Union County 24 Hour Booking

Union County 24 hour booking records are managed by the Sheriff's Office in Blairsville. This mountain county in north Georgia processes all local arrests through its jail facility. When someone is picked up by law enforcement in Union County, they are brought to the county jail for intake and processing. Booking data includes the person's name, charges, arrest date, and bond details. You can search for recent arrests in Union County by reaching out to the sheriff's office or by checking available public records sources for the latest booking information.

Union County Sheriff Booking Office

The Union County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency that handles booking in this area. The office sits at 105 N. Butternut Lane in Blairsville. Staff there process every arrest that happens in Union County, whether it comes from the sheriff's deputies, state patrol, or other agencies working in the area. The jail runs all day and all night, so new bookings can happen at any time in Union County.

You can call the Union County Sheriff's Office at (706) 745-5411 to ask about recent bookings. The front desk handles questions about who is in custody and can give basic booking details. If you need more than just a quick check, you may want to file a formal records request. The office follows Georgia's Open Records Act, which means they have to respond to valid requests within three business days under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71.

Union County is part of the Enotah Judicial Circuit, which also includes Towns and Fannin Counties. Each county in this circuit runs its own jail. So if you are looking for a booking that did not happen in Union County, check the neighboring sheriff's offices instead.

How 24 Hour Booking Works in Union County

After an arrest in Union County, the person goes to the jail in Blairsville. Jail staff starts the booking process right away. They take a photo of the person, collect basic information like name and date of birth, and log the charges. The whole process can take a while depending on how many people are being brought in at the same time. Once it is done, the booking record goes into the system and becomes part of the Union County jail log.

Booking records in Union County generally include the inmate's full name, date of arrest, arresting agency, charges filed, bond amount if set, and housing assignment. These records are public under Georgia law. The Georgia Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 says that all documents made or kept by a public agency are open to the public unless there is a specific exemption.

Not everything in a booking file is released. Personal details like social security numbers, bank account data, and cell phone numbers are removed before the record is shared. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 sets these rules, and the Union County jail follows them on every request.

Note: Initial arrest reports are always public in Georgia, even during active investigations in Union County.

Union County Booking Photo Rules

Georgia places strict limits on how booking photos can be used. O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 makes it clear that law enforcement agencies cannot post booking photographs on websites. This applies to the Union County Sheriff's Office just like every other agency in the state. The law was created to prevent mugshot sites from profiting off arrest photos.

If you want a booking photo from Union County, you need to go through a formal process. You must sign a statement saying the photo will not be used in a way that breaks the law. Any false claim about how you plan to use it can lead to charges under O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20. The Union County Sheriff's Office takes this seriously and checks all requests before releasing booking photos.

Georgia 24 Hour Booking Records for Union County

The Georgia Department of Corrections runs a statewide offender search for people serving time in state prison facilities. This tool does not cover the Union County jail. It only shows inmates who have been sentenced and moved to a GDC facility. But if someone who was booked in Union County later went to state prison, you can find them through the GDC search tool.

The GDC homepage links to the offender search, facility information, and family resources for people with loved ones in the Georgia prison system.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation keeps criminal history records for the entire state. A criminal history is different from a single booking record. It shows all arrests, court results, and custody data for one person across their whole life. You can get your own Georgia criminal history from the Union County Sheriff's Office or from most law enforcement agencies in the state. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, private persons can request another person's record with signed consent. Felony conviction records are public without consent.

Requesting Union County 24 Hour Booking Records

Filing an open records request with the Union County Sheriff's Office is the formal way to get booking data. You can make the request in writing or by speaking to someone at the office. Georgia law requires a response within three business days. The agency can charge for the time it takes to search for and copy records, but the first 15 minutes of work are free under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71.

Copies cost about $0.10 per page. If the total cost is expected to go over $500, Union County can ask you to pay up front before they start working on your request. This is standard across all Georgia counties. Most simple booking record requests will not come close to that amount, but large bulk requests might.

Record restriction is available for some arrest records in Union County. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, if charges were dismissed, not presented to a grand jury, or otherwise dropped, you can apply to have the arrest sealed. The prosecutor must approve it. Guilty pleas and convictions do not qualify. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 also allows sealing when someone finishes their sentence terms. These rules apply to Union County arrests the same as any other part of Georgia.

Note: You do not need to give a reason when requesting public booking records in Union County.

Union County 24 Hour Booking Criminal History Checks

For a full criminal background check in Union County, you have a few options. The sheriff's office can run a local check for you. For a statewide check, the GBI Criminal History FAQ page explains the full process. You can also use the Georgia Applicant Processing Service for a fingerprint-based background check. Results from GAPS come back in 24 to 48 hours.

The Governor's Office open records page spells out the rules that apply to all public records in Georgia. The Governor's Office does not hold arrest or booking data, but the same Open Records Act rules apply to every sheriff's office in the state, including Union County. Fees for open records searches are based on the hourly wage of the lowest paid employee who can do the work. The Department of Administrative Services provides additional guidance on open records procedures across Georgia agencies.

Cities in Union County

Blairsville is the county seat of Union County and the main city in the area. All arrests made within Union County are processed at the county jail in Blairsville, regardless of which agency makes the arrest.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Union County. Each one has its own sheriff's office and jail facility. If you are not sure which county handled a booking, check where the arrest took place.