Macon Criminal History Records

Criminal history records in Macon are handled by the Bibb County Sheriff's Office and the Bibb County court system. Macon and Bibb County merged into a single consolidated government in 2014. That means there is no separate city police department. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office serves as the primary law enforcement agency for all of Macon-Bibb County. Criminal court cases go through the Bibb County Superior Court Clerk. The GBI keeps state-level criminal history data that includes Macon arrests and convictions. If you need to find a criminal record from this area, the sheriff's office and the county clerk are the main starting points.

Bibb County Sheriff's Office Records

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office is at 668 Second St, Macon, GA 31201. The phone number is (478) 751-7500. Since Macon and Bibb County merged in 2014, the sheriff's office is the primary law enforcement agency for the entire consolidated area. There is no separate Macon police department. The sheriff handles arrests, patrol, investigations, and the county jail.

When someone gets arrested in Macon-Bibb, the sheriff's office creates the arrest record. It has the charges, date, and the arresting deputy's name. This data gets reported to the Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI. So a Macon arrest ends up in the statewide GCIC database.

To get a copy of a police report or arrest record, file an open records request with the Bibb County Sheriff's Office. Georgia's Open Records Act applies here. The office has three business days to respond. Fees for copies and search time may apply. Walk-in requests are accepted at the Second Street location. You can also send a written request by mail.

Before the merger, the Macon Police Department handled city law enforcement. Records from before 2014 may still be with the old department's files, now under the sheriff's office. If you are looking for an older record, let the records staff know the approximate date so they can search the right system.

The sheriff's office also runs the Bibb County Jail. They keep booking records and can tell you if someone is currently in custody. Jail records show the arrest date, charges, and bond information. You can call the jail directly or check the sheriff's office website for an inmate search tool.

Bibb County Court Records for Macon

Criminal court cases from Macon go through Bibb County. The Superior Court Clerk keeps case files for felonies and serious misdemeanors. These records include the charges, plea information, trial outcomes, and sentencing details. The Bibb County Courthouse is in downtown Macon.

The Bibb County criminal history page has more detail on the clerk's office and other county resources. You can visit the courthouse during business hours to search case records. The clerk charges for copies. Certified copies cost more than plain ones. Bring the person's name and any case numbers you have.

Bibb County is in the Macon Judicial Circuit. The circuit covers Bibb, Crawford, and Peach counties. Besides Superior Court, Bibb County has a State Court for misdemeanor cases and a Magistrate Court for preliminary hearings and warrants. A misdemeanor arrest in Macon could end up in state court rather than superior court. Check with the right court based on the type of charge.

The consolidated Macon-Bibb government simplified some things. Law enforcement records and court records now go through one county system. Before 2014, you might have had to check both the city and the county. Now, the Bibb County clerk and sheriff's office are the two main offices for all criminal records in the area.

State Criminal History Tools

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It checks the GCIC database for felony convictions from across Georgia, including Bibb County. Enter a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results come back right away. The fee applies even if no record turns up. Only felony convictions show. Misdemeanors and restricted records are left out.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free to use. It shows people currently in a GDC state prison. Someone convicted in Bibb County and serving time at a state facility will show up here. The search does not cover people in the Bibb County Jail or those who have completed their sentence.

The GBI FAQ page covers the criminal history process in Georgia. It explains personal record requests, third-party searches, and the fingerprint-based check option. That fingerprint check gives the most complete result when you need your own record.

Record Restriction for Macon Cases

Georgia calls it record restriction. Not expungement. A restricted record is sealed from public searches. Law enforcement can still see it. But it drops off public criminal history results.

Dismissed or dropped charges from Macon may qualify for restriction. Completing a pretrial diversion program makes someone eligible. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 is another path. First-time offenders who complete their sentence under this act are discharged without a formal conviction. The record then gets restricted from public view.

The full rules are in O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37. For arrests on or after July 1, 2013, start with the prosecuting attorney. For older arrests, go through the arresting agency. In Macon, that means the Bibb County Sheriff's Office (or the old Macon PD for pre-2014 arrests). Charges never sent to a prosecutor get restricted on their own after a set time. Two years for misdemeanors. Four years for most felonies. Seven years for serious violent felonies.

A retroactive First Offender option exists too. People who should have been sentenced under the act but were not can petition the court after finishing their sentence. If the court grants it, the conviction comes off the public record.

What Macon Criminal Records Show

Criminal history tied to Macon pulls from local and state sources. It lists the person's name, date of birth, and physical traits. Arrest entries show the Bibb County Sheriff's Office as the arresting agency for recent cases. Court records add the final outcome of each charge. That could be a conviction, plea, dismissal, or acquittal. If someone went to state prison, it shows in the GDC database.

Not all records are public. Restricted records do not appear in standard searches. Juvenile records are sealed under Georgia law in most situations. Federal crimes go through a separate system and do not appear in the state's GCIC data. Those records sit with agencies like the FBI. For a complete view of someone's criminal history, you may need to check both state and federal databases.

Getting Your Own Criminal History in Macon

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, anyone in Georgia can review their own criminal history. Visit the Bibb County Sheriff's Office at 668 Second Street. Get fingerprinted and pay a fee up to $15. The prints go to the Georgia Crime Information Center, and they send back a copy of your record.

If the record has wrong information, you can challenge it. Send a written request to the GCIC at P.O. Box 370808, Decatur, Georgia 30037-0808. They have 60 days to investigate. Call (404) 244-2639 for questions. You need to set up an appointment if you want to visit the GCIC office in person.

Macon-Bibb Municipal Court

The Macon-Bibb County Municipal Court handles city and county ordinance violations, traffic cases, and some misdemeanor charges. Since the consolidation in 2014, this court covers the whole Macon-Bibb area. Felonies do not go through this court. They move to Bibb County Superior Court.

For a record from a minor criminal matter, traffic offense, or ordinance violation in Macon, the municipal court is the place to check. Contact the court clerk for records requests. You may need to visit in person. Call ahead to find out about fees and what to bring. The court is located in downtown Macon near the other Macon-Bibb government offices. Wait times for copies depend on how many requests the clerk is processing.