Columbia County 24 Hour Booking Records

Columbia County 24 hour booking records are maintained by the sheriff's office in Appling, Georgia. Columbia County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, part of the greater Augusta metro area, and the jail handles a significant volume of arrests. The sheriff's office processes bookings around the clock and keeps detailed records of every person brought into custody. You can search for booking data by contacting the sheriff's office, checking for online tools, or submitting a written request under Georgia's Open Records Act. This page explains what records are available and how to get them.

Columbia County 24 Hour Booking Sheriff's Office

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is located at 2273 County Camp Road in Appling. The county jail is at this facility, and it handles all booking operations for the county. When any law enforcement agency in Columbia County makes an arrest, the person is brought here for processing. Jail staff takes a photo, records fingerprints, and logs the charges. Bond information is added once a judge or magistrate sets it. The facility operates 24 hours a day, every day.

Columbia County has a large population concentrated in communities like Evans and Martinez. The sheriff's office is the primary law enforcement agency, though the Grovetown Police Department and other local agencies also make arrests that go through the county jail. Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon) sits partly in Columbia County, and some arrests involving military personnel on civilian land may also be processed here.

The GDC offender search is a state-level tool for finding prison inmates.

The GDC system tracks state prison inmates. Columbia County jail bookings are a separate local record maintained by the sheriff's office in Appling.

Search Columbia County Booking Data

Call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at (706) 541-6900 to ask about a recent booking. Jail staff can confirm if someone is in custody and give you the charges and bond. You can also visit 2273 County Camp Road in Appling during business hours. Check the sheriff's office website for any online inmate lookup tools. For official copies, submit a written request under the Georgia Open Records Act.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, all booking records held by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office are public. No reason is required for your request. The office must respond within three business days per O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. The first 15 minutes of staff search time come at no charge. After that, fees match the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee who can pull the records. Copy costs are about $0.10 per page. Large requests exceeding $500 may need a deposit before processing begins.

Note: Columbia County is a busy office, so response times may vary based on the volume of requests they are handling.

Columbia County 24 Hour Booking Records Details

A Columbia County booking record includes the arrested person's full name and date of birth. Charges appear with their felony or misdemeanor classification. Bond amounts are shown when set. The arresting agency is named. In Columbia County, that could be the sheriff's office, Grovetown Police, or another agency. The booking date, time, and case number are part of every record.

Georgia law protects some personal data from disclosure. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, social security numbers, bank account information, and medical details are redacted from public copies. Juvenile records are sealed. Initial arrest reports remain public at all times, regardless of whether the case is open. Booking photos from Columbia County are subject to O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18, which restricts law enforcement from posting them online.

Criminal History Checks

For a full criminal background that goes beyond a single Columbia County booking, the state has resources. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the Georgia Crime Information Center, which collects arrest and court data from all 159 counties. A fingerprint-based check through GAPS gives the most thorough results. It takes one to two business days. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, you need written consent to get another person's full criminal history.

Felony conviction data is the only part available to the public without consent. The GDC offender search is free and covers state prison inmates, though not Columbia County jail bookings. For local records, the sheriff's office in Appling is the source. Using both the state and local systems gives you the best overall view.

24 Hour Booking Record Restriction in Columbia County

Georgia allows certain arrest records to be restricted from public view. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, if Columbia County charges were dismissed, not prosecuted, or nolle prossed, you can apply for record restriction. The prosecutor must approve. Once restricted, the arrest no longer appears on public background checks. Only courts and law enforcement retain access to the sealed record.

The First Offender Act at O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 seals records when a first offender sentence is completed. The conviction is removed and the person is exonerated. For mugshots posted on third-party websites, O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 requires those sites to take them down at no cost when the arrest qualifies for restriction. Send a written request with your name, date of birth, arrest date, and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office as the arresting agency. They have 30 days to comply.

Note: Record restriction applies to the criminal history database. Court records may require a separate sealing process.

Cities in Columbia County

Columbia County includes several communities in the Augusta metro area.

Other communities in Columbia County include Grovetown, Harlem, and Appling. Arrests from all of these areas are booked through the Columbia County jail.

Nearby Georgia Counties

Columbia County borders several other east Georgia counties in the Augusta area. Check these jurisdictions if you are unsure where a booking took place.