SB218 Alabama 2016 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Cam Ward
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2016
Title: Municipalities, police jurisdiction, not to extend in additional territory after effective date of this act without affirmative vote of municipal council, Sec. 11-40-10 am'd.
Summary: SB218 would require any future expansion of a city's police jurisdiction beyond its corporate limits to be approved by the city council, with the change taking effect prospectively.
What This Bill Does
Any extension of a municipality's police jurisdiction beyond its corporate boundaries cannot take effect unless the municipal governing body votes affirmatively. Existing police jurisdiction boundaries remain in place as of the act's effective date. The bill maintains distance rules (up to 3 miles for larger municipalities, up to 1.5 miles for smaller towns) but prohibits extensions beyond the boundary without a council vote. It adds notice requirements for ordinances that apply in the police jurisdiction (30-day notice, Atlas Alabama posting) and requires annual mapping of jurisdiction boundaries to be shared when available at no cost.

Who It Affects
Municipalities (cities and towns) with police jurisdictions — must obtain an affirmative vote from their governing body to extend beyond their boundaries.
Residents, businesses, and property owners in areas that could be affected by police jurisdiction changes — they are subject to potential jurisdiction changes and benefit from vote-based control and notice requirements.

Key Provisions
Future extensions of police jurisdiction beyond the municipality's corporate limits require an affirmative vote of the municipal governing body; the act preserves the current distance rules (3 miles for large municipalities, 1.5 miles for smaller towns) but prohibits extensions beyond boundaries without a council vote.
The bill adds enforcement notice and transparency requirements: 30-day notice for new ordinances applying in the police jurisdiction, posting on Atlas Alabama when possible, and annual submission of jurisdiction boundary maps.

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