Criminal Records In Shelby County, AL

Criminal Records

Shelby County law enforcement made over 4700 arrests in 2019, according to statistics from law enforcement agencies. The agencies also reported over 2400 confirmed index crimes. Persons responsible for these crimes are indicted and charged to court for criminal prosecution. If the judiciary finds the individual guilty, it shall impose a sentence for such an offender to serve time in the county jail or state prison.

All these persons, i.e., arrested or convicted, inevitably acquire a criminal record. And criminal justice agencies continue to track his/her conviction and incarceration history through his/her lifetime in Alabama. A criminal record is a chronological history of a person’s convictions in Alabama. It will also contain highlights of arrests within Alabama.

However, an arrest record may not substitute a criminal record in Shelby County. An arrest record only shows that the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office took the individual into custody for a suspected crime. It does not show eventual conviction or incarceration for the suspected offense.

The Alabama Department of Law Enforcement manages criminal records in Shelby County. Persons conducting a public background check may get criminal records by completing the application form. Then, he/she must attach a $25.00 money order or cashier’s check made payable to the ALEA, Criminal Records, and Identification Unit. Enclose the application form, the payment, and an acceptable I.D. in a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail to:

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

Criminal Records and Identification Unit

ATTN: Background Checks

P.O. Box 1511

Montgomery, Alabama 36102-1511

Besides criminal records in Shelby County, consider supplementing the information gotten from criminal records with court records from the clerk’s office. Court records provide a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the crime and conviction. The clerk’s office is located at:

Shelby County Courthouse

112 N Main Street

P.O. Box 1810

Columbiana, AL 35051

Phone: (205) 669-3760

Fax: (205) 669-3786

Note that additional costs apply for getting court records, and the procedure is different.