DeKalb County Circuit Clerk Office
The State Court Structure Map identifies DeKalb County's primary clerk as the Circuit Clerk. The official local court site names Todd Greeson as Circuit Clerk, and the Alabama Secretary of State circuit-clerk lookup also lists Todd Greeson for DeKalb County. The local clerk page describes the Circuit Clerk as the official record keeper and business manager for proceedings in the District and Circuit Courts.
The clerk's work is wider than copy service. The office maintains electronically imaged court records, manages the collection and disbursement of court funds, prepares subpoenas, issues court notices for hearings and trials, and manages jury duties. The office can provide forms and procedural information, but the DeKalb court site repeatedly states that staff cannot give legal advice.
The Alabama Secretary of State circuit clerk lookup confirms the official DeKalb County Circuit Clerk listing.
That statewide lookup is useful when a mailing address or elected-office name needs a second official source.
DeKalb County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Todd Greeson
300 Grand Avenue South, Suite 200
Fort Payne, AL 35967
(256) 845-8525
Records request phone: (256) 845-8536
Fax: (256) 845-8535
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Mailing Address
Todd Greeson, Circuit Clerk
P.O. Box 681149
Fort Payne, AL 35968-1149
Use this address for the official records-search and copy request form.
DeKalb County Circuit Clerk Duties
The Circuit Clerk supports ten local court divisions and is the practical routing point for many DeKalb County court record questions. Circuit Civil, Domestic Relations, Appeals, Juvenile, Child Support, District Civil, Small Claims, Evictions, Circuit Criminal, District Criminal, and Traffic each have assigned clerks or division contacts. Most callers still begin with the main courthouse number and choose the right option.
- Maintain imaged Circuit Court and District Court records.
- Receive pleadings, motions, notices, subpoenas, and other court filings.
- Collect and disburse court funds, fines, costs, and certain fees.
- Issue court notices for scheduled trials and hearings.
- Manage jury duties and publish jury service information.
- Process record searches, copies, and certifications within the office's scope.
The DeKalb District Criminal page is one official division page that points users back to the records-request form for copies.
That division split matters because misdemeanor, felony, traffic, domestic, civil, and small-claims records can require different staff even when the same clerk's office is custodian.
Request DeKalb Certified Copies
A certified copy is a court copy with the clerk's official certification. It may be needed for an appeal, employment or licensing response, expungement petition, name correction, divorce proof, or another court filing. DeKalb County certified copies for Circuit and District Court records are requested through the Circuit Clerk, not the Probate Judge or Sheriff.
- Identify whether the record is a DeKalb County Circuit Court or District Court file. The clerk request form excludes federal, municipal, other-county, other-state, and probate records.
- Gather the case number if known. If not known, add full name, date of birth, alias, division, and approximate filing year.
- Complete the request form and mark whether certification is required.
- Calculate the search, copy, and certification fees. Personal checks are not accepted.
- Mail the form, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Todd Greeson, Circuit Clerk, P.O. Box 681149, Fort Payne, Alabama 35968.
- Allow two weeks. The form states that payment does not guarantee results and will not be refunded.
Note: Use the Probate Office, not the Circuit Clerk, for probate filings, marriage certificate recording, land records, liens, plats, and UCC records.
DeKalb Court Request Form
The Circuit Clerk's official form is titled "Request for Record Search and/or Copies of Court Records." It is the main mail fallback when Alacourt is not enough, when older records require clerk work, or when a certified copy is needed. The form also sets clear limits: it covers only DeKalb County Circuit and District Court records.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Unspecified | Date of the request. |
| Specific Information Requested | Yes in practice | Describe the search or copies needed. |
| Case Number(s) | No | Known case numbers speed the search. |
| Identifying Information | No, but useful | Date of birth, alias, or other identifiers. |
| Certification Required | Optional | Yes or no selection. |
| Name and Address | Yes | Requester contact and return-mail information. |
| Telephone Number | Recommended | Lets staff contact the requester if the form is unclear. |
| Total Amount Due | Required for mail | Calculated from the fee schedule. |
DeKalb County Circuit Clerk Fees
The DeKalb County Circuit Clerk request form cites Alabama court record search and copy fee authority and lists the charges for name searches, archived or microfilmed searches, paper-record examination, copies, certifications, and color material. These fees are paid even when the search does not locate a result, so the request should be narrow and specific.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Computerized records search | $10.00 per name |
| Archived or microfilmed records search | $25.00 |
| Examination of paper records by clerk | $20.00 |
| Pages 1 through 20, paper or electronic | $5.00 |
| Each additional page | $0.50 |
| Each certification | $5.00 |
| Color photos or color copies | $5.00 each |
The Circuit Criminal page is one official source for criminal division payment methods and filing information.
Criminal payments are not the same as copy fees, but the page confirms the clerk's criminal division routing for felony and related case records.
DeKalb Clerk Division Contacts
The DeKalb office directory assigns division clerks to the common record paths. Melinda Whitten, Karen Calvert, and Stephanie Windom are listed for Circuit Civil, Domestic Relations, Appeals, Juvenile, and Child Support. Marsha Edwards, Ashley Smith, and Bailee Robles are listed for District Civil, Small Claims, and Evictions. Kim Hamlin is listed for Circuit Criminal, LaKayla Ramza for District Criminal, and Katy Little for Traffic.
| Division | Phone Route | Records Usually Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic | (256) 845-8525 option 1 | District Court traffic citations and AlaPay issues. |
| Criminal | (256) 845-8525 option 2 | Circuit Criminal and District Criminal files. |
| Domestic / Circuit Civil | (256) 845-8525 option 3 | Divorce, domestic relations, higher civil cases, appeals. |
| District Civil / Small Claims / Evictions | (256) 845-8525 option 6 | Lower civil cases, small claims, unlawful detainers. |
| Passports | (256) 845-8525 option 7 | Passport service questions, not court record searches. |
The District Civil page documents the District Civil, Small Claims, and Evictions clerk routing.
That local division page is also the source for district civil fee and service detail used by lower civil case searchers.
DeKalb Clerk Online Access
Most DeKalb County Circuit and District Court information can be searched through Alacourt ACCESS and Just One Look. The local clerk page says most trial-court information may be obtained through the state Alacourt system and notes that required fees apply. The e-filing source distinguishes AlaCourt subscription access from Just One Look case-by-case access through the public access site.
AlaFile is separate from a public record search. It is part of Alabama's e-filing system for court filings, while Alacourt ACCESS and Just One Look are read-only access channels. When an online search does not show the needed image, older record, certification, or copy, the DeKalb Circuit Clerk request form remains the local fallback.
The DeKalb Small Claims page is an official lower-civil division page for claims within the local small-claims jurisdiction.
Small claims are District Court records, so copies and case lookups still route through the Circuit Clerk's District Civil and Small Claims staff.
The Domestic Relations page confirms the divorce filing route through the Circuit Clerk's domestic division.
Divorce case files are court records held through the Circuit Clerk, while statewide divorce certificates are requested through ADPH.
DeKalb Clerk Record Limits
The Circuit Clerk is not the custodian for every DeKalb County public record. Probate records, marriage certificate recording, land records, plats, UCC filings, liens, and probate certified copies route to the Probate Judge. Fort Payne municipal tickets and municipal misdemeanors route to Fort Payne Municipal Court. Sheriff jail custody records route to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, and sentenced state-prison custody records route to ADOC.
Juvenile records are also not treated like ordinary adult court records. Alabama Code Section 12-15-133 restricts juvenile court records and information, even though juvenile work appears among the Circuit Clerk divisions. Sealed and expunged records can also be withheld from ordinary public access. For a DeKalb County Circuit Clerk record search, the best request is specific, limited to Circuit or District Court, and clear about whether a certified copy is needed.