Probate Judge Ben Bowden and the Probate Court welcome you to this website. As a government office in Covington County, Alabama, some of our primary functions, duties, records, services, and fees are outlined below:

Records:
Records Search
Copy Requests
Genealogy and Archives
Affidavits
Incorporations
Oil, Gas and Mineral Leases
DD214 Forms and Military Records
Plats and Maps
Oaths of Office
Official Bonds
Uniform Commercial Code
Claims Against Estates
Tax Liens
Recorded Judgments

Motor Vehicles:
Tags
Titles
Driver License

Thank you for choosing to renew your tag online. You will be asked to pay a convenience fee for this service.
Covington County is one of only several counties in the State of Alabama that offers this service. It's a convenient way to keep from standing in line at the Courthouse and renew your tag at your home or business.
We accept MasterCard, Visa, Debit Cards, or an electronic check from your checking account. Your fee per tag for an electronic check is $3.50 for the first tag and $2.50 for each additional tag. Credit and debit transactions will be charged a 3% convenience fee with a minimum of $3.50 and $2.50 for each additional tag. The convenience fee is not paid to Covington County but to IMS Enterprises, Inc., an Alabama company.
Upon completion of your renewal, you will receive a confirmation number and a printed receipt. Please record the confirmation number, print and retain the receipt until you receive your actual tag or sticker. If you have any difficulty or questions regarding this service, you may contact IMS Enterprises, Inc. at 256-246-0600 for telephone assistance or e-mail at https://renewyourtag.com/covington/contact_us.php.

Please note: Online tag renewal requires your browser to be capable of reading 256 bit encryption. If you are using IE 5.5 or later, your browser will proceed to the next page. If you are using IE 5.01 or earlier you must upgrade your browser http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp here, or install the Microsoft 128-bid encryption pack, http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/recommended/128bit/default.asp found here.

https://renewyourtag.com/covington Click here to Renew Your Car Tag Online Now.

Document Recording:
Property Records (Deeds, Mortgages, Liens, Etc.)
How to Record a Document
Recording Fees
Formation of Business Enitities (Corporations, LLCs, Partnerships, Etc.)

Elections:
Election Returns
Voter/voting Statistics
Candidate Filings
Campaign Contribution Lists

Miscellaneous:
Marriage License
Notary Public Commissions
Fiduciary and Trust Accounts
Hunting and Fishing Licenses
Business Licenses
Manufactured Home Registrations

Judicial:
Adoptions
Estates
Mental Health Committments
Land Condemnations
Eminent Domain Cases
Wills
Guardians
Conservators
Minors
Name Changes
Legitimation
Court Calendar
Petitions
Hearings, Decrees, and Orders
Notices and Publications
Incapacitated Person Cases

Taxes:
A. Deed Tax - $1.00 per thousand or $0.50 per five hundred (based on appraised value of property) rounded up to next five hundred; minimum deed tax is $0.50

B. Mineral Tax - $0.15 per net mineral acre (minimum $1.00) PLUS deed tax on total consideration (minimum is $0.50)

C. Mortgage Tax - $1.50 per thousand or $0.15 per hundred (based on amount of indebtedness) rounded up to next hundred

D. Mineral Lease Tax - $0.05 per net mineral acre (minimum $1.00) plusPLUS deed tax on total consideration (minimum is $0.50)

E. Realty Lease Tax - Same as deed tax on total rental over term of lease

F. No-Tax Collected Stamp - $1.00 per document (all instruments pertaining to real property where tax is not collected)

Recording Fees:
A. Recording fee per page - $3.00

B. Indexing fee per document - $2.50

C. Certification fee per document - $3.00

D. Indexing names - $1.00 (Each additional name over 2 grantors/grantees or additional book/page references over one)

E.     UCC Recording up to two pages with one debtor
        1)   UCC-1 Financing statement - $20.00
        2)   UCC Continuation - $20.00
        3)   UCC Amendment - $20.00
        4)   UCC Partial Release - $20.00
        5)   UCC Termination - $5.50 (one page only)
        6)   Additional name - $1.00 (each, all over one debtor, farm
              number or crop number)
        7)   Indexing fee - $2.50
        8)   Certification fee - $3.00
        9)   Cross indexing - $3.50
        10) Non-standard form - $5.00

UCC filings nor pertaining to or attached to real property must be
filed with the Secretary of State

F. Copies - $1.00 per page / $3.00 additional fee per document to
certify

Fees:
A. The following fees for services in the Probate Office effective June 1, 2000:

1) Probate of will of not more than 5 pages, whether contested or not, with 3 certified copies of letters and including final settlement when not more than 10 pages. An additional charge of $3.00 per page for wills over 5 pages in length and for final settlement in excess of 10 pages inlength shall be made......................................................$45.00

2) Grant of letters of administration with 3 certified copies of letters of administration and including final settlement when not more than 10 pages. An additional charge of $3.00 per page)....................$45.00

3) Grant of letters of guardianship, 3 certified copies...........$20.00

4) Partial of final settlement of guardianship......................$15.00

5) Each additional certified copy of letters testamentary, letters of administration, letters of guardianship/conservatorship...........$3.00

6) Proceedings in filing and granting petition of adoption, including 1 certified copy of decree for petitioner, 1 certified copy for Department of Human Resources, and 1 copy to the State Bureau of Vital Statistics (fee shall apply to each child adopted)................................$75.00

7) Proceedings in legitimation, fee to apply to each child.....$15.00

8) Proceeding in change of name......................................$15.00

9) Proceedings to set aside exemptions pursuant to sections 43-8-110
43-8-111, 43-8-112, and 43-8-113.....................................$35.00

B. Fees for services other than those specified in Subsetion A shall be:

1) Filing petitions and other papers, each............................$3.00

2) Docketing cause.........................................................$10.00

3) Issuing each citation, summons, writ, execution for cost of other notice required by law.........................................................$3.00

4) Issuing subpoenas to witnesses, each.............................$3.00

5) Witness certificate.........................................................$3.00

6) Order of publication.......................................................$3.00

7) Posting order of publication............................................$3.00

8) Notice by mail to creditor and heirs, each.........................$3.00

9) Each notice not otherwise provided for..............................$3.00

10) Issuing commission to take testimony...........................$10.00

11) Entering returns of Sheriff, printer, or commissioner, each..$3.00

12) Appointment of guardian ad litem, special attorney or adminstrator ad litem..........................................................$5.00

13) Approving bonds........................................................$10.00

14) Presiding in non-contested cause or examining papers, pleadings, taking testimony, etc.........................................................$10.00

15) Presiding in contested cause, per day...........................$25.00

16) Examining vouchers, each.............................................$1.00

17) Examining and entering decree or other order.................$3.00

18) Drafting decree..........................................................$10.00

19) Each certificate with seal................................................$3.00

20) Each certificate without seal............................................$3.00

21) Filing and docketing each claim......................................$3.00

22) Filing and recording, including recording documents filed for record, irrespective of size type, per page...............................$3.00

23) Filing and recording all oil, gas, mineral and/or coal leases, per page..................................................................................$3.00

24) If the instrument conveys any interest in real or personal property within this State and recites more than two grantors or grantees, mortgagors or mortgagees, lessors or lessees, transferors or transferees, assignors or assignees, buyers or sellers, vendors or vendees, an additional fee for indexing each name in excess of two entered in the direct index or two entered in the reverse index..$1.00

25) Copy of an instrument per page....................................$1.00

26) Each entry of an estray, to be paid by taker....................$3.00

27) Each record of mark or brand........................................$3.00

28) Filing and recording certificate of incorporation organized as a profit-making organization................................................$50.00

29) Filing and recording certificate of incorporation organized as a non-profit corporation..............................................................$15.00

30) Each certificate given under Title 22 in relation to hospitals, disease, infection and quarantine........................................$3.00

31) Each satisfaction of a mortgage....................................$3.00

32) Issuing and recording marriage license.........................$10.00

33) Celebrating rites of matrimony.....................................$15.00

34) Proceedings to correct record of marriage......................$15.00

35) Recording certificates of judgment.................................$3.00

36) Administering oath or affidavit......................................$3.00

37) Issuing writs of ad quod damnum for the erection of dams or public mills...............................................................................$15.00

38) Establishing facts of birth............................................$15.00

39) Proceedings appointing notary public and recording.......$15.00

40) Hearing pertaining to mental illness............................$25.00

41) Restoration to capacity..............................................$15.00

42) Taking questions and answers and recording the same in proceedings to perpetuate testimony, per page....................$5.00

43) Trying and sealing weights and measures, for each weight and measure sealed, to be paid by the person for whom the service is performed.......................................................................$0.50

44) Fees on all sums paid to the Probate Judge as escheats, two percent of total

45) Recording or copying plats, for each lot contained therein, $1.00 per lot, but in no case more than $200.00 for one map, nor less than $15.00 for one map

46) Presiding over the County Commission and keeping minutes of the County Commission, for eah day.....................................$10.00

47) For recording minutes and proceedings of the County Commission, for each page or fraction thereof.......................................$2.00

48) Discharging his/her duties in relation to public roads, on proof to the County Commission that he/she has discharged such duties, annually to be paid out of the County Treasury, or in the discretion of the County Commission, to be paid out of the County Gasoline Tax Fund, not exceeding.....................................................$400.00

49) For certifying record on appeal under either Rule 10(d) or (e) of the Alabama Rules of the Appellate Procedure...................$15.00

50) All other official duties, for the compensation of which no express provision is made by law, such sum as may be allowed by the County Commission to be paid out of the County Treasury, not exceeding $500.00 per annum.

51) Commissions on state and county licenses issued in the probate office, five percent of the amount collected to be paid.

52) Indexing fee, per document......................................$2.50

C. For any proceeding in the probate court or for receiving, keeping and paying out money or distributing money where there is no fee allowed by law: the same fees shall be charged as are now allowed to the register in the Circuit Court as provided for in subdivision (3) of Section 12-19-71. provided, however, for any proceeding under the equity power of the probate court the same fees shall be charges as are provided in this section.

Notary Public

A. A Notary Public is a public officer whose function it is

     1) To administer oaths; and
     2) To attest and certify, by his/her signature and official seal,
          certain classes of documents, in order to give them credit and
          authenticity; and
     3) To take acknowledgments of deeds and other conveyances and
          certify the same; and
     4) To perform certain official acts, chiefly in commercial matters,
          such as protesting of notes and bills, the notice of foreign drafts,
          and marine protests in cases of damage.

B. Requirements to be appointed a notary public in Covington County

     1) Must be a resident of Covington County; and
     2) Must be a registered voter in Covington County; and
     3) Must be capable of posting bond in the required amount.

C. Types of Notaries

     1) County; may perform duties of the office only in the county
          where he or she is appointed
     2) State-at-Large; nay perform duties of the office state-wide.

D. Steps to be appointed a notary

     1) Applicant must contact an insurance company to obtain a notary
          public bond of $10,000.00;
     2) Bond and $20.50 filing fee must be filed with Probate Judge
          within 40 days of the date of the letter of appointment.

E. Important to remember

The office of notary public is a serious and responsible office and should not be taken lightly. Abuse of the office or irresponsibilty in the performance of a notary's duties can result in grave consequences. If a notary public has doubts about the propriety of any action, he/she should seek competent professional advice before he/she acts.

For more information about notaries public, you may want to purchase the handbook, A Manual for Notaries Public, published by The Yound Lawyers' Section of the Alabama State Bar. The manual costs $5.00. Contact: Katherine L. Church, Alabama State Bar, P. O. Box 671, Montgomery, AL, 36101.