Alabama § 12-13-22 - Requirement to Redact, Remove, Etc., Social Security Number or Birthdate on Certain Documents; Electronic Availability of Records.

§ 12-13-22. Requirement to Redact, Remove, Etc., Social Security Number or Birthdate on Certain Documents; Electronic Availability of Records.

(a) Before recording any document, with the exception of federal and state tax liens, as public record with the probate court that conveys any interest in real or personal property or purports to encumber an interest in real or personal property, or any other document, including military discharge forms, that is filed as a public record in the probate court, the person submitting the document for recordation shall redact, remove, or otherwise make illegible any Social Security number appearing in the document. Removal of the Social Security number shall be a condition to filing the document.

(b) Before recording any document, with the exception of federal and state tax liens, as public record with the probate court that conveys any interest in real or personal property or purports to encumber an interest in real or personal property, the person submitting the document for recordation shall redact, remove, or otherwise make illegible any birthdate if it appears in the document in connection with a person’s name unless the birthdate is required by law to be included in the document or is a necessary part of the document.

(c) The judge of probate, in accordance with this section, may redact, remove, or otherwise make illegible a Social Security number or birthdate appearing in connection with a person’s name that appears in any document, with the exception of federal and state tax liens, that conveys any interest in real or personal property or purports to encumber an interest in real or personal property and is recorded in the probate court, or any other document, including military discharge forms, that is filed as a public record in the probate court. Notwithstanding the foregoing, dates of birth shall not be redacted, removed, or otherwise made illegible on marriage certificates.

The judge of probate may make such records available to the public in electronic format and publish such records on the Internet.

(d) To the extent federal law conflicts with this section, an instrument shall contain the information required by and shall be filed in a manner that complies with federal law.

(e) The failure to comply with the requirements of this section shall not invalidate or adversely affect any document which is recorded even though that document does not comply with the requirements of this section.