Title 45

The Legislature declares that all volunteer fire departments, including volunteer fire departments that have emergency medical technicians that are members, are organizations that are public in nature and serve to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the cou…

For the purposes of this part, the following words have the following meanings: (1) COMMERCIAL BUILDING. Any building that houses one or more separate business enterprises that purchase and display a business license applicable to each business enterprise. In the case of a commer…

The governing body of Lawrence County is authorized, in its discretion, to levy, in addition to any and all taxes or fees levied prior to the effective date of this part, a fee in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25) per year on each dwelling and commercial building in Lawrenc…

The fee provided in this part shall be levied, collected, administered, and enforced as closely as possible at the same time, in the same manner, and under the same requirements and laws as state ad valorem taxes. Any exemption of property from ad valorem tax shall be recognized …

In order to be an eligible volunteer fire department for purposes of this part, a volunteer fire department shall be certified under the Alabama Forestry Commission guidelines and a member in good standing of the Lawrence County Firefighters and Rapid Responders, Inc. (Act 93-533…

Funds disbursed to eligible volunteer fire departments pursuant to this part shall be expended only for fire protection and emergency medical services, including training, supplies, buildings, capital improvements, equipment, insurance, professional services, and dues. The funds …

Upon the dissolution or abandonment of any eligible volunteer fire department, any remaining funds derived from this part or any assets purchased with any funds derived from this part shall be transferred to the county association. Act 93-533, p. 878, §8.)

The personnel of volunteer fire departments and emergency medical technicians that are members of volunteer fire departments funded as provided for in this part shall not be considered employees, servants, or agents of the county and the members of the county commission and the e…

For the purposes of this part, the following words have the following meanings: (1) COMMERCIAL BUILDING. Any building, structure, or other improvement to real property used for a commercial or business purpose. If there is more than one business, occupation, or enterprise occupyi…

(a) A fire district in the county shall provide fire protection services within its service area for fires and related emergency incidents that are not the primary responsibility of law enforcement or emergency medical services. (b) The county commission may request the county as…

(a) A fire district may be created when the board of directors of a volunteer fire department submits a request to the county association to incorporate the department as a fire district, and the county association forwards the request to the county commission with a recommendati…

(a) The geographical boundaries of a fire district shall be the existing service area of the volunteer fire department as defined by the Lawrence County E-911 District on October 1, 2025. (b) In any case in which an unincorporated area is within the service area of a municipality…

(a) The number and selection of the fire district board of directors and officers shall be governed by this section unless requirements are adopted by the county association pursuant to Section 45-40-142.01. (b) The existing members of the board of directors of the volunteer fire…

Subject to any limitation or restriction adopted by the county association pursuant to Section 45-40-142.01, a fire district shall be a public corporation with powers that include, but are not limited to, all of the following as necessary to accomplish its purpose of providing fi…

The Legislature declares that a fire district organized under this part protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public, thus providing a governmental function, and shall not be subject to the following: (1) Liability for any tort committed by any director, agent, servant,…

(a) Funds, including fire service fees, shall only be expended by the fire district for fire protection and emergency response purposes, which may include vehicles, equipment, clothing, supplies, training, and insurance. (b) Funds may not be expended for food, fundraising events …

(a) A fire district shall manage and account for its funds in compliance with all of the following: (1) Section 45-40-142.07. (2) The current Volunteer Fire Department Financial and Compliance Guidelines of the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. (3) The standards establi…

(a) A fire protection fee may be levied by a fire district for the purpose of funding fire protection services to each dwelling and commercial building in a fire district. (b) A fire district may not levy a fire protection fee unless the fee has been approved by a majority of the…

(a) Any election that may be necessitated by requirements adopted by the county association pursuant to Section 45-40-142.01, or any election authorized by Section 45-40-142.09, may coincide with a general election, or may be a special election, which shall be held on a date not …

(a) The powers and obligations of any fire district existing in the county on October 1, 2025, as specified in its certificate of incorporation, bylaws, existing contracts, and debts, and as provided under Chapter 89, Title 11, shall not be affected or impaired by this part. (b) …

Any individual serving as chief of a fire district created pursuant to this part, at the request of the State Fire Marshal, shall provide support and assistance in carrying out the duties imposed by Article 1, Chapter 19, Title 36. (Act 2025-185, §14.)

The individual firefighters who serve as personnel of fire districts in the county, regardless of whether the fire district is created pursuant to this part, shall not be considered employees, agents, or servants of the county, and the members of the county commission and the emp…

(a) A fire district may be dissolved pursuant to this section unless procedures for dissolution are adopted by the county association pursuant to Section 45-40-142.01. (b) A fire district may be dissolved by a resolution of the county commission in response to a request by the di…

The fire services protection fee in effect, which is provided for the county association and the volunteer fire departments by Part 2, shall not be affected or impaired by this part. (Act 2025-185, §17.)

(a) The Lawrence County Commission shall reimburse the offices of the tax collector, tax assessor, revenue commissioner, license commissioner, and the judge of probate from the general fund of the county the amount of any monetary loss, not to exceed a total for each office of fi…

(a) Pursuant to the authority granted by Sections 40-28-1 to 40-28-3, inclusive, Lawrence County’s share of payments made by the Tennessee Valley Authority to the state in lieu of ad valorem taxes shall be distributed as provided by this section: (1) For the 1983-84 fiscal year, …

(a) The Lawrence County Board of Health shall designate the services rendered by the county health department for which fees may be charged and shall set the fee to be charged for each service. The health department is hereby authorized to charge and collect such fees. All fees c…

The Lawrence County Commission shall provide office space to the Lawrence County legislative delegation in any office space that is owned or controlled by the county and that is not occupied for use by a county, state, or federal employee. In addition to office space, the county …

Notwithstanding Section 40-12-10 and any other general or local law of this state, no person shall be appointed to the position of county license inspector of or for Lawrence County. The position of county license inspector in the county is abolished and the powers, duties, and f…

(a) This section shall apply to Lawrence County. (b) In cases where a personal check given for a license is found to be noncollectible for any reason, the tax assessor shall notify the license inspector, who shall make a reasonable attempt to retrieve the license in question. In …

It shall not be necessary for the Judge of Probate or the License Commissioner of Lawrence County to retain on file the records of fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses, boat registrations, drivers’ licenses, and vehicle tag receipts for longer than five years from the date of …

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources shall regulate the use of buck shot in shotguns or dogs used to hunt deer, or both, in Lawrence County during the legal hunting season on lands outside of any wildlife management hunting area located in the county. (Act 85-716,…

(a) In Lawrence County, it shall be unlawful for any person or group of persons to throw or cast, or cause to be thrown or cast, the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light from any motor vehicle, with the aid of any motor vehicle, or while on foot, from any hig…

There is created and established a board of trustees for the Jesse Owens Memorial Park in Lawrence County, Alabama. The board shall be composed of seven members who shall be appointed by the Lawrence County legislative delegation no later than 30 days after May 29, 1985. The memb…

(a) The Sheriff of Lawrence County shall receive the salary the sheriff is receiving on December 28, 2001. (b) Beginning October 1, 2025, the sheriff shall receive an expense allowance to increase the sheriff’s total compensation to ninety-five thousand dollars ($95,000) per annu…

The Sheriff of Lawrence County is hereby authorized to employ a clerk to perform the clerical duties of the sheriff’s office. Such clerk shall receive a monthly salary of not less then four hundred seventy-five dollars ($475) nor more than eight hundred dollars ($800), the exact …

(a) The County Commission of Lawrence County is hereby authorized to allow the sheriff of the county to appoint a chief deputy and as many other deputies as are needed in the discretion of the county commission. (b) Compensation of each deputy appointed pursuant to this section s…

Any individual employed by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office as a law enforcement officer for a period of 10 years or more who retires from the department in good standing may receive from the sheriff, at his or her discretion, without cost, a retired badge and a pistol, provi…

(a) The Sheriff of Lawrence County, at public auction, shall sell any abandoned and stolen personal property recovered by the sheriff’s department which has remained unclaimed by the rightful owner for a period of six consecutive months. (b) The Sheriff of Lawrence County shall k…

(a) The Sheriff of Lawrence County, Alabama, may retain the funds accruing from the pay telephones and vending machines in the county courthouse annex and jail in a special fund known as the law enforcement fund which shall be used by the sheriff for law enforcement purposes in t…

(a) The sheriff may sell surplus property of the sheriff’s department including vehicles, at a time and manner the sheriff deems best to get the greatest return from the original investment. (b) All monies received from the sale of the property shall be deposited into the sheriff…

(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) CREDIT CARD. A line of credit issued by a domestic lender or credit card bank. (2) DEBIT CARD. A card issued by a bank in relation to a checking or savings account authorized by law to be expen…

(a) In Lawrence County the sheriff shall be entitled to keep and retain the allowances payable by the state, counties, or municipalities for feeding prisoners. (b) This section shall be retroactive to January 1, 1983, and all actions taken by the Sheriff of Lawrence County in acc…

(a) The Sheriff of Lawrence County, or the authorized agents of the sheriff, may operate a jail store for prisoners within the confines of the county jail. The jail store shall be operated to serve the needs of the jail population. (b)(1) The sheriff shall establish and maintain …

Any individual who has been committed to the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections or the Lawrence County Sheriff may be released therefrom by the court having jurisdiction, either on its own motion or upon the motion of the defendant, at any time before sentencing or …

Any individual committed to the custody of the sheriff may be required, as a condition of release, probation, or sentence, to serve weekends or other times or intervals of time as directed by the court having jurisdiction. While in custody, the individual shall be the responsibil…