Ware County 24 Hour Booking Search

Ware County 24 hour booking records are kept by the Sheriff's Office in Waycross. This south Georgia county is one of the largest by land area in the state. All arrests in Ware County go through the county jail for processing. The sheriff's office logs every person who gets brought in, including their name, charges, and bond information. You can search for recent Ware County bookings by calling the jail or filing an open records request under Georgia law. Booking records are public documents, and anyone can ask to see them.

Ware County Sheriff Booking Office

The Ware County Sheriff's Office sits at 811 Church Street in Waycross. This is the central hub for all jail operations and bookings in the county. The facility processes inmates around the clock. Deputies, Waycross police officers, and state troopers all bring arrested individuals to this location for intake.

Call (912) 287-4329 to contact the Ware County Sheriff's Office. The staff can tell you if someone is currently in custody and may share basic booking details. For detailed records or copies, you may need to submit a written open records request. Ware County is part of the Waycross Judicial Circuit, which also covers Pierce, Bacon, Appling, and Jeff Davis Counties. Each county has its own jail, so check the right one based on where the arrest happened.

The Ware County jail handles a fair amount of booking activity given the size of the county and the population in the Waycross area.

How 24 Hour Booking Works in Ware County

Every arrest in Ware County follows the same general path. The person is taken to the jail in Waycross. Staff logs them into the system with a photo, personal details, and all charges. Bond amounts are either set by a judge or pulled from the standard bond schedule. Once the booking is done, the data goes into the Ware County jail log and becomes accessible under Georgia's public records laws.

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 covers booking records. They count as public documents because the jail is a public agency. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Ware County Sheriff's Office must respond to records requests within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, fees are based on the hourly wage of the lowest paid employee who can handle the request. Copy costs run about $0.10 per page.

Georgia 24 Hour Booking Resources for Ware County

The Georgia Department of Corrections provides a statewide offender search for people in state prisons. This is separate from the Ware County jail. If someone was booked in Ware County and then sent to a state facility after sentencing, you would find them through the GDC. The department cautions that information should be verified through written correspondence with Inmate Records at PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029.

The Governor's Office page explains how Georgia's Open Records Act works and what rights you have when requesting public documents from agencies like the Ware County Sheriff's Office.

The GBI Criminal History FAQ is another useful resource. It explains how criminal history records differ from single booking records and covers topics like record restriction, the First Offender Act, and how to get background checks. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, felony conviction records are public without the person's consent. You need the full name, race, sex, and date of birth to request them. The Georgia Applicant Processing Service handles fingerprint-based checks for a fee.

Ware County Booking Photo Rules

Booking photos taken at the Ware County jail fall under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18. Georgia law says law enforcement cannot post these images on any website. The Ware County Sheriff's Office follows this. To get a booking photo, you have to request it and sign a written statement about how you plan to use it. Lying about your intent is a criminal offense under O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20.

If your booking photo from Ware County ends up on a third-party mugshot site and you qualify for record restriction, you can demand it be removed. Under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5, the website must take the photo down within 30 days of getting your written notice. Provide your name, date of birth, arrest date, and arresting agency name. If they refuse, contact the Georgia Department of Law's Consumer Protection Division for help.

Note: Ware County booking photos cannot be posted online by law enforcement under Georgia law.

24 Hour Booking Records Restriction for Ware County

Some Ware County booking records can be sealed through the restriction process. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 allows this for charges that were dismissed, not prosecuted, or otherwise dropped. The local prosecutor must approve the restriction. Once it goes through, the arrest record is only visible to judicial officials and law enforcement. Private individuals and businesses cannot access it.

The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 is another option. If you were sentenced as a first offender in Ware County and you finish all terms of your sentence, the charge gets sealed. You are exonerated of guilt as a matter of law. Standard guilty pleas and convictions do not qualify for either type of restriction. The GBI processes restriction applications through the Georgia Crime Information Center.

Cities in Ware County

Waycross is the county seat and main city in Ware County. All arrests in the county go to the Ware County jail in Waycross for booking.

Nearby Counties

These counties surround Ware County in southeast Georgia. Each operates its own jail and booking system. Check the arrest location before looking up records in the wrong county.