Senate Bill 150 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Greg AlbrittonSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Court fees; allocating additional $10 docket fee to the State General Fund

Summary

SB150 would move the $10 municipal-court portion of docket fees to the State General Fund and create higher, statewide docket fees to fund court operations.

What This Bill Does

It adds new additional docket fees: civil cases in circuit/district courts would pay $45 (small claims $15); criminal cases $40; traffic cases $26; plus $2 of the traffic fee goes to the Police Officers' Annuity Fund. It requires the $10 per municipal-docket fee that municipal courts currently keep to be deposited into the State General Fund instead of being retained locally. Two-thirds of the docket-fee revenue goes to the State Judicial Administration Fund, and one-sixth to the Presiding Circuit Judge's Judicial Administration Fund and one-sixth to the Circuit Clerk's Judicial Administration Fund, to be used for court operations and related purposes; expenditures are audited and must not reduce existing funding. The act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Municipal courts and their operations: the $10 per docket fee formerly retained locally would be deposited into the State General Fund, reducing local funding for court operations.
• Court-system administrators and users: higher docket fees fund state and local court administration (State Judicial Administration Fund, Presiding Circuit Judge's Fund, Circuit Clerk's Fund) and litigants face higher costs (civil $45, small claims $15; criminal $40; traffic $26); a $2 portion of traffic fees goes to the Police Officers' Annuity Fund.

Key Provisions

• Amendment to Section 12-19-310 to add new additional docket fees: civil cases in circuit/district courts $45 (excluding child support and with small-claims exception), small claims $15; criminal cases $40; traffic cases $26.
• A $2 portion of the traffic docket fee is allocated to the Police Officers' Annuity Fund before other distributions.
• The $10 municipal court docket fee shall be deposited into the State General Fund instead of being retained by the municipal court.
• Two-thirds of the docket-fee revenue shall go to the State Judicial Administration Fund for AOC operations; one-sixth to the Presiding Circuit Judge's Judicial Administration Fund; one-sixth to the Circuit Clerk's Judicial Administration Fund.
• Funds distributed under the new framework shall be used to support local and state court operations; funding shall not reduce amounts payable to presiding circuit judges or circuit clerks under local or general acts.
• Circuit Clerk's Judicial Administration Fund money may be used at the clerk's discretion for merit and promotions raises for full-time staff.
• All expenditures from these funds shall be audited, and fees shall be collected and distributed monthly.
• Effective date: October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Courts & Judges