Martinez 24 Hour Booking Records

Martinez 24 hour booking records are handled by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Martinez is an unincorporated census-designated place in Columbia County with about 33,000 residents. Since Martinez is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own police department. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement for the area and runs the county jail where all bookings are processed. Booking records are public under Georgia law.

Columbia County Sheriff's Office

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for Martinez. Since Martinez is unincorporated, there is no city police. The sheriff's office patrols the area, investigates crimes, and makes arrests. They also run the Columbia County Jail where all bookings happen. Call (706) 541-6900 for non-emergency matters.

Martinez sits in the western part of Columbia County, near the Richmond County (Augusta) border. The area has grown quickly over the past two decades. With that growth came more calls for service and more arrests processed through the county jail. The sheriff's office handles everything from traffic stops on Washington Road to drug investigations and property crime in the Martinez area.

Because Martinez has no municipal police, the sheriff's office is your main contact for both arrest info and booking records. Deputies patrol the area around the clock, so arrests in Martinez happen at all hours. The jail processes bookings 24/7.

Finding Martinez Booking Records

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office manages the jail and all booking records for Martinez. Call (706) 541-6900 to ask about a specific person who was booked. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody, the charges, and bond info. Check the Columbia County government website or the sheriff's office online for any inmate search tools that may be available.

Booking records show the person's name, charges, arresting agency, bond amount, and date. Since Martinez does not have its own police, the arresting agency for most Martinez bookings is the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Georgia State Patrol also operates in the area, particularly along I-20 and the major highways. Those arrests also go through the Columbia County Jail.

For people in the state prison system, the GDC offender search is where you look. The Georgia Department of Corrections tracks inmates who have been sentenced to state facilities from Columbia County cases.

While someone is still in the Columbia County Jail, the county system is the right place to search, not the GDC database.

Open 24 Hour Booking Records Requests

Georgia's Open Records Act applies to all Martinez and Columbia County records. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes booking records public. You can request arrest reports, incident reports, and booking information. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the agency must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time is free. After that, they can charge a reasonable fee.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, initial arrest reports are always public. That means the basic facts of any Martinez arrest are available to anyone who asks. Name, charges, date, and arresting agency cannot be withheld. Send a written request to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Include the person's full name and the approximate date of arrest. Copies cost about $0.10 per page.

The Governor's Office open records page has statewide guidance on the request process.

Mugshot Rules

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 restricts how Martinez booking photos are shared. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office cannot post mugshots on a website without proper forms. You can request a copy of a booking photo directly. Expect to sign a statement that the photo will not be posted on a pay-to-remove site.

O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 targets predatory mugshot websites. If your Martinez booking photo shows up on one of these sites, send a written removal request. The site has 30 days to take it down at no cost to you. Include your full name, date of birth, and arrest date. If they do not comply, file a complaint with the Georgia Department of Law's Consumer Protection Division.

Criminal History Searches

A Martinez booking record shows one arrest. For a full criminal history, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the statewide database. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 sets the rules. You can always get your own criminal history. Someone else's requires their written consent, except for felony convictions which are public.

Fingerprint-based background checks go through the GAPS portal and take 24 to 48 hours. This covers all of Georgia, not just Columbia County. If charges from a Martinez arrest were dropped, O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 allows record restriction. First offenders may qualify for sealing under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 after completing their sentence. The GBI FAQ page explains the full process.

After an 24 Hour Booking in Martinez

When someone is arrested in Martinez, they go to the Columbia County Jail. Booking staff records the charges, takes a photo, and collects fingerprints. Bond is set by schedule for most misdemeanors. Serious charges may need a first appearance hearing before a magistrate. The process can take a few hours depending on how busy the jail is.

Family members can call (706) 541-6900 to check on someone's status. Once bond is posted, the person can be released pending their court date. Some Martinez arrests carry high bonds or no bond at all, depending on the severity of the charges. The Columbia County Magistrate Court handles initial appearances for most cases.

Columbia County 24 Hour Booking Records

Martinez is in Columbia County, and all bookings go through the county jail. The Columbia County Sheriff manages jail operations and booking records. For a complete look at the Columbia County booking system, search tools, and contact info, visit the county page.

View Columbia County 24 Hour Booking

Martinez 24 Hour Booking Access

Cities near Martinez with booking record pages.