Jefferson County Property Search
Real property refers to land and everything attached to it (Alabama Code § 40-1-1). Property transactions in Jefferson County often require recording in the county's official records to announce their occurrences publicly. These documents (such as deeds, mortgages, and liens) enable interested persons to learn about real estate within the county.
Members of the public who want to seal a property deal, resolve a real estate dispute, or otherwise obtain property information for a legal matter often need to conduct a property search to locate property records. A property search in Jefferson County equips the inquirer with sufficient details on a property within the county, including its ownership, construction, mortgages, assessed values, taxes, and encumbrances.
Different county government offices in Jefferson County collate and maintain property (or land) records. This includes the Recording Department of the Jefferson County Probate Court, Board of Equalization, Tax Assessor, and Tax Collector. However, the Recording Department is the primary custodian of real estate and land documents in Jefferson County.
Are Jefferson County Property Records Public?
Yes. Public records, as defined in Alabama Code § 41-13-1, include all documents, papers, books, and maps produced or received by public officers of the state, counties, municipalities, and other government subdivisions while conducting public business.
Property records in Jefferson County satisfy this description provided in the Code of Alabama and the Alabama Freedom of Information Act. As such, the records are largely available to members of the public for inspection or copying, except otherwise provided by statute. For example, financial statements and records that could be detrimental to the safety and best interests of the public are barred from public release.
What Do Jefferson County Property Records Contain?
Property records in Jefferson County hold substantial information about local real estate. These documents are essential to property owners, buyers, and sellers alike and may contain the following information:
- Ownership Information: This includes the current property owner's name(s), contact details (usually mailing address), and property ownership history (tax year, mailing address, entity name)
- Property Information: The property address, ECO life, business type, business address, DBA, property sales history (sale date, price, deed, grantor, and grantee), property type, photographs, maps
- Market Information: Market value, abatement, exempt value, penalty, total taxable, land value, current use value, appraised value, building, utility wood, CU Value, assessed value, assessment override
- Assessment/Tax Details: The assessed value, property tax amount, tax exemptions, property assessment fee, tax year, pay date, tax lien, lien sale date, bidder and owner name, key number, status, parcel number, redeem date
- Property Description: The legal description of real property, parcel number, physical location, acreage, square footage, sales info, tax map/block information, land computation, map book, page, primary block, subdivision, primary lot, metes and bounds
- Building Details: Parcel, building type, building history, class, number of rooms, assessment class, building owners, base rate, extra features, base cost, replacement cost, condition, building value, final value
- Construction Units, such as foundations, exterior walls, roof type, roof material, floors, interior finish, plumbing
- Documents created from property transactions, including:
- Deeds, which carry the instrument number, deed creation or transfer date, tax year, payer's name, and paid amount
- Mortgages, which include the mortgage lender's name/contact information and the loan amount and terms
Where to Perform a Jefferson County Property Lookup
Members of the public have an array of options to perform a Jefferson County property lookup. The most reliable option is to search online repositories provided by the property tax administration offices (the Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, and Board of Equalization) and the recorder's office. A county property lookup can also be performed at a custodian's physical location within ordinary working hours or by mail (if the particular office allows it).
To search property records maintained by the Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, and BOE offices in Jefferson County, a person should access the Jefferson County Property Tax Administration website. This citizen access portal features a Real Property Search tool that anyone can use to obtain property data. Search keywords include a property address, mailing address, owner name, or parcel number. The tool provides property ownership history, GIS maps, photographs, legal descriptions, market and assessment values, and other pertinent details about property lying in Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Land Records Office (the Probate Court's Recording Department, or colloquially, the "Record Room") also provides an online property search website that interested persons can visit to view property records at no charge. Uncertified copies may also be printed from the site, but at a nominal fee. Documents available at the Land Records Office include warranty deeds, mortgages, releases, powers of attorney, liens, plats, amendments, and other land documents recorded by the office.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Jefferson County
A property owner lookup in Jefferson County can be performed by accessing the Real Property Search tool available on the Property Tax Administration website. As mentioned, this website streamlines property data from the county's Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, and Board of Equalization's office. Thus, it is useful for finding current property ownership information in Jefferson County.
Further, all changes to property, including ownership information, are reported to the Tax Assessor in Jefferson County. As such, another means of performing a property owner lookup is to contact or visit the Tax Assessor's office in Bessemer or Birmingham City (where applicable). One may also email the Tax Assessor at Contact_Tax_Assessor@jccal.org for real estate ownership inquiries. Note that it is necessary to have at least an address or parcel number to facilitate the search.
How to Find Jefferson County Property Records Online
Jefferson County provides property records online to members of the public through its tax administration and recorder offices. Even so, individuals can explore alternative options for obtaining property records online, such as a third-party aggregator website. Third-party websites are generally accessible with a property owner's name or property address, but users may need to pay a nominal fee for the service.
How to Find Property Owner by Address for Free
Anyone who wants to find a property owner by address in Jefferson County for free should follow these steps:
- On a computer or smartphone, navigate to the Jefferson Citizen Access Portal at https://eringcapture.jccal.org/.
- Scroll down to select the "Real Property Search" tool.
- If not selected, choose "Property Address" from the drop-down menu.
- Input a partial or full address and click the search icon.
Search results include the property owner's name and mailing address.
Jefferson County Property Tax Lookup
Property tax records carry information about the assessed and taxable values of real estate, as well as a property's tax payment history and tax exemptions. In Jefferson County, the public may obtain property tax information through the Jefferson County Tax Assessor and Tax Collector's offices. For example, a person may access the Jefferson County Property Tax Administration website to view tax information.
There are different reasons for conducting a property tax lookup in Jefferson County. One of the more common reasons is to verify a property is current in its taxes and does not have outstanding payments. Property owners or intending buyers can also search Jefferson County tax records to confirm their tax obligations or review tax amounts.
How to Find Jefferson County Property Appraiser
The services of property appraisers are often required for valuations before the purchase or sale of property, mortgage lending, property tax appeals, and insurance premiums. Property appraisers evaluate real estate to determine its fair market value.
An individual can find property appraisers in Jefferson County by searching the Real Estate Online Directory maintained by the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board. The directory can be searched by county (e.g., Jefferson) to find appraisers whose place of business is in Jefferson County. Other search criteria, such as a name or license number, are also available to users.
Jefferson County Property Assessor
The Jefferson County Tax Assessor is in charge of assessing properties within the county for taxation purposes. This includes discovering, listing, and classifying property to determine assessed values, which influences the amount on a property tax bill.
Jefferson County's Assessor equally creates and updates GIS maps with multi-layers of data. The Jefferson County GIS tax map viewer is arguably one of the more functional systems in Alabama. The Tax Assessor also applies tax exemptions for eligible property owners.
The Tax Assessor has two office locations in Jefferson County:
Birmingham Courthouse
716 Richard Arrington Junior Boulevard North
Room 170
Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: (205) 325-5505
Bessemer Courthouse
Room 209
Bessemer, AL 35020
Phone: (205) 481-4126
