ALABAMA FIELD FILE

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can they search my cardo I have to show IDlandlord kept my depositcan I record the policewhat happens if I refuse a breathalyzer

Start with a situation

• Traffic stopsGetting pulled over, documents, searches, and what happens roadside.→
• Being stoppedOn foot, on the street, and what you owe an officer who stops you.→
• Marijuana and drugsWhat the state legalized, what it did not, and where state and federal law disagree.→
• Impaired drivingImpaired driving stops, field tests, breath and blood tests, and implied consent.→
• Court and moneyDebt, eviction, work, family and records. The side of the system with no officer in it.→
• Your homeRenting and the landlord, and when the police may come inside.→
• RecordingFilming police, recording calls, and whose consent the law requires.→
• Carrying a firearmCarry rules, the duty to disclose, where guns are barred, and self defense.→
• Charges and penaltiesHow offenses are graded, jail ranges, fines, and repeat offense steps.→
• How you carry yourselfSilence, counsel, complying now and contesting later.→

New in Alabama

• Page·Oct 19Odd Laws Still on the BooksA $20 cockfight, a hog dog catch and trash with a name on it: real Alabama sections
• Page·Oct 19LitteringAla. Code § 13A-7-29 — up to $500 the first time, and $500 more for a cigarette butt
• Page·Oct 19Tattoos and Piercings Under EighteenAla. Code § 22-17A-2 — a parent's written consent signed in the shop, beside a rule requiring 18
• Page·Oct 19The Age of ConsentAla. Code § 13A-6-70 — sixteen, with a two year gap before it is rape

All 15 new in Alabama ↓

Someone asked

“How long does a landlord in Alabama have to return a deposit?”

Getting the Deposit Back

On moving out, the tenant gives the landlord a valid forwarding address in writing. Without one, the landlord mails to the tenant's last known address or the rental itself, and a deposit or check left unclaimed for 90 days is forfeited.

• Ala. Code § 35-9A-201StatuteSecurity Deposits; Prepaid RentOpens alison.legislature.state.al.us ↗

Read the whole section →

Legal information, not legal advice. Every block on this site carries the source it rests on.

Walk it through

50 situations taken one decision at a time, with what the law asks of each side written out at every step. Each opens on its own page.

Traffic stops7Being stopped2Marijuana and drugs5Impaired driving2Court and money19Your home9Carrying a firearm1Charges and penalties2How you carry yourself3

• The Stop on the InterstateBlue lights at night, a safe place to pull over, a license and an insurance card on a phone, and a question about the trunk.4 steps →
• The Phone on the HighwayA call coming in, a map to follow, the left lane on the interstate, and a cyclist on a county road.4 steps →
• The Fender Bender at the LightA bump at an intersection, cars in the way, names and insurance, and a scraped car in the lot with no one around.3 steps →
• The New Driver in the FamilyA permit at 15, practice hours, a Stage II license at 16, a late shift, and friends wanting a ride.4 steps →
• The Ambulance and the WreckerA siren behind, a wrecker on the shoulder, a school bus with its arm out, and a train signal ahead.4 steps →
• The Lapsed InsuranceA stop with no proof of coverage, a car moved off the road, the registration suspended, and the fee to lift it.3 steps →
• The Suspended License and the ErrandA quick drive on a suspended license, a stop, the car, a bond to appear, and the court date.3 steps →

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About this guide — education built from the Code of Alabama as the Alabama Legislature publishes it, not a law degree in a webpage. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney or a legal aid office. Current as of October 2026.

This guide covers common situations in real Alabama encounters. Not the whole body of law, not a replacement for a lawyer.