Alabama Cities for Inmate Records

Ten Alabama cities have populations over 50,000. Most of these cities use the county jail for inmates. City police make arrests, but the county sheriff handles booking and housing. Select a city below to learn where to search inmate records and find contact info for that area.

Four cities run their own jails. Birmingham has a city jail with about 350 beds for municipal cases. Montgomery operates a municipal jail at 103 N Perry Street downtown. Hoover has a city jail that handles local charges. Dothan runs a city lockup in addition to using Houston County Jail. These cities have separate inmate search options beyond the county roster.

Huntsville is now Alabama's largest city after passing Birmingham in the 2020 census. All ten cities are major population centers with active police forces. City courts handle traffic cases and minor crimes. County courts take felonies and serious charges. Inmate records for most city arrests end up in the county system within a day or two.

How City and County Records Connect

City police arrest people within city limits. Many cities have a holding area for brief stays. But most inmates transfer to the county jail within 24 to 48 hours. Once they move to the county, inmate records show up on the county jail roster. You search the county roster to find most city inmates in Alabama.

Birmingham and Montgomery are different. They run full city jails with hundreds of beds. City charges may keep someone at the city jail for up to 12 months. County and state charges still go to county or state facilities. Check both city and county rosters when searching for someone in these cities.

Hoover spans two counties. Jefferson County handles most Hoover inmates. Some go to Shelby County based on where the arrest took place. Check both county rosters if you are not sure which one has the records you need.