Search Athens 24 Hour Booking

Athens 24 hour booking records are public and searchable through the Athens-Clarke County booking report system. Athens operates as a consolidated city-county government, so the police department and sheriff's office both work under one unified structure. Arrests here get logged by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Clarke County Sheriff's Office, or the University of Georgia Police Department. All three agencies process bookings through the same local jail, and the records go into a single online system that anyone can check.

Athens-Clarke County Police Department

The ACCPD is the main law enforcement agency in Athens. Because of the consolidated government, this department covers the whole county. Their headquarters sits at 3035 Lexington Road, Athens, GA 30605. Call (706) 613-3330 for non-emergency questions. The department handles patrols, investigations, traffic stops, and most arrests in the area. They stay busy, especially on weekends and during football season when UGA games bring large crowds into town.

The Athens-Clarke County Police website has info about the department, crime maps, and contact details for different divisions.

The Clarke County Sheriff's Office also operates in Athens. Their office is at 3015 Lexington Road, right next to the police department. Call (706) 613-3220 to reach them. The sheriff's office handles courthouse security, warrant service, and jail operations. When someone is arrested by any agency in Athens, the sheriff's office processes them into the jail and creates the booking record.

Athens 24 Hour Booking Report System

Athens has one of the more transparent booking systems in Georgia. The county runs a public booking report page that shows recent bookings. This report includes the booking time, the person's name, year of birth, race, sex, arresting agency, charges, court jurisdiction, and bond amount. It is free to use. No login needed. The data updates as new bookings come through the system.

This tool is useful if you want to see who was booked in the last 24 hours in Athens. It shows arrests from all three local agencies: ACCPD, CCSO, and UGA PD. You can see what someone was charged with and which court will handle the case. The bond field tells you how much it would cost to get that person out while they wait for court. Some charges have no bond listed, which usually means the person has to see a judge first.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation provides background check services for people who need a full criminal history beyond what a single Athens booking shows.

The GBI maintains the state criminal history database. For a more complete picture of someone's record in Athens or anywhere in Georgia, the GBI criminal history FAQ page explains the steps to request those records.

Who Gets Booked in Athens

Three main agencies make arrests in Athens. The ACCPD handles the bulk of them. Common charges include DUI, theft, drug possession, and assault. The Clarke County Sheriff's Office picks people up on warrants and handles civil process. UGA Police have jurisdiction on campus and nearby university property. When a UGA officer makes an arrest, that booking goes into the same county system.

Athens is a college town. About 40,000 UGA students live in the area during the school year. That means a noticeable spike in arrests tied to underage drinking, disorderly conduct, and minor drug charges during fall and spring semesters. Game day weekends see the highest volume. The booking report often shows a cluster of arrests from Friday night through Sunday morning during football season.

Beyond the university crowd, Athens has the same range of criminal activity you would find in any mid-size Georgia city. Property crime, domestic disputes, and drug cases make up a large share of bookings. The ACCPD also works with federal task forces on occasion, which can lead to federal charges processed through the Northern District of Georgia rather than local courts.

Open Records Law in Athens

Georgia's Open Records Act covers all booking records in Athens. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives you the right to request any public record from a government agency. Booking records fall under this law. You do not need to give a reason for wanting them. The agency must respond within three business days under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. The first 15 minutes of staff search time is free.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, initial arrest and incident reports are always public. That means the basic facts of an Athens arrest, including the name, charges, and date, are available to anyone who asks. You can submit a written request to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department at their Lexington Road address. Include the person's name and the approximate date of arrest if you know it. Copy fees are typically $0.10 per page.

The Governor's Office open records page has general guidance on how to file these requests across Georgia.

Booking Photos and Mugshot Rules

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 restricts how law enforcement posts booking photos. Agencies in Athens cannot put mugshots on a public website without a signed form from the requester confirming the photo will not go on a pay-for-removal site. You can still get a copy by asking the sheriff's office directly. You just have to sign the form.

Third-party mugshot sites that post Athens photos without consent face penalties under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5. This law requires removal within 30 days of a written request at no charge. Send the site a letter with your name, date of birth, arrest date, and a clear demand to take the image down. If they ignore you, file a complaint with the Georgia Department of Law.

Criminal History Beyond a 24 Hour Booking

A booking record is one snapshot. For a full criminal history, you need the GBI. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 governs access to criminal history records in Georgia. You can request your own record at any time. Getting someone else's requires their signed consent, unless the record involves felony convictions, which are public.

Fingerprint-based checks go through the Georgia Applicant Processing Services portal. Results come back in 24 to 48 hours. This is more thorough than a name-based booking search. If charges from an Athens arrest were dropped, you may be able to get the record restricted under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. First offenders who finish their sentence can also have records sealed through O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60. Once sealed, those records do not show up in standard searches.

What Happens After an Arrest in Athens

Once someone is taken into custody in Athens, they go to the Clarke County Jail. Staff logs the charges, takes prints and a photo, and enters everything into the system. Bond gets set based on a schedule for common charges. More serious cases require a first appearance hearing. Family members can check the booking report online to see if someone has been processed. You can also call the jail through the sheriff's office at (706) 613-3220.

For state prison records after sentencing, the Georgia Department of Corrections handles those. Use their offender search tool to find someone in the state system. But while a person is still in the Clarke County Jail, you search through the local booking report.

Clarke County 24 Hour Booking Records

Athens is the county seat of Clarke County, and the consolidated government means there is no separation between city and county services. All booking records for the Athens area go through one system. For the full county overview, including jail contact details, bond procedures, and records request information, see the county page.

View Clarke County 24 Hour Booking

Athens 24 Hour Booking Access

Other cities in the region with booking record info available.