Access DeKalb County 24 Hour Booking

DeKalb County 24 hour booking records are managed by the sheriff's office at the county jail in Decatur. With over 764,000 residents, DeKalb is one of the most populated counties in Georgia. The jail handles a large number of bookings each day from multiple law enforcement agencies. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office tracks all arrests, charges, and inmate status at their facility on Memorial Drive. Visitation is done by video and must be scheduled online at least 24 hours ahead. This guide covers how to access recent booking records, what information is available, and how the booking process works in DeKalb County.

DeKalb County Sheriff Booking Office

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and handles all 24 hour booking operations. The jail is at 4415 Memorial Drive in Decatur. Call (404) 298-8100 for booking inquiries. The jail processes new arrests at all hours, every day of the week.

The sheriff's website has information about jail divisions, inmate services, and how to reach specific departments. If you need to check on a recent arrest in DeKalb County, start here. The site covers visitation scheduling, bonding procedures, and contact details for the booking desk.

The DeKalb County jail has several features for inmates after booking. An automated information system runs on monitors in housing units. Inmates can use these to file grievances, make medical appointments, and order commissary items. Each housing unit has coinless pay telephones for calls and free phones for legal services. These systems go into effect once someone finishes the booking process in DeKalb County.

Note: The DeKalb County jail uses an automated system in housing units so inmates can access services like medical appointments and commissary after booking.

DeKalb County 24 Hour Booking Visitation Details

The DeKalb County inmate visitation page explains how visits work at the jail. All visits must be scheduled online at least 24 hours in advance. You cannot schedule by phone. Visits are by appointment only, and all visitors must be on the inmate's approved visitation list before they can come in.

The visitation page covers scheduling, hours, parking, and rules. This is the resource you need if you want to visit someone who was recently booked into the DeKalb County jail.

Schedule visits through the DeKalb GTL Visit Me portal. Video visitation hours run daily from 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM and again from 4:00 PM to 9:50 PM. Each inmate is allowed two 30-minute visits per week at the visitation center. One visit per week per approved visitor is the rule in DeKalb County. Maximum security inmates and those in mental health units cannot receive visitors.

Parking for visitors is available in designated areas near the jail. There is also a public pay parking lot next to the building off Camp Drive. Private companies manage that lot. The sheriff's office does not control or regulate the parking fees in DeKalb County.

Search DeKalb County Bookings

To find someone recently booked in DeKalb County, you have a few options. The fastest way is to call the jail at (404) 298-8100. Have the person's full name ready. Staff can tell you if they are in custody and what charges they face.

For official copies of DeKalb County booking records, file an open records request with the sheriff's office. Georgia's Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes booking records public. You can make the request in writing or just ask in person. The sheriff's office has three business days to respond under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, you pay a rate based on the salary of the employee doing the work. Copies are around $0.10 per page.

Initial arrest reports from DeKalb County stay public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, even during active investigations. The law makes an exception for initial police arrest reports and incident reports. This means the basic booking data is almost always accessible in DeKalb County. Personal identifiers like social security numbers and bank account information get redacted before release.

DeKalb County 24 Hour Booking Arresting Agencies

Many law enforcement agencies operate in DeKalb County. All of them bring arrested persons to the county jail on Memorial Drive for booking. The DeKalb County Police Department is the primary agency for unincorporated areas. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office handles warrant service, court security, and jail operations.

Multiple city police departments also make arrests in DeKalb County. Stonecrest, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Tucker, Chamblee, and Decatur all have their own police forces. Each city handles its own patrols and investigations. But when someone gets arrested, the booking happens at the DeKalb County jail regardless of which agency made the arrest. This means the county's 24 hour booking log has records from every law enforcement agency in the area.

The Georgia Department of Corrections is separate from the county jail system. GDC covers state prison inmates only. For recent arrests in DeKalb County, the county jail is the right source. The GDC offender search will not show people who are in county custody awaiting trial.

Note: The DeKalb County jail is the single booking point for all law enforcement agencies operating within the county borders.

DeKalb County 24 Hour Booking Access Rights

Booking records in DeKalb County are public under Georgia law. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 defines public records as documents prepared or received by any public agency. The sheriff's office is a public agency. Its booking logs are subject to the Open Records Act. You do not need to give a reason to look at these records from DeKalb County.

There are some limits. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 lists records that can be withheld from the public. Ongoing investigation files can be kept private. But the law specifically says initial arrest reports are still public even during a pending case. Juvenile records for people 16 or younger at the time of arrest are not on public booking lists. Information that could endanger someone's safety can be held back from DeKalb County records too.

Booking photographs from DeKalb County fall under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18. Law enforcement cannot post mugshots online. Anyone who requests a booking photo must affirm they will not use it on a pay-for-removal website. The GBI Criminal History FAQ has more details on what criminal records are available to the public in Georgia and how to request them.

DeKalb County Background 24 Hour Booking Records

A 24 hour booking record from DeKalb County shows one arrest. A full criminal history shows everything. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, you can get another person's criminal history with their signed consent. The form requires their full name, address, social security number, and date of birth. Felony conviction records are public without consent under subsection (d.2) if you provide the name, race, sex, and date of birth.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains criminal history records through the GCIC. You can also get your own record from most sheriff offices and police departments in Georgia. The GAPS system handles fingerprint-based background checks statewide. Results come back within 24 to 48 hours. For appointments at the GCIC Lobby Office in DeKalb County, call (404) 244-2639 option 1. Same-day appointments are not available.

Record restriction under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 can seal certain arrests from DeKalb County. Dismissed charges, cases not presented to a grand jury, and dropped charges may qualify. The prosecutor must approve the restriction. The First Offender Act at O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 seals records when someone finishes their first offender sentence. After that, the DeKalb County booking record does not show up on standard background checks.

Cities in DeKalb County

DeKalb County has several cities with their own police departments. All arrests in these cities are booked at the county jail on Memorial Drive in Decatur.

Other communities in DeKalb County include Decatur, Clarkston, Pine Lake, and Lithonia. All of their bookings go through the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office facility.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with DeKalb County. Each runs its own jail and maintains separate 24 hour booking records. Check where the arrest happened to find the correct booking log.