Burke County Criminal History Search

Burke County criminal history records are managed by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Waynesboro, Georgia. Burke County is one of the larger counties in Georgia by land area and sits in the eastern part of the state near the South Carolina border. The population is around 22,400. Criminal records include arrest data, jail bookings, and court case files with charges and outcomes. The sheriff's office handles arrests and runs the county jail, while the clerk manages court records. You can search these records through local offices in Waynesboro or use statewide tools from the GBI. This page explains how to find criminal history in Burke County.

Burke County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Burke County Sheriff's Office is in Waynesboro, GA 30830. Call (706) 554-2133. The sheriff provides law enforcement across this large county and runs the Burke County Jail. Each person booked into the jail gets a record made. It shows the name, arrest date, charges at booking, bond amount, and whether they have been released. Booking records are a primary source for criminal history in Burke County.

Burke County covers a lot of ground. The sheriff patrols the unincorporated areas and smaller communities. Waynesboro has its own police department that handles law enforcement inside city limits. Arrests from either agency go through the Burke County court system, so the clerk ends up with the case file. But the arrest and booking data stays with the agency that made the arrest.

The sheriff handles fingerprint-based criminal history checks as well. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, anyone can request their own criminal history record. Go to the Burke County Sheriff's Office with a valid ID, get fingerprinted, and the request gets sent to the Georgia Crime Information Center. The GCIC checks your prints and sends back your full criminal history from all 159 Georgia counties. This is the most thorough personal background check the state offers.

You can file a written open records request for arrest reports. Georgia law gives the public a right to most law enforcement records. There may be a fee for copies.

Burke County Court Clerk Records

The Burke County Superior Court Clerk is in Waynesboro, GA 30830. Call (706) 554-2279. This office holds the case files for criminal matters in the Burke County court system. Felonies, bound-over misdemeanors, and probation violations get filed here. Each file tracks the charges, court dates, plea details, verdict, and sentence.

Visit the clerk's office in Waynesboro to search the case index. Copy fees apply. Certified copies cost more but carry the clerk's seal for official use. Burke County is part of the Augusta Judicial Circuit, which also covers Columbia and Richmond counties. This means the circuit's District Attorney handles felony prosecutions across all three counties.

The Burke County clerk reports case data to the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which runs a statewide court filing database. Records appear there over time as they are reported. Georgia law also requires the clerk to send criminal history data to the GCIC. A Burke County conviction should show up in state-level searches after the reporting is done. The timing varies. It can take days or weeks.

Record Restriction Process

Georgia uses record restriction, not expungement. A restricted Burke County record is sealed from public view. The record still exists. Law enforcement can still access it. The general public cannot.

The rules are in O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37. Charges that never went to a prosecutor can be restricted after a waiting period. Misdemeanors need two years from the arrest. Most felonies need four years. Serious violent felonies require seven. Dismissed cases and acquittals have a faster path. The DA gets ten days to object after a not-guilty finding. No objection means the record is sealed.

For Burke County arrests on or after July 1, 2013, start the process through the Augusta Judicial Circuit DA. Older arrests require contacting the arresting agency first. That is either the Burke County Sheriff's Office or the Waynesboro Police Department. People who completed the First Offender Act can also apply for restriction through this process.

State Search Tools for Burke County

The Georgia Felon Search checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across Georgia. The cost is $15 per search. You need a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results are fast. The fee is charged whether a record is found or not. Only felony convictions appear. Misdemeanors and pending charges do not. A Burke County felony conviction would appear here once the data reaches the state database.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It shows people currently serving time in a state prison. Someone convicted in Burke County and sent to a GDC facility would be listed. People in the Burke County Jail or those who already served their time will not appear. Limited but useful if you know the person went to state prison.

The GBI FAQ page explains how criminal history requests work across Georgia. It covers what records are available, timelines, and how data moves from local offices to the GCIC.

First Offender Act in Burke County

The First Offender Act at O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 allows first-time offenders in Burke County to avoid a formal conviction. A judge sentences the person under First Offender status. They complete probation, jail time, or both. When all terms are finished, the court enters a discharge. That discharge leads to restriction of the criminal history record from public searches.

First Offender cases in Burke County go through Superior Court or State Court. After the discharge, the record drops from public view in both the county system and the GCIC database. Retroactive First Offender status is possible. People sentenced in Burke County before the current version of the law may petition the court to apply it after the fact. The original judge handles the petition. Not all crimes are eligible. Certain serious offenses are excluded. Consult with the Augusta Judicial Circuit DA or a local attorney about whether a case qualifies.

How Burke County Data Reaches GCIC

Every arrest in Burke County generates data that feeds into the statewide system. The sheriff submits fingerprints and arrest information to the GCIC. The clerk reports court outcomes. One criminal event can appear in both local Burke County records and the statewide GCIC database. Being part of the Augusta Judicial Circuit, Burke County works alongside Richmond and Columbia counties in the same prosecutorial system.

Reporting speed varies. Some data appears at the state level in days. Other records take weeks. If you search the state system and don't find what you expected, call the Burke County offices in Waynesboro. Local records are often more current than the state database, especially for recent cases.

Identity Theft Concerns

If someone used your name during an arrest in Burke County, you could have a criminal record that does not belong to you. This happens when a person gives a false identity at booking. The charges get tied to the wrong person in the GCIC database.

To correct this, get fingerprinted and request that the GCIC compare your prints to those on file for the arrest. If they don't match, the record gets corrected. Start at the Burke County Sheriff's Office for fingerprinting. Then follow the GBI dispute process. Filing a police report about the identity theft is recommended. The process takes time, but it is the only reliable way to clear a record that should not be yours.

Nearby Counties

Burke County borders several counties in eastern Georgia. Its large land area means it touches more neighbors than most Georgia counties. If you don't find a record in Burke County, try one of these.

Richmond County is to the north and includes Augusta. Jefferson County sits to the west near Louisville. Emanuel County lies to the southwest near Swainsboro. Screven County is to the south near Sylvania. Jenkins County borders Burke to the southwest near Millen. All of these counties report criminal data to the same statewide GCIC database managed by the GBI.