The Office of State Auditor originated under the statutes of the Mississippi Territory and the responsibilities of the office have varied greatly.

With the adoption of the Alabama Constitution of 1819, the Auditor became the Comptroller of Public Accounts elected annually by a joint vote of both houses of the General Assembly.

The Constitution of 1868 changed the title of the office to Auditor. It made the Auditor a member of the executive department, and established a process by which the Auditor was chosen by the electors of the state every four years.

The Auditor was responsible for the land records in Alabama until the State Land Commission was created in 1899. Those duties were later transferred to the Commission of Forestry.

In 1939, the duties were again changed when the Legislature created a new department to handle the examination and audit of records and accounts. In 1969, the office became responsible for maintaining property records of all state-owned, non-consumable property.