NO FCRA USE. Winston County Criminal History is privately run and has no government affiliation. The site and its advertising partners do not provide services for credit decisions, employment screening, insurance eligibility, tenant screening, or another purpose regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This is an Alabama public-record reference, not a consumer reporting agency or private investigation firm.
1. What This Website Is
This is a private reference site with no connection to a public office. It does not store official records, conduct official checks, retrieve files, or submit documents for a visitor.
Its function is to identify Winston County record custodians, including the sheriff, Circuit Clerk, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and Alabama Sex Offender Registry, and to provide links to outside research tools. Official access remains subject to the Alabama Open Records Act, Ala. Code § 36-12-40, and criminal-history dissemination rules including Ala. Code § 41-9-601.
2. Rules for Using This Site
Use of the website is conditioned on agreement not to:
- Interfere with site performance or another visitor's access
- Run a scraper, bot, or other automated process against the pages
- Attempt unauthorized entry into the site's systems or data
- Use site content for an FCRA-regulated credit, employment, tenant, or insurance decision
- Stalk, threaten, or harass a person using information found here
- Violate any applicable local, Alabama, or federal law
3. No Harassment, Stalking, or Discrimination
No person may use information from the site or a linked service to threaten, intimidate, stalk, harass, or unlawfully discriminate. Alabama law places special limits on misuse of Alabama Sex Offender Registry data under Ala. Code § 15-20A-1 et seq. Registry access supports community safety and does not authorize vigilantism or unlawful action against a listed person.
4. We Are Not a Consumer Reporting Agency
Winston County Criminal History is not a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA and does not create credit reports, consumer reports, or official background checks. Its advertising partners are not presented as services for FCRA screening. Site or linked-tool data may not be used to:
- Make another decision regulated by the FCRA
- Determine eligibility for a license, permit, or public program where regulated
- Set an insurance rate or judge creditworthiness
- Evaluate a housing or rental applicant
- Make an employment decision
A legally permitted screening need must be handled through the appropriate official Alabama channel or a compliant consumer reporting provider.
5. No Legal Advice
Site content is general information, not legal advice. It cannot determine how an Alabama charge, conviction, warrant, or expungement law applies to a particular matter. Obtain advice from a licensed Alabama attorney.
6. No Warranties
All content and services are supplied "as is." No guarantee is made that:
- A partner's search result will be complete or correct
- The pages contain no defect, error, or security weakness
- The website will remain continuously available
- Information will always be current, complete, or accurate
Criminal records change as charges are filed, resolved, restricted, or expunged. Gaps can occur, and no page should be treated as an official statement from the Winston County sheriff, a court, or an Alabama agency.
7. Third-Party Services and Links
Links can lead to government offices, Alabama court portals, legal resources, and outside search services. Those destinations are independently operated. We do not control their prices, content, data practices, or availability. Review the destination's terms before use.
8. Intellectual Property
Text, code, logos, and graphics belong to Winston County Criminal History or the applicable content partner. They may not be copied, adapted, distributed, or used to create another work without prior written permission.
9. Limits on Our Liability
To the fullest extent allowed by law, we disclaim liability for harm arising from site use, linked services, or reliance on information obtained through either.
10. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from claims, demands, or proceedings caused by your site use or violation of these terms, including related legal costs and fees.
11. Governing Law
Alabama law governs these terms. A dispute arising from use of the site must be brought in a court located in Alabama.
12. Changes to These Terms
These terms may be revised at any time. A revision takes effect when the updated terms are posted here.
13. Cutting Off Access
Access may be suspended or ended at any time, for any reason, without advance notice.
14. Severability
If one provision is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms continue in effect. The affected provision will be modified only to the extent needed for enforcement.
15. Questions
Questions concerning these terms may be submitted through the Contact page.