Search Whitfield County 24 Hour Booking

Whitfield County 24 hour booking records track all arrests at the county jail in Dalton. The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office operates the detention center and handles intake. Dalton is the county seat and the largest city, located in northwest Georgia near the Tennessee border. The jail runs around the clock. Booking records from Whitfield County are public under Georgia law and can be requested by anyone.

Whitfield County 24 Hour Booking Office

The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office is at 805 Professional Boulevard, Dalton, GA 30720. Call (706) 278-1233 for general questions. The office handles county-wide law enforcement and runs the detention center. Every arrest in Whitfield County ends up at this jail for booking.

Booking staff record the person's name, date of birth, address, and charges. A photo is taken. Fingerprints are collected. A booking number goes into the system. This creates the official 24 hour booking record. The data stays in the Whitfield County system from that point forward.

Dalton has its own police department with a significant force. City police handle arrests within Dalton limits. Tunnel Hill and Varnell also have small police departments. All of these agencies send arrested people to the county jail. The sheriff's deputies cover everything outside city limits. So the county jail processes bookings from multiple agencies, making it the central hub for all arrest records in Whitfield County.

Whitfield County has a population over 100,000. This makes it one of the busier counties in northwest Georgia for jail operations. The volume is higher here than in the surrounding rural counties.

How to Get Whitfield County 24 Hour Booking

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 makes booking records public in Georgia. You can request them from the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office without a reason. Call (706) 278-1233 for quick info. For copies, send a written request.

The office has three business days to respond per O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. The first 15 minutes of staff time are free. After that, fees depend on the hourly pay of the lowest-paid employee who can do the search. Copies are about $0.10 per page. A single Whitfield County booking record should cost very little. Requests past $500 may need prepayment.

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 controls what gets taken out. Social security numbers, bank accounts, personal email, and cell phone numbers are removed. The arrest charges, booking date, bond amount, and arresting officer details stay. Initial arrest reports from Whitfield County law enforcement are public too.

Bond and Court in Whitfield County

After booking, bond is the next step. Many misdemeanors have a standard bond amount. Pay it and go. Felony charges require a judge to set bond at a hearing. Whitfield County is in the Conasauga Judicial Circuit. Hearings happen at the Whitfield County courthouse in Dalton.

The booking record does not change after intake. Whether someone posts bond in an hour or stays locked up for weeks, the data is the same. Even when charges get reduced or dropped, the original booking info remains in the system. Removing it takes a formal restriction process through the courts.

State Resources for Whitfield County 24 Hour Booking

A Whitfield County booking record shows one arrest. For a full criminal history, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is the source. The GBI runs the Georgia Crime Information Center. It tracks arrests and court outcomes across the state. You can request your own history at the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office. Getting someone else's requires signed consent under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34. Felony convictions are public without consent.

The GDC Find Offender tool searches state prison inmates. It does not include Whitfield County jail detainees. Only those in state prison appear. For local inmates, call the sheriff's office. The Georgia Applicant Processing Service runs fingerprint-based background checks. Results arrive in 24 to 48 hours and cover every county in Georgia.

The GBI FAQ page breaks down the criminal history request process, costs, and what types of records are available.

Booking Photos and Record Restriction

Every booking at the Whitfield County jail includes a photo. O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 prohibits the sheriff's office from posting these photos online. To get a copy, submit a written statement about how you plan to use the photo. False statements are punishable under O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20.

Record restriction under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 is available for Whitfield County arrests that did not end in a conviction. The district attorney must approve. Sealed records are only visible to judges and law enforcement. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 lets people who complete first offender sentences seal their records. If a mugshot website has your Whitfield County photo and you qualify for restriction, O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5 requires free removal within 30 days.

Whitfield County 24 Hour Booking Records Online

The Georgia Department of Corrections provides a statewide search tool for inmates in state prisons.

The GDC search page lets you look up inmates by name or ID number. This covers state prisons only. People at the Whitfield County jail are not in this system until they are transferred to a state facility.

For Whitfield County bookings, call (706) 278-1233 or visit the sheriff's office at 805 Professional Boulevard, Dalton, GA 30720. The Governor's open records page has info on filing complaints if your request is denied.

Cities in Whitfield County

The Dalton Police Department makes arrests within city limits, but all bookings go through the county jail.

Nearby Georgia Counties

Whitfield County borders these northwest Georgia counties. Each maintains its own jail and booking records.