House Bill 518 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bryan BrinyarkRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Courts; criminal procedure, electronic means authorized to swear warrants and citations in certain circumstances, law enforcement officers authorized to administer oaths in certain circumstances

Summary

HB518 would let warrants and citations be sworn and issued using remote, digital, or telephonic methods, and would authorize law enforcement officers to administer oaths to other officers in limited circumstances, with an effective date of October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Allow judges or magistrates to remotely swear and issue warrants for misdemeanors, traffic violations, and municipal ordinance violations using video, digital, or telephone methods without the affiant being physically present. Let law enforcement officers swear to the facts in Uniform Traffic Tickets and Uniform Nontraffic Citations before authorized judicial personnel via remote means, with technology approved by court administrators. Permit law enforcement officers to administer oaths to other officers to swear to facts in complaints or tickets, either remotely or in person, but prohibit officers from notarizing their own signatures.

Who It Affects

• Law enforcement officers in Alabama, who may swear warrants and sworn statements remotely and may administer oaths to other officers in certain cases.
• Judges, magistrates, and other personnel authorized to administer oaths within the judicial branch, who would receive remote oaths and may approve or facilitate remote swearing.
• Individuals charged with misdemeanors, traffic violations, and municipal ordinance violations, whose warrants or citations could be issued or sworn remotely.

Key Provisions

• Defines terms: law enforcement officer, reliable electronic means, Uniform Nontraffic Citation and Complaint, Uniform Traffic Ticket and Complaint.
• Allows warrants for misdemeanors, traffic violations, and municipal ordinance violations to be sworn and issued remotely (digital/video/telephone) with no requirement for the affiant's physical presence, subject to technology approval by court administrators.
• Allows swearing to the facts in Uniform Traffic Ticket/Complaint and Uniform Nontraffic Citation/Complaint before designated judicial branch personnel using remote or digital means, with both parties completing the oath.
• Allows law enforcement officers to administer oaths to other officers to swear to facts in complaints or citations, using reliable electronic means or in person, but prohibits notarizing one's own signature.
• Effective date: October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 26, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Criminal Procedure