HB300 Alabama 2014 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Paul Beckman
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2014
Title: Autauga Co., sheriff authorized to sell certain abandoned, unclaimed, or stolen property, and firearms, notice, record keeping requirement, distribution of funds for law enforcement purposes
Summary: Autauga County is allowed to sell abandoned, stolen, or unclaimed property and firearms at auctions, with records, notices, and proceeds used to fund law enforcement.
What This Bill Does
The sheriff must keep public records of all abandoned or stolen property and firearms. Perishable items can be sold without notice if the owner cannot be located, with six months for the owner to claim proceeds after deductions; unclaimed funds go to the Sheriff. Unclaimed firearms may be sold or destroyed after six months, but only to licensed gun dealers with cash bids, and proceeds are used after expenses. Non-firearm property recovered and unclaimed for six months may be sold at public or online auctions with notice, and owners can reclaim before sale by providing ownership proof and paying costs.

Who It Affects
Property owners in Autauga County who have abandoned, stolen, lost, or unclaimed items or firearms recovered by the sheriff; they may reclaim before sale or receive proceeds if certain conditions are met.
Licensed gun dealers who may bid on and purchase unclaimed firearms at sheriff auctions.

Key Provisions
The sheriff must maintain a permanent public record of all abandoned and stolen property, including description, recovery date, identifying numbers, and recovery location.
Perishable property may be sold without notice if the owner cannot be located, with the sheriff seeking the best price and six months for the owner to claim proceeds, less recovery, storage, and sale costs.
A separate permanent record must be kept for all abandoned or stolen firearms, with authority to sell or destroy unclaimed firearms after six months, and sales limited to federally licensed firearm dealers with cash bids.
Sales of firearms must yield proceeds used by the sheriff after deducting recovery, storage, maintenance, and sale expenses.
Non-firearm property recovered and unclaimed for six months may be sold at public or internet auctions with advance notice via newspaper or courthouse posting.
Owners may claim property before sale by providing sufficient proof of ownership and paying related costs.
Proceeds from all sales go into the Sheriff’s Fund and are used exclusively for law enforcement purposes.
The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month following approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Autauga County