SB165 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bryan Taylor

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Scott BeasonJerry L. FieldingJ.T. WaggonerRusty GloverGerald O. DialShadrack McGillClay ScofieldPaul BussmanBill HoltzclawTrip PittmanJimmy HolleyGreg J. ReedTom WhatleyMark Slade BlackwellPhillip W. WilliamsGerald H. AllenRoger Bedford, Jr.

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Use of force in defense of a person, authorized by an owner, employee, or other person authorized to be on business premises if another person is attempting or committing robbery or burglary on the premises, Sec, 13A-3-23 am'd.

Summary

SB165 would let business owners, employees, and others on a business premises after hours use deadly force in self-defense or defense of others against burglars or robbers.

What This Bill Does

It amends the state's use-of-force law to extend justified deadly force from dwellings to closed business premises. It creates a presumption that deadly force is justified when an offender uses or appears ready to use force against an owner, employee, or other authorized person on the business property during burglary, theft, or robbery. It keeps basic self-defense rules (reasonable belief, necessary force) and adds that the defender has no duty to retreat, with certain exceptions, and it provides immunity from criminal prosecution and civil liability for justified use of force. It becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Owners, employees, and other people authorized to be on a business premises after hours can defend themselves with deadly force if faced with burglary or robbery.
• Offenders who burglarize or rob a business after hours; their actions trigger the new justification rule and potential liability considerations for unlawful use of force.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 13A-3-23 to extend the justification for deadly physical force to business premises after hours for owners, employees, or others authorized to be on the property.
• Adds a circumstance in which deadly force is presumed justified when an offender uses or about to use force against an authorized person on the closed business property during burglary, theft, or robbery.
• Retains standard self-defense rules (reasonable belief of unlawful force, necessary force) and allows stand-your-ground/no-duty-to-retreat, with specified exceptions (e.g., unlawful activity by the defender, lawfulness of the target, etc.).
• Imposes immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justified use of force, unless the force was unlawful.
• Allows law enforcement to investigate the use of force under standard procedures and requires probable cause before arrest for unlawful force.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Business and Commerce