Finding Your Loved One's AIS Number (Fast) — Alabama DOC Search Tips

The AIS (Alabama Institutional Serial) number is a unique six-digit identifier assigned to every ADOC inmate. It's the fastest way to pull up a specific person. Dealing with a common name? Not sure exactly how their name appears in the system? The AIS number cuts through all of that.

1. Open the ADOC inmate search page - Start with the official search tool.
2. Enter the six-digit AIS in the AIS Number field - Type the number exactly as you have it.
3. Submit the search - When you use AIS, the search returns only the record whose AIS exactly matches what you entered, and the First Name and Last Name fields are ignored.

Smart Name Search Tips

• ✓ Try partial first names or last names to adjust how many results you get.
• ✓ Add other details (like race, date of birth, or facility) when you can to narrow the list.
• ✓ Keep the results limit in mind: the search only displays up to 50 records at a time, so tighten your search terms if you’re getting a long list.

Name searches can feel broken for one simple reason: the display limit. The inmate search only shows 50 records at a time. If more than 50 people match your search, you'll only see the first 50 (sorted alphabetically). Your loved one could absolutely be in the system - but won't appear on your screen until you narrow things down enough to get under that cap.

Still getting too many matches? Keep narrowing and re-running the search until results drop below 50. Add whatever details you have - date of birth, race, facility - and try again. Even small tweaks can shift you from "too many to display" to a list where your person actually shows up. One note: if you're hoping to get the AIS number directly from facility staff, don't expect much. They often can't share more than what's already in the public search.