Search Madison County Deed Records

Madison County deed records are kept at the Probate Court in Huntsville. The county offers a free property change notification service and full online access to recorded documents.

Madison County Probate Court

The Madison County Probate Court records all deeds in the county. This is the third largest county in Alabama by population. Huntsville and the city of Madison both fall within Madison County. The Probate Court serves all residents who need to record property documents or search land records.

The office is on Memorial Parkway NW in Huntsville. It is not at the main courthouse downtown. Many people get confused about this. The Probate Court has its own building near the intersection with Bob Wallace Avenue. Parking is available in the lot around the building. Plan for busy times since Madison County processes a large volume of real estate transactions each year.

Searching Madison County Deed Records Online

Madison County has one of the better online systems in Alabama. You can search deed records at madisonprobate.countygovservices.com. The system covers many years of recorded documents. Both index searches and document images are available.

To use the online system, you search by name, date range, or document type. The index shows who granted the property and who received it. You can see the recording date and book/page number. Clicking on a result lets you view the actual document image. Some images may require a small fee to download or print.

Madison County also offers a free property change notification service. This is a nice feature that few other counties have. You sign up with your property information, and the system alerts you when a new document is recorded against that parcel. This helps protect against fraud where someone tries to file a false deed on your land. The alert service is free to Madison County property owners.

The online system lets you search for:

• Deeds including warranty and quitclaim types
• Mortgages and trust deeds
• Mortgage releases and satisfactions
• Liens including tax and mechanic's liens
• Plats and subdivision maps
• Powers of attorney for real estate

Madison County Deed Recording Fees

Madison County has higher recording fees than most Alabama counties. The first page costs $25.75 to record. Each additional page is $2.50. These fees include charges for technology upgrades and record preservation that Madison County has added over the years.

The deed transfer tax applies on top of recording fees. Alabama sets this at $0.50 per $500 of property value. About two thirds goes to the state treasury. One third stays in Madison County. Exempt transfers include those between spouses and some family gifts. Check with the Probate Court if you think your transfer might be exempt.

Recording fees in Madison County break down as follows:

• First page: $25.75
• Additional pages: $2.50 each
• Deed tax: $0.50 per $500 value
• RT-1 form: no charge to file
• Certified copies: varies by document

The higher first page fee in Madison County reflects local additions to the state base rate. These funds support the Probate Court operations and help maintain the online records system. Given the quality of online access in Madison County, many feel the fees are reasonable.

How to Record a Deed in Madison County

Recording a deed in Madison County follows Alabama's standard rules. Your deed must meet certain format requirements before the Probate Court will accept it. Having everything in order saves time and prevents rejection.

Alabama requires these elements on every deed:

• Full name of the grantor with marital status
• Grantor address for the records
• Complete grantee name and mailing address
• Legal description using metes and bounds or lot numbers
• Derivation clause showing where grantor got title
• Name and address of who prepared the deed
• Notarized signature of all grantors

Bring your completed deed to the Probate Court at 1918 Memorial Parkway NW in Huntsville. Staff will review the document and calculate your fees. You pay the recording fee and any deed tax that applies. The clerk stamps your deed with the recording information and assigns a book and page number.

Madison County also requires the RT-1 form. This is the Real Estate Sales Validation Form from the Alabama Department of Revenue. It shows the sale price or property value. Every deed transfer in Madison County needs this form. The Probate Court will not record your deed without it.

Most deeds are processed the same day in Madison County. However, the office can get busy. If you have a time-sensitive closing, call ahead to ask about current processing times. The staff is used to working with title companies and attorneys on tight deadlines.

Title Searches in Madison County

Title searches in Madison County start at the online portal. You can trace property ownership back through multiple transactions. The online records make this easier than counties that only have paper indexes. Most recent decades are fully searchable from your computer.

A basic title search shows the chain of ownership. You look for each prior deed going back in time. Note any mortgages that were recorded and check for their releases. Liens should show up in the index as well. This gives you a picture of who owns the property and what claims exist against it.

For a complete title search in Madison County, most buyers hire a professional. Title companies and real estate attorneys do these searches regularly. They know where to look and what problems to watch for. Their search covers not just deeds but also court records, tax liens, and other matters that affect title.

Title insurance is common in Madison County real estate deals. Lenders require it for mortgage loans. The title company searches the records and issues a policy based on what they find. If a problem comes up later that they missed, the insurance covers the loss. Buyers can also get an owner's policy for additional protection.

Property Tax Records in Madison County

The Madison County Revenue Commissioner handles property taxes. Their office assesses values and collects tax payments. This is separate from the deed records at Probate Court, but the two connect through parcel numbers and property descriptions.

You can search property tax records on the Madison County website. The tax assessor maps show parcel boundaries. Each parcel has an ID number that links to tax and ownership information. This is useful when you need to identify a property before searching deed records.

If a property has unpaid taxes, the county can place a tax lien. These liens appear in the Probate Court records. A title search should catch any tax liens on a property. Tax sales also happen in Madison County when owners fall far behind on payments.

Legal Help in Madison County

Several resources exist for property legal help in Madison County. The Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association has a lawyer referral service. They can connect you with a real estate attorney for deed preparation, closings, or title disputes.

Legal Services Alabama has an office serving Madison County. They provide free legal help to qualifying low-income residents. Call (256) 536-9645 or the statewide line at (866) 456-4995. Not every property matter qualifies, but they can advise on basic issues.

The Madison County Law Library is in the courthouse downtown. It has forms and legal resources you can use for self-help. Staff cannot give legal advice, but they can show you where to find information about deeds and property law.

Cities in Madison County

Madison County includes Huntsville and the city of Madison. Both are among the fastest growing cities in Alabama. All property records for these cities are kept at the Madison County Probate Court.

Other communities in Madison County include Harvest, Meridianville, and Hazel Green. Deed records for all of these areas are handled at the Probate Court in Huntsville.

Nearby Counties

Madison County sits in north Alabama along the Tennessee border. Check that your property is actually in Madison County before searching here. Land near county lines can sometimes be in a different county than you expect.