Alabama Cities
Big cities in Alabama run their own courts. These are called municipal courts. They handle tickets from city police. If you got pulled over by a cop in a city cruiser, your case goes here. Not to the county court. Each city court has its own rules, payment systems, and hours. Pick your city from the list below. You'll find the address, phone number, and how to pay your fine. Some cities let you pay online. Others make you go in person.
Major Alabama Cities
The following cities have populations over 50,000 and operate municipal courts with dedicated traffic divisions.
About Municipal Courts
City courts only deal with city police tickets. If a cop in a city uniform wrote the ticket, it goes to municipal court. These courts are not part of the state system. They run on their own. Each city sets its own fine amounts and court dates. Some are strict. Some are more flexible. Payment options vary too. A few cities share court systems with nearby towns, so your court might be in a different location than where you got the ticket.
Got a ticket from a state trooper? That's not municipal court. Same for sheriff deputies. Those go to District Court. Visit the county page for the right info.
How Municipal Courts Work
Municipal courts handle city-level violations. Traffic tickets are the bulk of it. Speeding, running lights, stop sign violations, improper turns. Also parking tickets and city ordinance stuff. The court has a judge who hears cases. Some cities have full-time judges. Smaller cities share judges with other towns or use part-time judges.
Paying Your Ticket
Most cities give you a few ways to pay. Online is the most common now. Credit card or debit card. There's usually a fee on top of the fine. Around 2.5% to 4%. In-person payments work too. Some courts take cash only. Others take cards in person as well. Mail-in works but takes time. Send a money order or check. Don't send cash in the mail. Keep a copy of everything.
Contesting Your Ticket
If you think the ticket was wrong, don't pay it. Paying is a guilty plea. You lose the right to fight it. Show up on your court date and tell the judge you want to plead not guilty. They'll set a trial date. You can bring a lawyer or go alone. Some folks win their cases. Some don't. But you have the right to try.
What Happens If You Don't Pay
Miss your court date or skip the fine? Bad things happen. A warrant goes out for your arrest. Your license gets suspended. A failure to appear charge gets added. Your fine goes up. You'll owe the original amount plus new fees. The only way to clear it is to pay everything and go through ALEA for license reinstatement. It's cheaper to just deal with the ticket on time.
Smaller Cities
Not all cities have their own court. Some are too small. They share courts with the county or a nearby larger city. If you got a ticket in a small town, the paperwork should say which court handles it. If not, call the police department that wrote the ticket. They'll tell you where to go.
Search Statewide Records
Need to find a ticket but not sure which court has it? Try the search tool below. It works for municipal and state court records. Enter a name or case number. Results show up fast. You can also use the Alacourt system if you need a full record history.