Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider processes the request and supplies its result. We do not keep or log those search terms on our systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be retained long enough to answer and manage the exchange. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by law.
Data We Gather Automatically
Loading a page can cause the server to collect routine technical and usage details, including:
- Page-view times, pages opened, and approximate visit duration
- Device category and operating system
- Referring website, when one is supplied
- Browser name and version
- The device's assigned IP address
- Time stamps tied to each request
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They and analytics services help combine traffic patterns, such as frequently opened pages and common exit points. A browser can reject or remove cookies, although blocking them may change how parts of the website work.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a search request to the selected partner service
- Finding and repairing performance or technical problems
- Measuring which pages visitors use
- Operating, securing, and improving website performance
- Presenting advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Hale County Criminal History does not keep, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. The content identifies routes to the Hale County Sheriff's Office, Alabama courts, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Alabama Sex Offender Registry. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor information is not compiled into consumer reports or third-party criminal-history files.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies run the embedded search tools. Information submitted to a tool falls under that company's privacy policy rather than this policy. The provider controls its retention and disclosure choices, so review its terms before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Hale County offices, Alabama agencies, court services, legal resources, or outside search providers. Once a visitor leaves this website, the destination's policy controls. Check it before providing personal information.
Advertising companies may use their own systems to observe activity across websites and select targeted ads. We do not operate that tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Limited data may be available to:
- Analytics providers that measure traffic and performance
- Search partners that process an entered query
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal demand
- Advertising networks serving material on the website
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for information under our control. No internet system can guarantee complete security, so we cannot promise that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from a person under 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will remove it.
Your Data Rights
Rights can depend on where a visitor lives. In Alabama, the Open Records Act at Ala. Code §§ 36-12-40 and 36-12-41 concerns access to public writings held by government officers; it does not turn this private website into a public records office. Alabama Code § 41-9-601 separately restricts unauthorized access to or communication of criminal-history information. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may:
- Request deletion of personal data, when the law permits
- Ask whether we hold personal information about them
- Seek correction of inaccurate information
- Object to certain processing where a legal right applies
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. An updated copy and effective date will appear here when the practices change.
Effective date: July 15, 2026