Morgan County Circuit Clerk Office
Chris Priest is the Morgan County Circuit Clerk. The office is the shared clerk hub for Circuit and District Court records at the Morgan County Courthouse in Alabama's 8th Judicial Circuit. The research confirms the current officeholder but does not state a term length, so no term claim is made. The office's local site gives access to divisions, forms, calendars, records-request materials, judges, jury information, and payment guidance. Sheriff Ron Puckett's jail and booking records remain outside the clerk's court files.
The Morgan County Circuit Clerk is on the courthouse's fourth floor. General court and family questions use 256-351-4790. Local civil questions use 256-351-4643. Morgan County mail commonly goes to P.O. Box 668. The official court pages do not publish a general clerk email or complete public office-hours statement, so requests should use the confirmed phone, mail, in-person, and online channels.
Morgan County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Chris Priest
302 Lee Street NE, Fourth Floor
Decatur, AL 35601
Mail: P.O. Box 668, Decatur, AL 35602
256-351-4790
Morgan County Circuit Clerk Duties
The Morgan County Circuit Clerk receives and maintains pleadings for Circuit and District Court. The office tracks civil, criminal, domestic-relations, child-support, divorce, PFA, small-claims, eviction, traffic, and district-criminal work. It supports records requests and court calendars and collects authorized filing fees, fines, costs, and service amounts. Probate records do not move through this office.
- Open and maintain Circuit and District Court case files.
- Receive pleadings, court forms, appeals, and supporting papers.
- Provide records-request policy and copy-request forms.
- Support traffic and district-criminal payment channels.
- Coordinate jury, magistrate, calendar, and division information.
The official Circuit Judges page identifies the judges served by the clerk.
That roster ties the clerk's filing work to Morgan County's three Circuit Court judges.
The official District Judges page shows the other trial-court side of the unified clerk structure.
District judges sit on the third floor, while the Circuit Clerk's counter is identified on the fourth floor.
Request Certified Morgan County Copies
A Morgan County certified copy carries the clerk's official certification. It may be needed when a court order, judgment, divorce decree, or other document must be presented for an official purpose. The Morgan County research does not state a per-page copy price or certification fee. Confirm the current total with the Circuit Clerk before mailing funds.
- Identify the case number, court division, parties, and approximate filing date.
- Open the official Records Access Policy and Request for Records Form.
- Describe the exact document and state that a certified copy is required.
- Ask the clerk to confirm copy, certification, mailing, and payment requirements.
- Submit the request by a method stated on the current form, or ask the clerk about in-person and mail delivery.
The Circuit Clerk records-request page is the authoritative starting point.
Use its current policy and PDF rather than an unofficial form or assumed fee.
Morgan County Records Request Details
The official page exposes the request PDF, but the browser research did not reveal every form field. The inventory below separates confirmed locating details from items that must be checked on the live PDF. This avoids claiming that an unverified box is mandatory.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Use when known | The clearest local case identifier. |
| Party names | Use for location | Provide full names and roles when known. |
| Court or division | Use for routing | Circuit Civil, District Criminal, Family, Traffic, or another unit. |
| Document type | Use for scope | Name the order, judgment, complaint, decree, or docket sought. |
| Copy and certification | Check live form | State whether plain or certified copies are needed. |
| Requester and delivery data | Check live form | Follow the current PDF for contact, pickup, or mail details. |
Morgan County Circuit Clerk Fees
Morgan County fees vary by filing and service. The official local pages confirm the amounts below. Civil filing fee PDFs should be checked for the current Circuit and District Civil schedules. Copy and certification prices were not captured in the Morgan County research and are not estimated.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Uncontested divorce filing | $236.00 |
| Contested divorce filing | $253.00 |
| Sheriff service for withholding order | $28.00 |
| Certified-mail withholding service | $6.96 |
| Small-claims appeal, non-jury | $288.00 |
| Small-claims appeal, jury | $388.00 |
| Civil filing fees | See current Circuit and District Civil PDFs |
The official Civil Filing Fees page links the current schedules.
Check those PDFs before filing because a case type and service method can change the amount due.
Morgan County Circuit Clerk Forms
The clerk directs users to Alabama eForms for most statewide forms. Local pages also link record requests, civil fee schedules, small-claims guidance, family forms, traffic material, and a warrant-deposition PDF. Staff cannot choose a legal form or give legal advice. The local site cites Alabama Code Section 34-3-6 and directs people who need advice to counsel or the Alabama State Bar at 800-354-6154.
- Request for Records Form: asks the Circuit Clerk for available court material.
- Small-claims forms: support claims, answers, appeals, and judgment collection steps.
- Family forms: support divorce, child-support, and PFA filing channels.
- State eForms: provide official Alabama court forms by subject.
The Circuit and District Civil page explains jurisdiction and the local hard-copy rule.
It is the official local source for civil routing and the 256-351-4643 civil question line.
Morgan County Filing Channels
AlaFile is Alabama's trial-court e-filing system for registered filers. Morgan County began accepting electronically filed civil and domestic-relations motions in 2006. A local standing order adds an important rule: an e-filed motion or response over ten letter-size pages, including attachments and exhibits, must also be sent as a paper copy to the assigned Circuit Judge and marked as an e-file duplicate or copy.
The local rule can affect the filing date for a motion that requires the added paper submission, so long filings need careful handling.
Mail uses Chris Priest, Circuit Clerk, P.O. Box 668, Decatur, AL 35602. Traffic mail payments must follow the traffic page's payee and payment rules. Online District Criminal payments route through AlaPay, and traffic payment may use the Alabama Traffic Service Center. A records request is different from filing a pleading, so select the channel that fits the task.
Note: Probate files and recorded instruments belong to the Morgan County Probate Office, not the Circuit Clerk.
Morgan County Clerk Division Support
Civil and small-claims work requires the right court level. Circuit Court has exclusive original jurisdiction for civil actions over $20,000, excluding interest and costs, and shares jurisdiction with District Court for matters over $6,000. Small claims sit in District Court. A corporation without counsel may be represented there by an officer or full-time employee. The clerk assigns the case number after filing, and parties should use that number in every later contact.
Small-claims processing usually takes one to two weeks before service or certified mail. A defendant generally has 14 days after service to answer. If the answer is filed, trial may be set six to eight weeks after receipt. An appeal must generally be made within 14 days after judgment. The court does not collect a judgment for the winning party; collection may require garnishment, bank garnishment, execution or levy, or a certificate of judgment.
Family Division supports divorce, child support, PFA filings, and related court forms. An uncontested divorce with children uses more child-support material than one without children, while a contested case follows a different fee and litigation path. PFA filings go through the third-floor Family Division, and protected victim location data stays confidential.
Morgan County Clerk Payment Channels
Payment method depends on the case. District criminal and eligible traffic payments may use AlaPay. The traffic counter accepts cash, money order, cashier's check, Visa, and MasterCard, with a card convenience cost. Mail traffic payments require a money order or cashier's check, and personal or company checks are not accepted. Traffic mail instructions identify Chris Priest, Circuit Clerk, Traffic Court Division, and the Decatur post-office box.
A records-copy payment is different from a fine or filing fee. Since the research does not state Morgan County copy certification prices, ask the clerk for the amount and approved payment type before sending funds. This prevents a request from being delayed by an assumed rate or an unsupported form of payment.