Mobile County was established by an act of the Mississippi Territorial Legislature on December 18, 1800. It was one of the first two counties created in what would later become the State of Alabama. At that time, the county included all of the land in the present-day counties of Baldwin, Clarke, and Washington.

Mobile County was established by an act of the Mississippi Territorial Legislature on December 18, 1800. It was one of the first two counties created in what would later become the State of Alabama. At that time, the county included all of the land in the present-day counties of Baldwin, Clarke, and Washington. The act creating Mobile County provided for the appointment of three commissioners who were charged with laying out a town on the Mobile River at the site of the old Spanish Fort Carlotta. These commissioners were intended to perform many of the functions that the County Commission performs today. However, the modern Mobile County Commission was not established until 1947, when the Alabama Legislature passed an act creating a county commission form of government for Mobile County. This act was approved by the voters of Mobile County in a referendum held on November 4, 1947, and it took effect on December 1, 1947. The Mobile County Commission is composed of three members, each of whom is elected from a separate district within the county. Commissioners serve four-year terms. The Commission is responsible for a wide range of services, including road maintenance, law enforcement, and health care.