10/08/2026
New Alabama Laws Now in Effect ⚖️
As of October 1, several new state laws are officially in effect across Alabama, including here in Etowah County. We want to make sure our community stays informed, so here's a quick look at what's changed:
🚗 Safe Streets Act increases penalties and restitution for impaired-driving and hit-and-run cases that result in death or serious injury.
🛡️ Child Predator Death Penalty Act makes first-degree r**e, first-degree so**my, or sexual torture of a child under 12 a capital offense.
🤐 Trey's Law prevents new agreements from silencing anyone from disclosing sexual abuse or related facts.
📍 Electronic Monitoring Violations are now classified as third-degree bail jumping, a Class C misdemeanor, for anyone who violates court-ordered electronic monitoring.
🏡 Alabama Property Protection Act adds new verification steps and remedies to help stop seller impersonation and fraudulent real estate sales.
🚛 Highway Safety & Fairness Act adds work-document and English-proficiency requirements for certain commercial drivers.
🚙 Towed & Unclaimed Vehicles can now be reported to the Alabama Department of Revenue right away instead of after a five-day wait.
🚭 Indoor Va**ng Restrictions extend Alabama's indoor smoking rules to vapes and other electronic ni****ne devices.
🐕 Beau's Law sets minimum standards for outdoor dogs, including food, water, shelter, sanitation, confinement, and tethering.
🎓 Law Enforcement Family Scholarship creates scholarships for eligible spouses and children of long-serving law enforcement officers, funded in part by a new specialty plate.
Have questions about how these laws may affect you? Don't hesitate to reach out to the Etowah County Sheriff's Office. We're here to serve and protect our community!
