Ala. Code
Code of Alabama

Ala. Code § 26-14-3 (2026)

Mandatory Reporting. (Amended by Act 2026-375)

✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026
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AMENDED BY ACT 2026-375, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2026. SEE ACT FOR REVISED LANGUAGE.

(a) All hospitals, clinics, sanitariums, doctors, physicians, surgeons, medical examiners, coroners, dentists, osteopaths, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, physical therapists, nurses, public and private K-12 employees, school teachers and officials, peace officers, law enforcement officials, pharmacists, social workers, day care workers or employees, mental health professionals, employees of public and private institutions of postsecondary and higher education, members of the clergy as defined in Rule 505 of the Alabama Rules of Evidence, or any other person called upon to render aid or medical assistance to any child, when the child is known or suspected to be a victim of child abuse or neglect, shall be required to report orally, either by telephone or direct communication immediately, and shall be followed by a written report, to a duly constituted authority.

(b)(1) When an initial report is made to a law enforcement official, the official subsequently shall inform the Department of Human Resources of the report so that the department can carry out its responsibility to provide protective services when deemed appropriate to the respective child or children.

(2) As soon as is practicable after a report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect is made, the Department of Human Resources shall make efforts to determine the military status of the parent or guardian of the child who is the subject of the child abuse or neglect allegation.

(3) If the Department of Human Resources determines that a parent or guardian under subdivision (2) is in the military, the department shall notify a United States Department of Defense family advocacy program at the military installation of the parent or guardian that there is an allegation of child abuse or neglect that is being investigated that involves a child of the military parent or guardian.

(c) When the Department of Human Resources receives initial reports of suspected abuse or neglect, as defined in Section 26-14-1, including suspected abuse or neglect involving discipline or corporal punishment committed in a public or private school or suspected abuse or neglect in a state-operated child residential facility, the Department of Human Resources shall transmit a copy of school reports to the law enforcement agency and residential facility reports to the law enforcement agency and the operating state agency which shall conduct the investigation. When the investigation is completed, a written report of the completed investigation shall contain the information required by the state Department of Human Resources which shall be submitted by the law enforcement agency or the state agency to the county department of human resources for entry into the state’s central registry.

(d) Nothing in this chapter shall preclude interagency agreements between departments of human resources, law enforcement, and any other state agencies on procedures for investigating reports of suspected child abuse and neglect to provide for departments of human resources to assist law enforcement and other state agencies in these investigations.

(e) Any provision of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, if any agency or authority investigates any report pursuant to this section and the report does not result in a conviction, the agency or authority shall expunge any record of the information or report and any data developed from the record.

(f) Subsection (a) to the contrary notwithstanding, a member of the clergy shall not be required to report information gained solely in a confidential communication privileged pursuant to Rule 505 of the Alabama Rules of Evidence which communication shall continue to be privileged as provided by law.

(g) Commencing on August 1, 2013, a public or private employer who discharges, suspends, disciplines, or penalizes an employee solely for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.

(Acts 1965, No. 563, p. 1049, §1; Acts 1967, No. 725, p. 1560; Acts 1975, No. 1124, p. 2213, §1; Acts 1993, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 93-890, p. 162, §3; Act 2003-272, p. 645, §1; Act 2013-201, p. 416, §1; Act 2016-354, §2; Act 2017-257, §1.)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 20 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1983–2025 · leading case: Marks v. Tenbrunsel, 910 So. 2d 1255 (Ala. 2005).
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Marks v. Tenbrunsel, 910 So. 2d 1255 (Ala. 2005). · cites it 18× “Alabama Code 1975, § 26-14-3, titled "Mandatory reporting," mandates reporting by "mental health professionals.”
Harris v. City of Montgomery, 435 So. 2d 1207 (Ala. 1983). · cites it 6× “Wiltsie examined the child, diagnosed the injury as a case of suspected child abuse and, pursuant to Code of 1975, § 26-14-3, notified the Montgomery Police Department.”
N.C. v. Caldwell, 77 So. 3d 561 (Ala. 2011). · cites it 4× “] unsupervised in a classroom setting with the minor plaintiff and other students; and failed to report pursuant to Alabama Code (1975) § 26-14-3. “[N.C.] has responded separately to the Motions for Summary Judgment.”
Collier v. Buckner, 303 F. Supp. 3d 1232 (M.D. Ala. 2018). · cites it 3× “09(5)(i)-(j) (procedures for expungement of "indicated" and "not indicated" listings); see also Ala. Code § 26-14-3 (e) ("[I]f any agency or authority investigates any report pursuant to this section [pertaining to reports by mandatory reporters] and the report does not result…”
Van Slaton v. State, 71 So. 3d 659 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011). · cites it 29× “Construing the subsections of § 26-14-3 together, see McCausland, we conclude that that statute is not ambiguous and, therefore, that the language of that statute must be interpreted to mean exactly what it says.”
Montgomery Cnty. Dep't of Human Resources v. A.S.N., 206 So. 3d 661 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “” See § 26-14-3, Ala.Code 1976 (requiring all hospitals to report suspected child abuse or neglect).”
Huntsville City Bd. of Educ. v. Jacobs, 194 So. 3d 929 (Ala. Civ. App. 2014). · cites it 2× “Jacobs argues in defense of the hearing officer’s decision that the Board, as a mandatory reporter,' see Ala.Code 1975, § 26-14-3(a), failed to report her to the Department of Human Resources.”
R.D.N. v. A.M.N., 918 So. 2d 100 (Ala. 2005). · cites it 2× “Drummonds had made a mandátory report in accordance with Ala.Code 1975, § 26-14-3, and that DHR *102 was required to investígate the report under Ala.”
Moore v. C.F. ex rel. R.F. (In re Moore), 165 B.R. 495 (M.D. Ala. 1993). · cites it 2× “1975 Code of Alabama §§ 26-14-3, 26-14-5 (1992).”
Decatur City Bd. of Educ. v. Aycock, 562 So. 2d 1331 (Ala. Civ. App. 1990). · cites it 3× “Ala.Code 1975, § 26-14-3. A designated employee of DHR may take a child into protective custody for 72 hours without parental consent with only notice to the court if there appears to be imminent danger to that child’s life or health.”
Benefield Ex Rel. Benefield v. Bd. of Trs. of the Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, 214 F. Supp. 2d 1212 (N.D. Ala. 2002). “The plaintiff here denied she was the subject of any sexual abuse when the defendant attempted to investigate the rumors about her. Thus, the plaintiffs allegation that reporting under § 26-14-1, et seq.”
Kirksey v. State, 191 So. 3d 810 (Ala. Crim. App. 2014). “had gaid "that whenever she got hot or she was in a crowd or she was stressed, that she had chest pains." The State’s reasoning, therefore, was not based on a mischaracterization of Es.”
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Ala. Code § 26-14-3(a): 3 cases
Huntsville City Bd. of Educ. v. Jacobs, 194 So. 3d 929 (Ala. Civ. App. 2014). “Jacobs argues in defense of the hearing officer’s decision that the Board, as a mandatory reporter,' see Ala.Code 1975, § 26-14-3(a), failed to report her to the Department of Human Resources.”
Van Slaton v. State, 71 So. 3d 659 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011). “Construing the subsections of § 26-14-3 together, see McCausland, we conclude that that statute is not ambiguous and, therefore, that the language of that statute must be interpreted to mean exactly what it says.”
Barber v. Dale Cnty. Mental Health Ctr., 898 F. Supp. 832 (M.D. Ala. 1995).
Ala. Code § 26-14-3(e): 3 cases
Collier v. Buckner, 303 F. Supp. 3d 1232 (M.D. Ala. 2018). “09(5)(i)-(j) (procedures for expungement of "indicated" and "not indicated" listings); see also Ala. Code § 26-14-3 (e) ("[I]f any agency or authority investigates any report pursuant to this section [pertaining to reports by mandatory reporters] and the report does not result…”
Van Slaton v. State, 71 So. 3d 659 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011). “Construing the subsections of § 26-14-3 together, see McCausland, we conclude that that statute is not ambiguous and, therefore, that the language of that statute must be interpreted to mean exactly what it says.”
J.C. v. State Dep't of Human Resources & Nancy Buckner, in her Off. capacity as Comm'r of the State Dep't of Human Resources (Ala. Civ. App. 2025).
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