This facility, located at:
124 Adams Street
Ozark, AL 36360
is where Dale County's adult felony and misdemeanor arrests are booked.
Deputies bring in their own arrests, and officers from neighboring cities and towns in the county without a lockup bring theirs. Staff photograph and fingerprint each new arrival, record property, run warrant checks and give a medical screening before housing is assigned.
State agencies such as the Alabama Police, and federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals and ICE, may also book people here.
The public list of offenders arrested comes straight from the sheriff's official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide county jail list. Where allowed, the list may also show a mugshot, with the arresting agency printed beside each charge and the criminal charges. Gaps in a record are best cleared up by phoning the Dale County Jail staff at 334-774-5402 (opens in a new tab).
From the time an offender arrives at the Dale County Jail, until they are processed and either placed in a housing unit or ready for release can take anywhere from two hours to an entire day, depending on how many other people that have been arrested are before them in the Booking Department.
If bail or a bond is allowed, instructions for the release process are outlined on our Bail page.
To find out if someone you know has been recently arrested and booked into the Dale County Jail, call the jail’s booking line at 334-774-5402.
There may be an automated way to look them up by name over the phone, or you may be directed to speak with someone at the jail. Jail staff may ask for the offender’s date of birth to protect the offender’s privacy.
Keep in mind that after an arrest, information on an offender may not be publicly available for several hours.
If you don’t want to call the jail, you can also look up people recently booked online using the Dale County Jail Booking Roster.
After being arrested, taken into custody and read their Miranda rights, an offender is transported to the local police department or the Sheriff’s Department in Dale County for booking.
Booking involves multiple steps. Keep in mind that most attorneys advise an offender to remain silent and not offer any additional information about the crime they have been arrested for, because anything they say may be recorded and may very well be used against them in court.
Booking includes having their photo (mugshot) and fingerprints taken, as well as answering many questions about their personal history and state of mind. If it’s a serious felony, their DNA may also be taken. They will also be checked for warrants in Dale County and in other Alabama and U.S. jurisdictions.
If the offender was arrested for DUI and refused a breathalyzer test, they may also be required to have blood drawn by a doctor or nurse.
It is also very likely that the offender will undergo a full-body strip search, which includes bending over, spreading their cheeks in the direction of an officer, and coughing. They will also be walked through a metal detector or body scanner, like those used at an airport.
The arresting agency will ask about gang affiliations, tattoos, medical conditions, prescribed medications, recreational drugs they are on or addicted to, allergies, whether they are suicidal, and other information that helps determine their cell assignment and any special needs.
During arrest and booking, all of an offender’s personal property is taken and held until their release from jail or, with the offender’s approval, released to a friend or family member.
Personal property includes the clothing they are wearing, money, wallets, purses, cell phones, jewelry, body rings, earrings, watches, and even glasses if they are considered a security risk. If they are allowed to keep their shoes or sneakers, the laces are removed.
At this point the offender will be allowed to make a free phone call to a person of their choice to let them know about the arrest and/or arrange bond or bail for their release.
If the offender is being held while awaiting arraignment, the Dale County Jail will provide a jail uniform and slip-on shoes, a blanket, sheets, soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a towel.
Before they are dressed in the jail uniform and taken to their housing area, they are often required to shower and undergo a disinfectant treatment for body and hair lice, scabies or other pests.
Booking can take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours or more. It depends on how many people are waiting to be processed, how many staff are on duty, and the offender’s behavior.
If the offender is heavily intoxicated or violent, the booking officer may place them in a holding cell for several hours until they become more manageable.