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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama updates habitual offender law to treat nolo contendere and Alford pleas as guilty convictions
Last action · April 15, 2026: EnactedSponsor: Brock Colvin
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What This Bill Does
Alabama requires courts to treat a plea of , no contest, a best interests plea, or an the same as a guilty conviction under the , starting October 1, 2026. The act also clarifies that "convicted" includes prior convictions from Alabama or any other state.
Criminal defendants facing enhanced sentencing under Alabama's will have prior out-of-state convictions and alternative pleas counted identically to standard guilty verdicts.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Criminal defendants
Defendants with out-of-state convictions or alternative pleas face mandatory inclusion of those records under habitual offender sentencing enhancements.
Trial courts
Judges must evaluate and treat nolo contendere, no contest, best interests, and Alford pleas identically to guilty pleas when applying habitual offender penalties.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are no contest pleas handled under the updated habitual offender law?
When does this new requirement take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Became law.
Procedural history
21 actions- Apr 15, 2026HouseEnrolledEnacted
- Apr 9, 2026HouseEnrolledDelivered to Governor
- Apr 9, 2026SenateSignature Requested
- Apr 9, 2026HouseEnrolled
- Apr 9, 2026HouseReady to Enroll
- Apr 9, 2026SenateFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1322
Show 15 earlier actions
- Feb 25, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 25, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee Second House
- Feb 10, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in Second House
- Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary
- Feb 10, 2026HouseEngrossed
- Feb 10, 2026HouseFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 358
- Feb 10, 2026HouseMotion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 357
- Feb 10, 2026HouseRobbins 1st Amendment Offered
- Feb 10, 2026HouseMotion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 356
- Feb 10, 2026HouseJudiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered
- Feb 10, 2026HouseThird Reading in House of Origin
- Feb 5, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 4, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 14, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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