Code of Alabama
Article 2 - Judges.
Section 12-13-41 - Duties of Probate Judges Generally.

It shall be the duty of the probate judge:
(1) To issue all citations, letters testamentary, of administration and guardianship, subpoenas, executions and all other process which is necessary for the exercise of his powers, the jurisdiction of the court and the enforcement of its judgments, orders and decrees.
(2) To keep minutes of all his official acts and proceedings and, within three months thereafter, to record the same in well-bound books.
(3) To keep all the books, papers and records belonging to his office with care and security, the papers arranged, filed and labeled so as to be of easy reference and the books and records lettered and kept with general, direct and reverse indexes, but, without the authority of the county commission, he shall not make new indexes.
(4) To keep constantly in his office a well-arranged docket, showing the date of the issue and return of all process, the day set for the hearing, the kind of notice ordered, the returns of the sheriff and such other entries as may be necessary to show the true condition of all proceedings pending in the court and all fees accruing in the case and to whom due.
(5) To keep a correct account of the fees accruing to the sheriff or services of notices, citations and other process in relation to the estates of deceased persons and minors; he may receive and receipt for such fees and must, on demand, pay the same to the sheriff, and before the final settlement of any estate is allowed, the fees of the sheriff, or such part thereof as he is entitled to receive, must be paid.
(6) To enter on the fee-book, execution docket and on the execution the name of the attorney of the plaintiff in the judgment.
(7) To give transcripts of any paper or record required to be kept in his office, properly certified, on application of any person and the payment or tender of the lawful fees.
(8) To keep the acts, reports and digests furnished by the state to the county in his office or in the bar library, if there is one in the county, convenient to his office, except when delivered to the sheriff for the use of the circuit court.
(9) To have suitably bound, at the expense of the county and for the payment of which binding the county commission must issue a warrant on the county treasury, the reports of the census enumerators of the county, and he must keep such reports in the office, open to examination without charge.
(10) To provide a suitable and convenient place in the office for keeping the United States census reports and to preserve such reports, giving free access to them.
(11) To keep large and well-bound books for the registration of deeds of conveyance and other and separate books of like character for the registration of mortgages and other instruments to secure the payment of debts.
(12) To keep a large and well-bound book for the registration of liens of judgments and decrees, with direct and reverse indexes thereto.
(13) To keep a well-bound book for the registration of notice of the adverse possession of lands, with a proper index thereto.
(14) To perform such other duties as are or may be required of him by law.
(15)a. The probate judge of Elmore County in conformity to the duties set out in this section shall maintain a general register for all transactions now recorded by the probate office and having a general direct and general reverse index for every instrument filed. Specifically included in the general register are those instruments described in subdivision (11) (deeds and mortgages, etc.); subdivision (13) (adverse possession); Section 35-4-52 (bankruptcy petitions); Section 35-4-53 (bonds for title); Sections 35-4-69 and 35-4-71 (affidavits relative to chain of title of land); Section 35-4-76 (options to buy land); Section 35-4-90 (agreements to convey land); Section 35-4-91 (wills which convey real property); Section 35-4-130 (lis pendens and hospital liens); Sections 36-5-3, 36-5-4, 36-5-5, and 36-5-6 (official bonds, notary bonds and oaths of office); Section 10-2B-1.25 (corporations); Section 10-4-26 (church minutes which grant trustees the authority to convey land); Section 6-9-210 (liens of judgment); subsection (d) of Section 40-1-2 (tax liens); military discharges; medical records and any and all other miscellaneous documents may be so registered at the discretion of the probate judge.
b. These instruments excluded from this subsection, mainly subdivisions (2) and (3) (minutes of official acts); subdivision (4) (probate docket); Section 43-2-502 (final settlements); Sections 18-1A-93 and 18-1A-282 (condemnation orders); Section 40-10-15 (tax sales); subsection (a) of 35-2-51 (plats); Section 12-19-45 (fees), shall be maintained as specified by the heretofore existing laws.
c. Each instrument contained in the general index shall be numbered consecutively and filmed.