What are squatters’ rights in Alabama?
In Alabama, an action to recover land must be started within 10 years, and adverse possession confers title only if the possessor has had a deed or other color of title on record for 10 years, has listed the land for taxes every year for 10 years, or took title by descent or devise from a predecessor who was in possession. These conditions do not apply to cases about the boundary between adjoining owners. Under the squatting chapter Alabama enacted in 2024, the owner of a dwelling or the owner’s agent can give a law enforcement agency in the county a sworn affidavit asking it to remove an unauthorized individual who is not a tenant, a holdover tenant or an immediate family member of the owner, after first giving that person a notice to vacate. Once the agency verifies ownership and at least 24 hours have passed since it received the affidavit, it serves a notice to vacate immediately, and removing a squatter does not require an eviction action. The agency may charge a fee of up to $50 to process the affidavit. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is Ala. Code §§ 6-5-200, 6-2-33; Ala. Code §§ 35-9B-2, 35-9B-3, 35-9B-9.
| What | Alabama |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 10 years, with a recorded deed or the land listed for taxes |
| Removing an unauthorized occupant | Law enforcement can remove the occupant without an eviction case |
Source
Ala. Code §§ 6-5-200, 6-2-33; Ala. Code §§ 35-9B-2, 35-9B-3, 35-9B-9
Read the statute in the Code of Alabama (Alabama Legislature): alison.legislature.state.al.us.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
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- Every Alabama rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho