Search Atlanta 24 Hour Booking

Atlanta 24 hour booking records are processed through the Fulton County Jail and available to the public under Georgia law. As the state capital and the largest city in Georgia, Atlanta generates a high volume of arrests each day. The Atlanta Police Department handles most arrests in the city, but Georgia State Patrol and other agencies also book people into the Fulton County system. You can search these booking records online, by phone, or in person at the jail.

Atlanta Booking Process

When someone is arrested in Atlanta, they go to the Fulton County Jail for processing. The jail runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Booking includes fingerprints, photos, and recording the charges. The whole thing can take a few hours depending on how busy the jail is. Once processing is done, the booking record goes into the Fulton County database.

The Atlanta Police Department is the main law enforcement agency in the city. APD works out of its headquarters at 226 Peachtree Street SW. They handle the bulk of arrests in Atlanta. But other agencies make arrests here too. MARTA Police, Georgia State Patrol, and even federal agencies can arrest someone in Atlanta city limits. All of those bookings still end up at the Fulton County Jail at 185 Central Ave SW.

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and keeps the booking database. Their office is at 185 Central Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. You can call them at (404) 612-5100 for questions about someone who was booked. The Fulton County Sheriff's website has general info about jail operations and policies in Atlanta.

Search Atlanta Booking Records Online

Fulton County provides an online inmate search tool. This is the fastest way to find Atlanta booking records. The database gets updated once per day. You can search by name or by booking ID number. The results show the person's name, charges, booking date, and bond amount.

To use the online search, go to the Fulton County inmate search page. Type in the last name and first name of the person you want to find. You can also use the Fulton County jail database portal for a more detailed look at current inmates. Both tools are free to use and open to anyone. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act, booking records are considered public records. That means you have a legal right to see them.

There are a few things to keep in mind when searching Atlanta booking records. The database updates once a day, so a very recent arrest might not show up yet. If someone was booked and released within a few hours, they may not appear at all. Juvenile records will not show in the system. Cases that have been sealed or expunged under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 are also removed from public view.

Note: The Fulton County inmate database refreshes daily, so very recent Atlanta bookings may take up to 24 hours to appear.

Atlanta Open Records Requests

If you need more than what the online search shows, you can file an open records request. Georgia law gives you this right. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, any agency must produce public records within three business days of a request. The first 15 minutes of staff time to search for records is free. After that, agencies can charge for the time and copies.

You can submit a request to the Atlanta Police Department or the Fulton County Sheriff. For APD records, contact them through their website at atlantapd.org or call (404) 614-6544. For jail and booking records, contact the Fulton County Sheriff at (404) 612-5100. The Governor's Office open records page has more info on how the process works statewide. Put your request in writing. Include the person's full name, date of arrest if you know it, and what records you want.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is another option for Atlanta records. GBI maintains the state criminal history database through the Georgia Crime Information Center. For a full criminal history check, you would go through the GBI criminal history process. This is different from a simple booking search. A GBI check shows arrests and convictions from across the state, not just Atlanta. You can get a fingerprint-based background check through Georgia Applicant Processing Services, which usually takes 24 to 48 hours for results.

Atlanta 24 Hour Booking Contact Info

The Fulton County Jail handles all Atlanta bookings. If you need to reach someone at the jail, there are a few ways to do it. Phone is the quickest for simple questions. For anything official, go in person or send a written request.

You can send mail to someone booked in the Fulton County Jail. Address it to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, and include the person's full name and booking number in the care of line. Cash deposits for inmate commissary accounts are accepted at the jail. The booking number is key for any communication, so get that first through the inmate search before you try to send anything. Visiting hours and rules change, so check the sheriff's website before you go.

For people booked on state charges rather than local ones, the Georgia Department of Corrections handles records once someone is sentenced to state prison. You can use the GDC offender search or the offender query tool to look up people in the state prison system. But while someone is still at the county jail waiting for trial or sentencing in Atlanta, Fulton County is where you search.

Atlanta 24 Hour Booking Record Access

Booking records in Atlanta are governed by several Georgia statutes. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 says that initial arrest reports are public records. That includes the basic booking information like name, charges, and date. However, O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 puts limits on booking photos. Law enforcement agencies in Georgia cannot post mugshots online without a written affirmation. This is why you might find booking data but not always a photo when you search Atlanta records.

The GBI services directory lists all the record services available at the state level for Georgia residents, including those in Atlanta.

If charges against someone in Atlanta are dismissed or result in a nolle prosequi, that person can petition to have their record restricted under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. Once restricted, the booking record no longer shows in public databases. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 also allows certain records to be sealed after successful completion of a sentence. These protections mean that not every Atlanta booking stays in the system forever.

Fulton County 24 Hour Booking Records

All Atlanta arrests are processed through the Fulton County Jail. The county handles bookings for Atlanta along with cities like South Fulton, Sandy Springs, and Roswell. For full details on the Fulton County booking system, search tools, fees, and contact information, visit the county page.

View Fulton County 24 Hour Booking

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