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Money disputes up to $6,000 are settled in the Dale County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Below is what you need for a small claims case in Dale County: the limit, filing fees, which courthouse to use, how to serve the other side, your deadlines, and how to file. When you're ready, Squabble prepares everything and files it for you.
One courthouse takes small claims for Dale County, shown below. The court checks the location against the defendant's address and the place of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Locations change. The court publishes its current small-claims address on its own page; Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
Small claims filings from Dale County are handled at Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama in Ozark. Dale County covers 8 ZIP codes, including the Ariton, Daleville and Fort Rucker areas.
Small claims are filed here on paper, at the counter or through the mail. Squabble prepares the full packet before it goes.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Residents of Dale County, Alabama, a county of about 50,067 people, can bring small claims cases through the Alabama Small Claims Court, which handles claims up to $6,000. Cases are filed at the Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama, located in Ozark at P.O. Box 1350, 36361. The courthouse is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and is closed Saturday and Sunday. Staff can be reached by telephone at 334-774-8011 or (334) 774-5003, and information is posted at https://dale.alacourt.gov/. The court serves communities across the county, including Ariton, Daleville, Fort Rucker, Midland City, Ozark, Pinckard, and Skipperville, covering ZIP codes such as 36311, 36322, 36350, 36360, 36362, 36371, and 36374. Dale County lies near Houston County, Coffee County, and Henry County. Electronic filing is not available for small claims cases in this county, so filings are handled at the courthouse.
These 7 places sit inside Dale County:
Ariton, Daleville, Fort Rucker, Midland City, Ozark, Pinckard, Skipperville.
ZIP codes:
Of Alabama's 67 counties, Dale County is 28th by population at roughly 50,067 people. Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama in Ozark lies around 11 miles from the Houston County courthouse in Dothan and 13 miles from the Coffee County courthouse in Elba.
Counties nearest to this one:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Alabama permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? You can lower your claim to fit and stay in small claims, or file the full amount in regular civil court. Lowering usually means giving up the excess, so weigh it carefully.
Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama is the courthouse listed for Dale County. They are the same across all 8 Dale County ZIP codes, from 36311 onward.
Debts up to $6,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama is the Dale County courthouse listed below. Dale County has about 50,067 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
The other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
The hearing is informal and quick, sometimes by video, and the judge decides on the spot or sends the outcome later.
Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama lists (334) 774-5003 as its number.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself. Courts in Alabama generally rely on delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it or certified mail.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned. Can serve out-of-state defendants by certified mail. Cannot use private process server (requires special judge request and court stamp). Service at least 15 days before hearing.
Whoever serves the papers completes a proof of service, which is filed with the court before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Dale County address carries one of its 8 ZIP codes, 36311, 36322 and 36350 among them. Addresses in Dale County include places such as Ariton, Daleville and Fort Rucker.
A claim has to be filed inside a set period that starts when the dispute arose. After that point the court may decline to hear it.
| What the claim is about | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 6 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one Dale County ZIP code to another, 36311 included. The same periods apply in Dale County as in nearby Houston County and Coffee County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in Alabama generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (Ala. Code §8-8-1, §8-8-8).
A running total including interest can be worked out with the Squabble interest calculator.
Dale County is under the same state rate as nearby Houston County and Coffee County. The rate above is the one for Dale County, population about 50,067.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the Dale County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $50–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
Ariton, Daleville and Fort Rucker are among the places in Dale County that filings come from. Dale County takes in filings from 8 ZIP codes, 36311 first in the list.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
Hearings in Dale County cases are listed at Dale County Courthouse- 33rd Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama in Ozark. Dale County has about 50,067 residents.
Winning and being paid are two different things. The judgment records what is owed; collecting it is its own process, backed by court remedies that vary from state to state.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
There is also an examination procedure: the debtor is ordered to attend and give sworn answers about earnings and assets. Interest normally accrues at the statutory rate until payment.
Ariton, Daleville and Fort Rucker are among the Dale County places a judgment debtor may live in. Houston County and Coffee County are the counties nearest to Dale County.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Dale County case for you.
