Where to file bankruptcy in Alabama

Which Alabama court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 3
Courts: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District

Which court you file in, in Alabama

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing. Alabama has three districts (Northern, Middle, Southern), split by county. Check your county on the court pages: Northern https://www.alnb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations, Middle https://www.almb.uscourts.gov/ (division pages), Southern https://www.alsb.uscourts.gov/counties-southern-district.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama

Divisions: Birmingham (Southern Division), Tuscaloosa (Western), Anniston (Eastern), Huntsville (Northern)

Clerk's phone: (205) 714-4000 (Birmingham)

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Alabama

Divisions: Montgomery (Northern Division), Dothan (Southern), Opelika (Eastern)

Clerk's phone: (334) 954-3800

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Alabama

Divisions: Mobile (clerk's office); Selma (hearings only)

Clerk's phone: (251) 441-5391

In nearby states

Mississippi: Northern District and Southern District
Georgia: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District
Tennessee: Eastern District, Middle District and Western District

What to do now in Alabama

Pick the right court
Your district depends on where you lived most of the last 180 days.
Check local rules
Each court lists its divisions, hours and local rules: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District.
Do the first course
Take it before you file and keep the certificate. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Get the forms ready
Get the official bankruptcy forms.
Talk to legal aid
Free help: Legal Services Alabama and Alabama State Bar - Get Legal Help.

Where to get free help in Alabama

Questions about filing in Alabama

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Alabama?

What is the median income for the means test in Alabama?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $64,321; 2 people: $77,451; 3 people: $92,698; 4 people: $106,740; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Alabama?

Legal Services Alabama and Alabama State Bar - Get Legal Help.

Related Alabama pages

Filing fees

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

The meeting of creditors

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Credit counseling and debtor education

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Alabama

Short answer

Which court you file in, in Alabama

In nearby states

What to do now in Alabama

Pick the right court

Check local rules

Do the first course

Get the forms ready

Talk to legal aid

Where to get free help in Alabama

Questions about filing in Alabama

Related Alabama pages