Alabama Bankruptcy Records
Alabama bankruptcy records are federal court documents. Three U.S. Bankruptcy Courts serve the state. The Northern District in Birmingham covers 31 counties. The Middle District in Montgomery handles 23 counties. The Southern District in Mobile serves 13 counties. You can search these records through PACER, the federal court records system.
Alabama Bankruptcy Records Quick Facts
How Alabama Bankruptcy Courts Work
Bankruptcy is federal law. State and county courts do not handle bankruptcy cases in Alabama. All filings go to one of three federal districts. Each district has a main office and some have extra locations for hearings. The court you use depends on where you live in Alabama.
The Northern District of Alabama is the largest. It has its main office in Birmingham at the Robert S. Vance Federal Building. This court also has offices in Huntsville, Anniston, and Tuscaloosa. Thirty-one counties file here. The Northern District uses NextGen CM/ECF for electronic filing. Call (205) 714-4000 for the Birmingham office or visit alnb.uscourts.gov for more info on bankruptcy records in Alabama.
The Middle District of Alabama has its main office in Montgomery. This is the only staffed location in this district. Opelika and Dothan have courtrooms for hearings, but those offices do not accept mail or walk-in requests. Twenty-three counties file through Montgomery. Call (334) 954-3800 or visit almb.uscourts.gov for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
The Southern District of Alabama covers Mobile and the Gulf Coast. The main office is in Mobile. Selma has a hearing location but no staffed clerk office. Thirteen counties file here. The Southern District offers an Electronic Self-Representation system for people filing without a lawyer. Call (251) 441-5391 or visit alsb.uscourts.gov for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
How to Search Bankruptcy Records
PACER is the main tool for searching bankruptcy records in Alabama. It stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. You can search from home at any time. The system has records from all three Alabama districts. You need a free account to use it. Go to pacer.uscourts.gov to sign up.
PACER charges $0.10 per page. The cost caps at $3.00 per document. If you use less than $30 in a quarter, the fees are waived. This means small searches are often free. You can search by name, case number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. The PACER Case Locator at pcl.uscourts.gov searches all federal courts at once for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
You can also search by phone. The McVCIS system is free. Call 1-866-222-8029 any time. It works 24 hours a day. You need a touch-tone phone. The system gives basic case info like filing dates and case status. It does not read full documents. For those, use PACER or visit a clerk office to search bankruptcy records in Alabama.
In-person searches work too. Go to any staffed clerk office during business hours. Staff can look up cases on the public terminal. Viewing is free. Printing costs $0.10 per page. Certified copies cost $12.00 for the certification. Bring cash, check, or a credit card. Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at most offices for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
What Bankruptcy Records Contain
Bankruptcy records in Alabama contain many documents. The petition starts the case. It lists the debtor's name, address, and the chapter filed. Schedules show assets, debts, income, and expenses. The Statement of Financial Affairs gives a full money history. These papers paint a picture of the person's finances at the time of filing in Alabama.
Court orders are also in the file. The automatic stay order stops creditors from collecting. The discharge order ends the case and wipes out debts. Some cases have objections, motions, and hearings. All of these create records. Trustee reports show what happened to assets. Proofs of claim show what creditors said they were owed in Alabama bankruptcy records.
Bankruptcy records in Alabama typically show:
- Full legal name and address of the debtor
- Chapter filed (7, 11, 12, or 13)
- Date the case was filed
- Assets and their values
- List of all creditors and amounts owed
- Income and expense details
- Discharge date if the case completed
Some info is redacted. Only the last four digits of Social Security numbers show. Bank account numbers are also cut to four digits. Birth dates show only the year. Names of minor children use initials only. Tax returns filed with the court are sealed from public view. These rules come from Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037 for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
Bankruptcy Record Fees in Alabama
PACER fees are the same at all three Alabama courts. You pay $0.10 per page viewed. The cost caps at $3.00 for any single document. Audio files cost $2.40 each. If your quarterly charges stay under $30, you pay nothing. This waiver helps people who do just a few searches for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
Clerk office fees add up for some requests. A certified copy costs $12.00 for the certification. Exemplification costs $25.00. If you ask the clerk to search for you, that costs $32.00 per name. Retrieval of old records from the National Archives costs $64.00 per box. Most people use PACER to keep costs low for Alabama bankruptcy records.
Filing fees are different from search fees. To file Chapter 7 bankruptcy costs $338. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 costs $1,738 for most filers. These fees go to the court, not for record access. Low-income filers may pay in installments or get a fee waiver. The court decides based on income for bankruptcy in Alabama.
Alabama Bankruptcy Administrator Program
Alabama has a unique system. Most states use U.S. Trustees from the Department of Justice. Alabama uses Bankruptcy Administrators instead. These are court employees, not DOJ staff. Only Alabama and North Carolina have this setup. It comes from 28 U.S.C. § 586 for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
The Bankruptcy Administrator oversees cases in each district. They run the 341 meetings where creditors can ask questions. They watch for fraud and abuse. They manage the panel of private trustees who handle Chapter 7 cases. Each district has its own BA office with its own website for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
Bankruptcy Administrator offices:
- Northern District: alnba.uscourts.gov - (205) 714-4300
- Middle District: almba.uscourts.gov - (334) 954-3850
- Southern District: alsba.uscourts.gov - (251) 441-5577
These sites have trustee lists, meeting schedules, and forms. The info is free. You do not need PACER to see it. Creditors use these sites to find out when 341 meetings happen. Debtors use them to learn what to expect in bankruptcy in Alabama.
Bankruptcy Records and the Law
Bankruptcy records are public under federal law. 11 U.S.C. § 107 says papers filed in a case are open to examination. You do not need to be a party. You do not need a reason to look. The law makes bankruptcy records in Alabama open to all.
Some limits apply. Trade secrets can be sealed. Confidential business info may be protected. Scandalous matter can be redacted. A party must ask the court to seal records. The judge decides if secrecy is needed. Most bankruptcy records stay fully public in Alabama.
Privacy rules protect some personal data. Under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037, filers must redact certain info before filing. Social Security numbers show only the last four digits. Financial account numbers are cut the same way. Birth dates show only the year. Minor children appear as initials only. These rules balance public access with privacy for bankruptcy records in Alabama.
The full Bankruptcy Code is at 11 U.S.C. § 101-1532. This is federal law that applies in all states. Alabama state law does not control bankruptcy. State law matters only for things like exemptions, which let debtors keep certain property. The rest is federal for bankruptcy in Alabama.
Browse Bankruptcy Records by County
Each county in Alabama is served by one of the three federal bankruptcy courts. Pick a county below to find which court handles cases there and how to access records.
Bankruptcy Records in Major Cities
Residents of major cities file bankruptcy at the federal court for their district. Pick a city below to learn about bankruptcy records access in that area.