SB82 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Arthur OrrSenator
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Criminal procedure; recall of warrants required in certain circumstances
Summary: SB82 would require municipal court magistrates and circuit court clerks to annually audit and recall certain old warrants for Class B and Class C misdemeanors and related violations, with specific exceptions.
What This Bill Does
If passed, the bill requires annual audits of warrants for Class B and Class C misdemeanors and violations that have not been served within 10 years, with several exceptions. When a warrant is recalled, the appropriate law enforcement agencies must be notified. It expands the duties of magistrates and circuit court clerks to include these audits and recalls and related record-keeping, and it imposes a fine on clerks who fail to perform these duties. The bill also provides absolute judicial immunity for magistrates performing these duties and sets the law’s effective date as October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects
Municipal court magistrates: responsible for conducting annual warrant audits and recalls and for certain related duties; protected by absolute judicial immunity when performing these duties.
Circuit court clerks: responsible for annual warrant audits/recalls and enhanced record-keeping duties; subject to a potential fine for nonperformance.
Individuals with outstanding warrants for Class B/C misdemeanors or related violations (not served within 10 years): their warrants may be recalled under the new requirements, with listed exceptions.
Law enforcement agencies: must be notified when a warrant is recalled.

Key Provisions
Annually audit and recall outstanding warrants for Class B and Class C misdemeanors and violations not served within 10 years, with specified exceptions.
Exceptions include exemptions for certain sex offenses, domestic violence, weapons-related offenses, and felonies arising from the same facts or circumstances.
Notification requirement: when a warrant is recalled, the appropriate law enforcement agencies must be informed.
Clerks of circuit court and municipal court magistrates gain expanded duties related to warrant audits, recalls, and record-keeping in connection with their respective sections.
Penalty: any circuit court clerk who fails to perform duties can be fined up to $200.
Immunity: municipal magistrates have absolute judicial immunity for actions taken under these duties.
Effective date: the act becomes effective October 1, 2025.

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