HB431 Alabama 2024 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Rick RehmRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2024
Title: Houston County, further provides for court costs
Summary: HB431 would add a $20 court fee in Houston County for certain criminal and civil cases and specify how the money is distributed to jail operations, the circuit clerk, and the district attorney.
What This Bill Does
It creates an additional $20 docket fee in juvenile, traffic, criminal, and quasi-criminal cases in Houston County courts, and in civil cases filed in small claims, district, or circuit court (including child support and domestic relations). The fee is collected in criminal cases when the defendant is adjudged guilty, a bond is forfeited, a penalty is imposed, or an alias or capias warrant is issued, and in civil cases per case. The collected fees are distributed monthly: $10 to the Houston County General Fund for jail operations, $1 to the Houston County Circuit Clerk’s Office, and $9 to $10 to the district attorney’s office; the fees are in addition to existing fees and cannot be waived unless all fees are waived, applying only in Houston County from October 1, 2024.

Who It Affects
Residents of Houston County who have juvenile, traffic, criminal, or quasi-criminal cases in Houston County courts will pay an additional $20 per case.
Civil litigants in small claims, district, or circuit courts in Houston County (including child support and domestic relations cases) will pay an additional $20 per case.

Key Provisions
Adds a $20 docket fee in Houston County for specified juvenile, traffic, criminal, quasi-criminal, and civil cases; the fee is collected under defined conditions (criminal outcomes and civil filing).
Allocates the collected fees on a monthly basis: $10 to the county General Fund for jail operations, $1 to the county Circuit Clerk’s Office, and $9–$10 to the district attorney’s office; fees are additive to existing costs and not waivable unless all fees are waived; effective October 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Houston County