Houston County, Alabama

What Houston County, Alabama does

Houston County, Alabama is a political subdivision of the State of Alabama established in 1903, the youngest county in the state, serving more than 105,000 residents across 13 communities with Dothan as the county seat. It delivers the full scope of local government services through a centralized web portal and four physical offices — the Administrative Building (462 N. Oates St.), the County Courthouse (114 N. Oates St.), the Road & Bridge Department (2400 Columbia Hwy), and a State Troopers office — supplemented by remote community renewal locations in Cottonwood, Rehobeth, Ashford, and at the Westgate Library on rotating schedules. Governance is provided by an elected County Chairman and four commissioners, with additional elected officials including the Sheriff, Probate Judge, Revenue Commissioner, and Coroner (Patrick H. Davenport is the current Judge of Probate).

The service portfolio spans vital records and probate (marriage certificates, adoptions, guardianships, estates), licensing (business privilege, hunting/fishing, vehicle and boat registration, driver license services via the State DPS), revenue and property administration (property tax, deed and mortgage recording, tax sales), elections and voting, and infrastructure services (road maintenance, building, driveway, and utility permits). The core technology is a county-government web platform powered by Neapolitan Labs, with electronic document recording delivered through third-party platforms Simplifile, CSC, and GOePN, online land records access provided through a partnership with Ingenuity, Inc. (free search, $1.00 per page download), and vehicle tag renewal via AL Tag Renewal. A new attorney-facing electronic filing system for Probate Court launched on June 30, 2026, extending digital case submission to legal practitioners.

Houston County does not operate a commercial revenue model; it is funded through statutory fees and tax-based allocations. Fee schedules disclosed on official sources include $80 for marriage certificate recording, $16 for the first page of document recording (plus $3 per additional page), $0.50 per $500 of value for deed transfer tax, $53 total for Notary Public commission, $36.25 for standard passenger vehicle registration, $21.60–$394.40 for hunting/fishing licenses, $30–$110 for boat registration by class, and $100 for house construction building permits. Customer segments are residents and local businesses across 13 municipalities (Ashford, Avon, Columbia, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Gordon, Dothan, Kinsey, Madrid, Rehobeth, Taylor, and Webb), served through direct in-person, community-based, and self-serve online channels.

Name

Houston County, Alabama

Legal name

Houston County, Alabama

Website

https://houstoncountyal.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Houston County, Alabama is a county government established in 1903 serving 105,000+ residents across 13 communities centered on Dothan, delivering probate, licensing, property records, elections, road maintenance, and permitting services through physical offices and a digital portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (926), Courts (922110)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAK

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYFSAEAKAD

Estate & Probate Administration Services

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Fiduciary, Trust & Estate Advisory

SECONDARYFSAAANAE

Estate Administration & Probate Services

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Trust & Fiduciary Services (Trust Companies, Estate & Custody Trusts)

Keywords

• County government services
• Probate court services
• Vehicle registration services
• Property records access
• Building permit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dothan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Houston County, Alabama operates the official county government services portal (houstoncountyal.gov) delivering core local government functions to over 105,000 residents across 13 communities. Services include probate court functions (marriage certificates, estates, adoptions, guardianships), property records access, vehicle and boat registration, hunting and fishing licenses, driver license services, business privilege licensing, tax payments, elections and voting, building/driveway/utility permits, e-recording of documents, and Road & Bridge infrastructure services. Distribution occurs through in-person offices, an online self-service portal, community renewal locations, and an attorney e-filing portal.

Product overview

Houston County, Alabama operates a comprehensive county government services platform offering citizens access to core administrative functions through a unified web portal. The portfolio includes real property records management (via Ingenuity, Inc. partnership), vital records services (marriage certificates, business licenses), licensing services (driver licenses, vehicle tags, boat registration, hunting/fishing licenses), election services, and infrastructure services (road & bridge, building permits, utility permits). The county also provides eRecording services for document filing and e-Notifications for public communications. Key product components include the County Government Services Portal, Online Real Property Records Access, License Plates/Vehicle Tags, Probate Court Services, and the Road & Bridge Department permit systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• County Government Services Portal Official county government web portal providing residents and businesses access to commission meetings, e-notifications, election information, online payments, property map search, road closure information, and department services. Target users: county residents, businesses, attorneys, and visitors.
• Marriage Certificate Services Recording and certification of Alabama Marriage Certificates, including amendments and corrections, processed through the Probate Office. Recording fee is $80 for both standard marriage certificate and marriage certificate corrections. Target users: married couples and individuals needing vital records.
• Business License Services Business privilege license issuance and renewal for operations within Houston County and its 12 municipalities, administered through the Probate Office (contact 334-677-4722). Annual renewal occurs during October. Target users: local businesses operating within Houston County.
• Vehicle Registration (License Plates) Vehicle tag issuance, renewal, and specialty plate services including collegiate, military, and organizational plates. Standard passenger vehicle registration $36.25 plus Alabama title fee $25.00, billed annually. Available online, at the Probate License Division, or at community renewal locations. Target users: vehicle owners in Houston County.
• Boat Registration Vessel registration, renewal, and ownership transfer for mechanically propelled vessels, sailboats, and boats for hire, with title requirements per Act #2022-144. Annual fees range from $30 (Class I) to $110 (Class IV). Target users: boat owners in Houston County.
• Hunting and Fishing Licenses Resident and non-resident hunting and fishing license sales, including military exemptions and senior exemptions for residents 65+. Resident Hunting All Game $38.55; Non-Resident Hunting All Game $394.40; Resident Freshwater Fishing $21.60; Nonresident Annual Freshwater $69.60. Annual billing. Target users: hunters and anglers in Houston County.
• Driver License Services Driver license renewal, duplicate issuance, and transfer services, with testing administered by State DPS examiners at the State Troopers office at 5679 Montgomery Hwy. Probate License Division contact: 334-677-4722. Target users: drivers in Houston County needing license services.
• Online Real Property Records Access Online land records search and access partnership with Ingenuity, Inc., enabling free property record searches with paid document downloads at $1.00 per page. Target users: property owners, real estate professionals, attorneys, title searchers, and the public.
• eRecording Services Electronic document recording through Simplifile, CSC, and GOePN platforms for online submission, review, recording, and return of documents. Target users: attorneys, title companies, and document filers.
• Online Building Permit Digital building permit application for construction (house construction $100), flood zone permits ($50 additional), and home relocation ($100) with mobile home installation ($100) and structural specifications. Pay-as-you-go billing. Target users: property owners and contractors building within Houston County.
• Driveway Application Portal Online portal for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and other driveway permit applications with pipe installation specifications. Contact [email protected] or 334-792-4149. Target users: property owners and contractors needing driveway access.
• Online Utility Permit Online permit system for utility work on county right-of-way including roadway bores and trenching with contractor requirements. Target users: utility contractors working in Houston County.
• Elections and Voting Services Voter registration, polling places, poll worker recruitment, election results, and absentee ballot services administered via the Voter Registration Office. Target users: registered voters and poll workers in Houston County.
• Electronic Filing for Probate Court Electronic filing system for Probate Court enabling online document submission for Probate cases. Launched June 30, 2026. Available for attorneys only via ingprobate.com. Target users: attorneys filing probate documents.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mobile County, Alabama: Coastal Alabama county government with parallel Probate Court, Revenue Commission, license/registration, and permitting services delivered to a similar resident base. Directly comparable in scope of county-level administrative offerings.
• Calhoun County, Alabama: Northeast Alabama county government serving a population of comparable size with the same statutory county services. Directly comparable in scale, scope, and constitutional officer composition.
• Lee County, Alabama: East Alabama county government delivering identical statutory county services (probate, revenue, licensing, permits, elections). Same political subdivision status and elected officer structure.
• Lauderdale County, Alabama: Northwest Alabama county providing the same set of county-level administrative, judicial, licensing, and infrastructure services to a population of similar scale. Comparable statutory mandate and citizen-facing service portfolio.
• Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: Alabama county government offering the same core administrative, judicial, licensing, and infrastructure services to West Alabama residents. Same constitutional officer structure and service categories.
• Etowah County, Alabama: Northeast Alabama county of similar population size delivering the same probate, revenue, licensing, and road & bridge services. Closely comparable in resident base and service diversity.
• Montgomery County, Alabama: Alabama county government anchored by the state capital, providing identical county services (probate, revenue, licensing, permits, elections) to residents and businesses. Directly comparable in service catalog and governance structure.
• Shelby County, Alabama: Central Alabama county operating parallel probate, licensing, revenue, and permitting services for a comparable resident base. Same service breadth and county-level governance model.
• Baldwin County, Alabama: Gulf-coast Alabama county providing probate, revenue, licensing, and road/bridge services with similar multi-channel delivery. Comparable in scale of population served and diversity of fee-generating services.
• Madison County, Alabama: Alabama county government providing the same suite of probate, revenue, road & bridge, licensing, and election services to residents in the Huntsville area. Comparable in mandate and citizen-facing digital services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-county-alabama

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Houston County, Alabama