The Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 prohibits the relocation, removal, alteration, renaming, or other disturbance of any monument located on public property which has been in place for 40 years or more. The Act does provide a waiver process for the relocation, removal, alteration, renaming, or other disturbance of any monument located on public property which has been in place for at least 20 years and less than 40 years. The waiver process is further explained at https://www.camp.alabama.gov/. According to the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017, if the Attorney General determines that an entity exercising control of public property has relocated, removed, altered, renamed, or otherwise disturbed a monument from public property without first obtaining a waiver from the committee as required by this article, or failed to comply with the conditions and instructions issued by the committee upon the grant of a waiver pursuant to this section, the entity shall be fined twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each violation. The fine shall be collected by the Attorney General, forwarded by his or her office to the State Treasurer, and deposited into the Alabama State Historic Preservation Fund created in Section 41-9-255. If a monument owner has chosen to proceed with monument relocation plans, and has paid the fine to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Alabama Historical Commission can assist with costs associated with conserving the monument and/or receive ownership of the monument to be relocated to AHC property. The Alabama Historical Commission cannot grant permission to relocate, remove, alter, rename, or otherwise disturb any monument located on public property.

Monument Fine Policy

Monuments being moved to AHC property:

The Alabama Historical Commission will reserve the fine received for said monument to be used for its future conservation and interpretation. The Commission will not be responsible for costs including, but not limited to: relocating the monument, storage, reinstallation, archaeological surveys, and site preparation/foundation work.

Fines from monuments not moved to AHC property:

Upon approval by the Alabama Historical Commission, the funds received from the fine will be granted to the owner of the monument for the conservation of the monument. 

Fines received from the Monuments Bill that are not related to a monument itself (renaming, etc.):

The Alabama Historical Commission will reserve the funds received from fines for a renamed memorial school or a relocated, removed, altered, renamed, or otherwise disturbed architecturally significant building, memorial building, or memorial street for the conservation and interpretation of monuments located on AHC property.

Click here for the Monument Preservation Request Form