Alabama follows which recording system?

A pure race statute awards priority solely to whoever records first, regardless of whether they had actual or constructive notice of a prior conveyance — Alabama does not follow this approach, and only a handful of states (historically North Carolina and Louisiana) have used pure race statutes, making this an uncommon minority rule.

A pure notice statute protects a subsequent purchaser who takes without notice of a prior claim, regardless of whether they ever record their own deed — Alabama's statute requires the subsequent purchaser to also record first, adding the 'race' element that distinguishes it from a pure notice jurisdiction.

The Torrens system is a title registration system — distinct from recording statutes entirely — in which a court confirms title and issues a certificate of title that serves as conclusive proof of ownership; Alabama has not adopted the Torrens system, which is used in only a handful of U.S. jurisdictions including parts of Minnesota, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.