Access McDuffie County 24 Hour Booking
McDuffie County 24 hour booking records are handled by the sheriff's office in Thomson. This county in east Georgia has a population around 21,500. The sheriff's office runs the county jail and processes all arrest bookings. Every person arrested in McDuffie County goes through intake at the jail in Thomson. The records include names, charges, bond amounts, and custody status. You can access this information under Georgia's open records law by contacting the sheriff's office.
McDuffie County Quick Facts
McDuffie County Sheriff 24 Hour Booking Office
The McDuffie County Sheriff's Office is at 337 Railroad Street, Thomson, GA 30824. Call (706) 595-2036 for information about bookings or people in custody. The sheriff oversees the jail and all law enforcement operations in the county. Every arrest in McDuffie County gets processed at the jail in Thomson.
Thomson has its own police department. The Georgia State Patrol also makes stops in the area. But all arrests from any agency within McDuffie County lines end up at the same jail. Staff there record personal details, enter charges, take fingerprints and a photo, and assign a booking number. This creates the official 24 hour booking record.
| Agency | McDuffie County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 337 Railroad Street, Thomson, GA 30824 |
| Phone | (706) 595-2036 |
| Booking Hours | 24 hours, 7 days a week |
McDuffie County is between Augusta and the central part of the state. It is part of the Toombs Judicial Circuit. The jail in Thomson handles intake around the clock. Staff can tell you who is currently in custody and provide basic booking details over the phone.
McDuffie County 24 Hour Booking
When an arrest takes place in McDuffie County, the officer brings the person to the jail in Thomson. Jail staff verify the person's identity and collect their name, date of birth, address, and physical description. Charges are entered into the booking system. Fingerprints are taken. A photo is captured. A booking number gets assigned to tie everything together in the McDuffie County system.
A magistrate judge sets bond. Simple misdemeanors may have a preset amount. The person posts bail and goes home. Felony charges and more serious offenses require a hearing. In McDuffie County, that hearing usually happens within 48 hours. If bond is not posted, the person waits in the county jail.
People sentenced to short terms may serve time at the county jail. Longer sentences lead to a transfer to a state prison facility. The McDuffie County booking record stays on file no matter what happens with the case.
McDuffie County Booking Open Records
Booking records from the McDuffie County jail are public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70. Anyone can request them. No reason needed. You can ask by phone, in person, or in writing. The sheriff's office must respond within three business days under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71.
The first 15 minutes of staff time cost nothing. After that, McDuffie County charges based on the lowest paid employee's hourly rate. Copies are about $0.10 per page. If the estimate exceeds $500, prepayment may be required. For most booking record requests, the cost is small.
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, social security numbers, bank details, and personal phone numbers are removed before McDuffie County releases records. The arrest data stays visible. Names, charges, dates, and bond information are all public. Initial arrest reports remain open even when an investigation is still active.
Georgia Resources for McDuffie County
The GDC Find Offender tool covers people in state prisons. It does not include the McDuffie County jail. For people held locally, call the sheriff's office. The Georgia Department of Corrections manages all state prison facilities in Georgia.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation keeps criminal history records for the entire state through the Georgia Crime Information Center. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 makes felony convictions public without consent. Other records need signed permission. The Georgia Applicant Processing Service processes fingerprint-based checks in 24 to 48 hours.
The Governor's Office open records page explains the state process for records requests. The same rules that apply statewide cover McDuffie County.
The GDC offender query tool covers state inmates who transferred from county jails like the one in McDuffie County.
McDuffie County 24 Hour Booking Photo Restriction
O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 restricts booking photos from the McDuffie County jail. Law enforcement cannot post them on a website. To get a copy, submit a written request and state your intended use. Making a false statement is a crime. If your photo appears on a site that charges for removal, O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 lets you demand free takedown within 30 days.
Record restriction under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 can seal McDuffie County arrest records when charges were dismissed or not prosecuted. The district attorney must approve. Once restricted, the record is only visible to courts and law enforcement. The First Offender Act, O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60, allows sealing when someone completes a first offender sentence. Guilty verdicts cannot be sealed.
Cities in McDuffie County
Thomson is the county seat of McDuffie County. Dearing is a smaller community. All arrests go through the county jail in Thomson.
Nearby Counties
These counties border McDuffie County in east Georgia. Each one has its own jail and booking system.