Houston County, Alabama
Houston County · Dothan · the Wiregrass seat sits here · Dothan is this hall
Dothan is the hall. Dothan is the large city. This is not Houston County, Texas.
Houston County, Alabama, was erected 9 February 1903 from Henry and Dale and named for Governor George S. Houston. Dothan was chosen as the seat in 1905. Dothan is the seat. Dothan is also the large city. This is the hall Dale already pointed at. Ozark is Dale — it is not this hall. Fort Novosel is Dale and federal — it is not this jail. Abbeville is Henry. Geneva the city is Geneva. This is not Houston County, Texas. This is not Houston County, Georgia, Minnesota, or Tennessee. Montgomery is the capital of Alabama. It does not sit here. Dothan is not the capital.
Places include Dothan, Ashford, Columbia, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Gordon, Kinsey, Madrid, Rehobeth, Taylor, Webb, and Avon. 2020 census: about 107,000. This page is Side One for the place. The Sheriff’s job — Wiregrass-hub patrol and the East Main jail — is taught at Office of the Sheriff — Houston County.
A full-time chair at large and four districts on Oates. They do not sit in Ozark as this county.
Houston is a five-member County Commission: a full-time chair elected at large and four associate commissioners from districts (Ala. Code § 45-35-71). There is no County Executive. The chair is not the Probate Judge sitting as chair. Commission offices sit at 462 North Oates Street, 6th Floor, Dothan. They fund roads, the jail, and the Sheriff’s budget. They do not hire the Sheriff. The people do. Dothan City Commission is a city body.
The courthouse is at 114 North Oates Street, Dothan (20th Judicial Circuit with Henry). The Circuit Clerk and Absentee list that Oates door. Probate lists the Administration Building at 462 North Oates. A city hall in Dothan is not this county. Ozark City Hall is Dale.
The Sheriff is four years, Article V § 138, 2026 with the Governor. Take office 18 January 2027. The Mayor of Dothan is a city clock.
The Florida line and U.S. 231. Montgomery is still the capital.
U.S. 231 and U.S. 431 meet here. Ross Clark Circle rings Dothan. Henry is north. Dale is northwest. Geneva is west. Early County, Georgia, and Seminole County, Georgia, are east. Jackson County, Florida, is south — a different Jackson. Staff who paste a Houston, Texas skyline onto Oates, or treat Ozark as this courthouse, or file “Fort Novosel as this jail,” are on the wrong county.
How a Dothan public finds the Houston desk
Courthouse / Circuit Clerk / Absentee: 114 North Oates Street, Dothan. Commission / Administration: 462 North Oates Street, 6th Floor. Sheriff headquarters (SOS / county listing): 144 North Oates Street, Dothan, AL 36303. The Sheriff’s own site publishes 411 North Foster Street, Dothan as the working office. Jail: 901 East Main Street, Dothan. Confirm live addresses on houstoncountyal.gov and houstoncosoal.gov. A student who only knows an Ozark photograph has not found this hall. A student who only knows Houston, Texas, has not found Alabama.
901 East Main still jails. Dothan PD does not.
Crime in unincorporated Houston — Ashford country, Columbia, Cottonwood, Webb, the Wiregrass roads off U.S. 231 outside city limits — is this Sheriff. Crime in Dothan is often Dothan Police. This Sheriff is not Dothan PD. Dothan City Jail (commonly listed 210 North Saint Andrews Street) is a city house — not this jail. Jail listings for this badge use 901 East Main Street. Community Corrections at 164 North Oates Street is not this jail. That is not a separate county Department of Corrections standing in for the Sheriff’s house. Do not paste Fort Novosel onto East Main. Do not send a family looking for a county booking to Dothan Police or to Texas. Civil process and courthouse security at 114 North Oates are the Sheriff. Rights do not change at Ross Clark Circle. Remedy for Dothan Police is the City. Remedy for a Sheriff’s paper is the Sheriff. Relief when a Wiregrass storm sits is this count first.
Care without inventing a peanut-festival chapel as this county
A peace order served in Ashford. A transport from 901 East Main to 114 North Oates without becoming Dothan Police. Do not invent a church. Do not invent Ozark as this badge.
What Houston actually watches
Court calendar on North Oates. A wreck on U.S. 231. Fog on Ross Clark Circle. A night road outside Cottonwood. Coordination with Dothan PD and ALEA without becoming those departments. Coordination with Dale’s Sheriff or Henry’s Sheriff is mutual aid between two offices, not a merger. Coordination with a Fort Novosel desk is federal liaison through Dale’s map, not a merger of badges. A Texas photograph does not steal the seat. An Ozark photograph does not steal this hall.
Dothan snapshot (verify official sources)
- Seat: Dothan · Large city (also the hall): Dothan · Capital of Alabama: Montgomery
- Government: full-time chair at large · four district Commissioners · Commission 462 North Oates, 6th Floor · courthouse 114 North Oates
- Sheriff: four years · 2026 · patrol and jail at 901 East Main Street
- Court / Absentee: 114 North Oates Street · HQ (SOS): 144 North Oates Street · office the badge publishes: 411 North Foster Street
- Neighbors: Henry · Dale · Geneva · Early County, Georgia · Seminole County, Georgia · Jackson County, Florida
- Not Houston County, Texas · Not Ozark as this hall · Not Fort Novosel as this jail · Not Dothan PD as this Sheriff
What Dothan is not, as this county
- Not Houston County, Texas. Not Houston County, Georgia. Not Ozark as this hall.
- Not Fort Novosel as this jailer. Not Abbeville as this county government.
- Not Dothan Police as this Sheriff. Not Community Corrections as this jail.
- Not the capital — Montgomery is still the capital.
- Not a campaign flyer.