Ala. Code
Code of Alabama

Ala. Code § 13A-12-212 (2026)

Unlawful Possession or Receipt of Controlled Substances.

✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026
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(a) A person commits the crime of unlawful possession of controlled substance if:

(1) Except as otherwise authorized, he or she possesses a controlled substance enumerated in Schedules I through V.

(2) He or she obtains by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or subterfuge or by the alteration of a prescription or written order or by the concealment of a material fact or by the use of a false name or giving a false address, a controlled substance enumerated in Schedules I through V or a precursor chemical enumerated in Section 20-2-181.

(b) Unlawful possession of a controlled substance is a Class D felony.

(Acts 1987, No. 87-603, p. 1047, §3; Act 2012-237, p. 445, §2; Act 2015-185, §2.)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 209 cases (9 in the last 5 years), 1989–2026 · leading case: Williams v. State, 104 So. 3d 254 (Ala. Crim. App. 2012).
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Williams v. State, 104 So. 3d 254 (Ala. Crim. App. 2012). · cites it 11× “” This Court then explained: “Under the particular facts and law before us, we first note that § 13A-12-212 has no language prohibiting a prosecutor from aggregating separate supplies of the specific controlled substance possessed by a defendant.”
Townsend v. State, 823 So. 2d 717 (Ala. Crim. App. 2001). · cites it 5× “Clearly, Townsend simultaneously possessed both quantities seized: the officers in pursuit of him observed him in actual possession of the 22.”
Ex Parte Green, 15 So. 3d 489 (Ala. 2008). · cites it 4× “Green was indicted for first-degree manufacturing of methamphetamine in violation of Ala.Code 1975, § 13A-12-218 ("the manufacturing charge"), and possession of methamphetamine in violation of Ala.”
United States v. Nakey Demetruis White, 837 F.3d 1225 (11th Cir. 2016). “7 The above statute prohibiting drug trafficking is part of a three-tiered scheme for punishing drug offenses in Alabama that also includes: (1) a statute which prohibits possession of any amount of a controlled substance other than marijuana (Ala. Code § 13A-12-212) 8 and (2) a…”
Poole v. State, 846 So. 2d 370 (Ala. Crim. App. 2002). · cites it 2× “Code 1975, and one count of possessing a controlled substance, a violation of § 13A-12-212, Ala.Code 1975. After a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced Poole, on one distribution count, to 20 years' imprisonment, plus an additional 5 years' imprisonment under §…”
State v. Landrum, 18 So. 3d 424 (Ala. Crim. App. 2009). · cites it 4× “Derendrick Laquinton Landrum was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, a violation of § 13A-12-212, Ala.Code 1975. Landrum filed a motion to suppress, which was heard on December 19, 2007.”
Hall v. State, 223 So. 3d 977 (Ala. Crim. App. 2016). · cites it 2× “) Thereafter, on March 10, 1992, Hall, pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, pleaded guilty to the lesser-included offense of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, see § 13A-12-212, Ala.Code 1975, and, in accordance with that agreement, was sentenced to 10 years’…”
State v. Bradshaw, 152 Wash. 2d 528 (Wash. 2004). “Ala. Code § 13A-12-212(a) (“A person commits the crime of unlawful possession of controlled substance if: (1) Except as otherwise authorized, he possesses a controlled substance .”
State v. Bradshaw, 98 P.3d 1190 (Wash. 2004). “[1] Ala.Code § 13A-12-212(a) ("A person commits the crime of unlawful possession of controlled substance if: (1) Except as otherwise authorized, he possesses a controlled substance.”
Tucker v. City of Florence, Ala., 765 F. Supp. 2d 1320 (N.D. Ala. 2011). · cites it 8× “58 *1330 One week later, on December 12, 2007, Lauderdale County District Attorney Christopher Connolly opened a criminal prosecution against plaintiff on seven counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance in violation of Alabama Code § 13A-12-212. 59 Six days later,…”
Smith v. State, 884 So. 2d 3 (Ala. Crim. App. 2003). · cites it 2× “Lorenzo Smith was indicted for unlawful possession of cocaine, a controlled substance, in violation of § 13A-12-212, Ala. Code 1975. On December 5, 2002, Smith entered a guilty plea to the charged offense, and he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.”
United States v. Westry, 524 F.3d 1198 (11th Cir. 2008). “§ 802 (13); Ala.Code § 13A-12-212(b). Thus, Carter's argument is unavailing.”
Show all 209 citing cases →
Ala. Code § 13A-12-212(a): 5 cases
State v. Bradshaw, 152 Wash. 2d 528 (Wash. 2004). “Ala. Code § 13A-12-212(a) (“A person commits the crime of unlawful possession of controlled substance if: (1) Except as otherwise authorized, he possesses a controlled substance .”
State v. Bradshaw, 98 P.3d 1190 (Wash. 2004). “[1] Ala.Code § 13A-12-212(a) ("A person commits the crime of unlawful possession of controlled substance if: (1) Except as otherwise authorized, he possesses a controlled substance.”
Ex Parte Washington, 818 So. 2d 424 (Ala. 2001).
Ex Parte Moffitt, 844 So. 2d 531 (Ala. 2002).
Bryant v. State, 854 So. 2d 36 (Ala. 2002).
Ala. Code § 13A-12-212(a)(1): 27 cases
Townsend v. State, 823 So. 2d 717 (Ala. Crim. App. 2001). “Clearly, Townsend simultaneously possessed both quantities seized: the officers in pursuit of him observed him in actual possession of the 22.”
Ex Parte Dorough, 773 So. 2d 1001 (Ala. 2000).
Ginn v. State, 894 So. 2d 793 (Ala. Crim. App. 2004).
State v. Bailey, 49 So. 3d 1245 (Ala. Crim. App. 2010).
Pruitt v. State, 954 So. 2d 611 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006).
Ala. Code § 13A-12-212(a)(2): 2 cases
Tucker v. City of Florence, Ala., 765 F. Supp. 2d 1320 (N.D. Ala. 2011). “58 *1330 One week later, on December 12, 2007, Lauderdale County District Attorney Christopher Connolly opened a criminal prosecution against plaintiff on seven counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance in violation of Alabama Code § 13A-12-212. 59 Six days later,…”
Williams v. State, 961 So. 2d 929 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006).
Ala. Code § 13A-12-212(a)(l): 31 cases
Williams v. State, 104 So. 3d 254 (Ala. Crim. App. 2012). “” This Court then explained: “Under the particular facts and law before us, we first note that § 13A-12-212 has no language prohibiting a prosecutor from aggregating separate supplies of the specific controlled substance possessed by a defendant.”
Boyle v. State, 154 So. 3d 171 (Ala. Crim. App. 2013).
State v. Landrum, 18 So. 3d 424 (Ala. Crim. App. 2009). “Derendrick Laquinton Landrum was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, a violation of § 13A-12-212, Ala.Code 1975. Landrum filed a motion to suppress, which was heard on December 19, 2007.”
State v. Davis, 7 So. 3d 468 (Ala. Crim. App. 2008).
State v. Taylor, 46 So. 3d 504 (Ala. Crim. App. 2010).
Ala. Code § 13A-12-212(b): 7 cases
United States v. Westry, 524 F.3d 1198 (11th Cir. 2008). “§ 802 (13); Ala.Code § 13A-12-212(b). Thus, Carter's argument is unavailing.”
Haywood v. Alexander, 121 So. 3d 972 (Ala. 2013).
Patton v. State, 964 So. 2d 1247 (Ala. Crim. App. 2007).
Ex Parte Washington, 818 So. 2d 424 (Ala. 2001).
Hannon v. State, 682 So. 2d 503 (Ala. Crim. App. 1996).
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