Jefferson County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Jefferson County, Alabama - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.1%
- ≈ $400 on a $400,000 home
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $5,261
- median of 6,050 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Jefferson County compared with Alabama counties
In the verified Alabama county records we have, Jefferson County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #1 of 1 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $400, which is the same as the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #1 of 1
- within verified Alabama county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $400
- state baseline $400
- HMDA fee sample
- 6,050
- purchase loans in 2023
Jefferson County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Jefferson County
Alabama has NO county-levied real-estate transfer tax. The only transfer-type levy is the STATE deed recordation tax of $0.50 per $500 of value ($1.00/$1,000 = 0.002 of price), assessed at recording under Ala. Code 40-22-1; one-third of that state revenue is distributed to the county, but the county does not levy its own rate. Typically paid by the buyer/grantee at recording (negotiable). Birmingham, the county's major city, levies no separate municipal transfer tax. Deeds are recorded at the Jefferson County Probate Court (Birmingham and Bessemer divisions).
Recording fees in Jefferson County
Deed recording: $16.00 for the 1st page, plus $3.00 for each additional page. Additional: $1.00 "No Tax Collected" stamp where tax is not collected; $1.00 for each additional grantee/grantor beyond 2 each. (Jefferson County Probate Court, Recording Costs schedule.)
Official recorder: Jefferson County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Jefferson County
Across 6,050 home-purchase mortgages originated in Jefferson County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $5,261, of which about $2,522 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 01073, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Jefferson County closing costs
Pre-set to Alabama. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Jefferson County?
Jefferson County (Alabama): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.1%. Alabama has NO county-levied real-estate transfer tax. The only transfer-type levy is the STATE deed recordation tax of $0.50 per $500 of value ($1.00/$1,000 = 0.002 of price), assessed at recording under Ala. Code 40-22-1; one-third of that state revenue is distributed to the county, but the county does not levy its own rate. Typically paid by the buyer/grantee at recording (negotiable). Birmingham, the county's major city, levies no separate municipal transfer tax. Deeds are recorded at the Jefferson County Probate Court (Birmingham and Bessemer divisions).
What are recording fees in Jefferson County?
Deed recording: $16.00 for the 1st page, plus $3.00 for each additional page. Additional: $1.00 "No Tax Collected" stamp where tax is not collected; $1.00 for each additional grantee/grantor beyond 2 each. (Jefferson County Probate Court, Recording Costs schedule.)
How much are closing costs in Jefferson County?
Closing costs in Jefferson County follow Alabama's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Jefferson County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 6,050 home-purchase mortgages in Jefferson County were about $5,261, of which roughly $2,522 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.