can take time to appear in any online roster, so calling the Sheriff’s Office directly is the most reliable method for a recent arrest. The phone number for the Dale County Jail is (334) 774-5402; confirm numbers before calling.

Alabama Department of Corrections inmate lookup. Someone serving a state prison sentence — rather than awaiting trial in the county jail — appears in the Alabama Department of Corrections inmate search, not in the Sheriff’s booking register. Use the ADOC tool if the person has already been sentenced and transferred out of Dale County custody.

Municipal court charges. Ozark, Daleville, Newton, and other Dale County municipalities operate their own courts for city ordinance violations. Some municipal courts sit outside the Alacourt statewide index entirely, so a municipal charge may not appear in a paid Alacourt search. Contact the relevant city court directly to confirm. The Ozark Police Department’s administrative office can be reached at 334-774-2644 during business hours (8:00 AM–4:30 PM).

Are Dale County arrest records public?

Distinguish what the law makes public from what a court order has removed from public view — those are two different categories, and confusing them wastes time. Arrest records and court filings in Dale County carry a default-public status under Alabama’s Open Records Act, Ala. Code §§ 36-12-40 to 36-12-46. Any person may request them; no special standing is required.

Sealed and expunged records are the primary exception. When a Dale County Circuit Court grants a petition to seal under Alabama’s expungement statute, the record is removed from public access — it no longer appears in Alacourt searches available to the public, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office will not disclose it to a civilian requester. Law enforcement agencies retain access to sealed records; the public does not.

Juvenile records are a separate category. Cases adjudicated in juvenile court are not public records under Alabama law and will not appear in a standard Alacourt search or a Sheriff’s booking-register request.

Victim-protection redactions apply in certain cases. Addresses, phone numbers, and identifying details of crime victims may be withheld from the copy you receive, even when the underlying case file is public. This is a partial redaction, not a sealed record — the case itself remains visible, but specific fields are removed.

The Sheriff’s jail register is presumptively public in Alabama. Booking photos may appear in the official record; the Sheriff’s Office is the correct contact for questions about Dale County’s specific release policy for booking images, as that policy is not published online.

What’s in a Dale County arrest record?

“Public record” covers two distinct documents that live in different systems and show different fields — understanding which one you’re looking at matters before you draw conclusions from what you see.

Booking entry (Sheriff-side). When someone is arrested and booked into the Dale County Jail at 124 Adams Street, Ozark, the Dale County Sheriff’s Office creates a booking record. It typically includes: full legal name, booking date and time, charges as listed at arrest (these may differ from what the prosecutor later files), bail amount if set, arresting agency, and physical descriptors. The official record may also contain a booking photograph. Social Security numbers, full dates of birth, and witness names are redacted from the version released to the public — you will see an age or birth year, not a full DOB, and witness identities are withheld under Alabama’s victim-protection framework.

Docket entry (court-side). Once the case moves to the Dale County Courthouse, the Circuit or District Clerk creates a separate case file. The docket entry at the Thirty-Third Circuit Court records portal shows: case number, charge description as filed by the prosecutor (which may differ from the arrest charge), court dates, attorney of record if one has appeared, and disposition — guilty plea, acquittal, dismissal, or conviction — once the case resolves. Pending cases show no disposition yet; that field simply remains blank.

The gap between these two systems matters. A charge listed on a booking record may be amended, reduced, or dropped entirely by the time the docket entry reflects a disposition. Relying only on the Sheriff-side booking record without checking the court-side docket can give an incomplete picture of how a case resolved.

For traffic matters in Dale County, the Dale County Traffic Court records system is a separate index from the main Circuit/District docket. Traffic citations and related charges are searched there rather than through the general criminal docket. The Dale County Courthouse also handles traffic court payments by money order or cashier’s check, mailed to the Dale County District Court Traffic Division.

How to expunge an arrest record in Dale County

Does the charge on your Dale County record qualify for sealing — and does it matter whether you were convicted or not? The answer turns on which category your case falls into, because Alabama law treats non-convictions and convictions differently under Ala. Code § 15-27-1.

Non-conviction cases. Charges that were dismissed, nolle prossed, or resulted in acquittal are generally the most straightforward to seal. A case that never resulted in a conviction — including one where you completed a diversion program — typically has a more direct path to expungement than a post-conviction petition. Many dismissed cases can be petitioned without a waiting period, though the district attorney and the arresting agency are both entitled to object.

Post-conviction sealing. Alabama’s 2021 expansion of the expungement statute was significant: the law now reaches convictions, not only dismissed charges. A great deal of older guidance — including some published before 2021 — still states that Alabama expungement applies only to non-convictions. That is no longer accurate. Post-conviction sealing is discretionary, meaning the court weighs the petition rather than granting it automatically. A waiting period applies after a conviction; the statute sets the timing requirements, but the exact duration is not supplied here — check the current text of Ala. Code § 15-27-1 or ask the Clerk of Court for the applicable window.

Where to file. Petitions to seal a Dale County arrest record are filed in the Circuit Court for Dale County — the court where the charge was originally brought. The Thirty-Third Circuit Court records portal is the filing office. Circuit Clerk Delores Woodham’s office handles the intake. The filing fee is not published online — call to confirm the current amount before submitting.

Indigency waiver. If you cannot afford the filing fee, an indigency waiver petition is available. Ask the Clerk’s Office for the form when you inquire about the fee.

Self-petition vs. attorney-assisted. You may file a petition to seal without an attorney. The Alabama State Bar’s the state bar lawyer directory can connect you with an attorney if you want representation. If you cannot afford private counsel, the Alabama indigent defense locator may identify available resources.

What remains visible after sealing. A sealed Dale County record is removed from public Alacourt searches and from what the Sheriff’s Office discloses to civilian requesters. Law enforcement agencies, courts, and certain licensing boards retain access. The record does not disappear entirely — it is restricted from public view, not destroyed.

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Frequently asked questions about Dale County arrest records

What is the first thing to check when looking up my own Dale County arrest record?

Your own Dale County arrest record lives in two places: the booking entry at the Dale County Sheriff’s Office (124 Adams Street, Ozark) and the court docket at the Thirty-Third Circuit Court records portal maintained by Circuit Clerk Delores Woodham. Bring a government-issued photo ID to the Clerk’s Office — self-requests typically carry lower fees than third-party requests. The Alacourt statewide index charges a per-name fee; the free Alacourt portal covers appellate cases only and will not show your Dale County trial-court record. If the charge was a traffic matter, search the Dale County Traffic Court records system separately.

How do I locate a Dale County arrest record for someone else, and can it be sealed?

Dale County arrest records are default-public under Alabama’s Open Records Act, so you can request them from the Circuit Clerk’s Office or search the paid Alacourt index without special standing. Booking records at the Sheriff’s Office are also open to public inspection under Alabama law. A record that has been sealed under Ala. Code § 15-27-1 will not appear in public searches — the court removes it from public access after granting the petition. Non-conviction cases (dismissed charges, acquittals) generally have a more direct path to sealing than post-conviction petitions, which are discretionary and subject to a waiting period. Petitions are filed at the Dale County Circuit Court; Circuit Clerk Delores Woodham’s office handles intake. Call the Clerk’s Office to confirm the current filing fee before submitting.