Cobb County Criminal History

Cobb County criminal history records are held by several local offices in and around Marietta, Georgia. The county is one of the largest in the state, so there are a lot of records on file. You can search for Cobb County criminal records through the sheriff's office, the police department, or the Superior Court Clerk. Each of these keeps its own set of data. Some can be searched from home. Others need an in-person visit. This guide walks through the main ways to look up criminal history in Cobb County and what you can expect from each source.

Cobb County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is a key source for criminal history in this part of Georgia. The office sits at 1825 County Services Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060. You can reach them by phone at (770) 499-4200. The sheriff's office runs the county jail and keeps booking records for everyone who comes through. These records show the person's name, charges, bond amount, and booking date. If you need to check on someone in custody, the sheriff's office has an online inmate search tool on its site.

The inmate search is free to use. It pulls up current inmates held in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. You type in a name and the system shows matching results. Each result lists the charge, bond status, and when the person was booked. This tool does not show people who have already been released. It also does not give you a full criminal history for Cobb County. For that, you would need to go through the GBI or the court clerk. Still, the inmate search is a fast way to check if someone is in jail right now.

The sheriff's office in Cobb County can also help you get your own criminal history record through fingerprinting. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person in Georgia has the right to review their own record. You go in, get fingerprinted, and pay a fee. The prints get sent to the GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center, and you get back a copy of what they have on file.

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office website shows details about law enforcement programs in the area, which can give you a sense of how active the agency is with local criminal records and data.

The screenshot above shows the Cobb County Sheriff's Office page, which links to the inmate search and other jail services.

Criminal History Through Cobb County Police

The Cobb County Police Department handles law enforcement in the unincorporated parts of the county. Their main office is at 140 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060. The main line is (770) 499-3900. For non-emergency calls, use (770) 499-4181. The police department takes reports, makes arrests, and keeps its own records of criminal activity. If you are looking for a police report or arrest record from unincorporated Cobb County, this is where to go.

Cobb County Police can provide copies of incident reports and arrest records. You may need to file an open records request under Georgia law to get copies. The department processes these on a case-by-case basis. Some records may be withheld if they relate to an active case or ongoing investigation. Walk-in requests are taken at the main office during business hours.

Below is the Cobb County Police Department page, which lists contact information and services for the public.

This page gives you a starting point if you need to reach out to Cobb County Police about a criminal record or report.

Cobb County Court Clerk Records

The Cobb County Superior Court Clerk keeps criminal case files for all felony and some misdemeanor cases handled in the county. The office is at 70 Haynes Street, Marietta, GA 30090. Call (770) 528-1300 for questions. This is the place where criminal cases get filed, tracked, and stored once they go through the court system. If you want to look up the outcome of a criminal case in Cobb County, the clerk's office is where that data lives.

Criminal case records at the clerk's office show the charges, court dates, plea, verdict, and sentence. These are public records in most cases. You can visit the office in person to search the index and request copies. There is usually a per-page fee for copies. The clerk can also certify documents if you need them for legal use. Some Cobb County court records can be searched through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which runs a statewide portal for court data.

Note: The Cobb County District Attorney's Office at (770) 528-3080 handles criminal prosecution and can answer questions about pending cases.

Statewide Criminal History Searches for Cobb County

Two state-level tools let you search for criminal history that may include Cobb County records. The Georgia Felon Search is the main one. It costs $15 per search and checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across the state. You need the person's name, date of birth, and sex to run a search. Results come back right away. Even if no record is found, the $15 fee still applies. This tool only shows felony convictions. It does not include misdemeanors, arrests without conviction, or restricted records.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It shows people who are currently in state prison. You can search by name, GDC ID, or case number. If someone from Cobb County was sentenced to state prison, they would show up in this tool. It does not cover county jail inmates or people who have finished their sentence. Both tools are useful if you want to check Cobb County criminal history from a broader state-level angle.

The GBI's FAQ page on criminal history record information is a good place to start if you have questions about the process or your rights under Georgia law.

Criminal Record Restriction in Cobb County

Georgia does not use the term expungement. The state calls it record restriction. When a Cobb County criminal history record gets restricted, it is sealed from public view. Law enforcement can still see it. The public cannot. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, several things trigger automatic restriction. Charges that were never sent to a prosecutor get restricted after two years for misdemeanors, four years for most felonies, and seven years for serious violent felonies.

Records also get restricted when all charges were dismissed or dropped. Acquittals lead to restriction unless the prosecutor objects within ten days. People who finish a First Offender Act sentence under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 can have their Cobb County criminal record restricted too. The First Offender Act lets first-time offenders avoid a formal conviction on their record if they complete their sentence. Once discharged, the court enters a restriction order and the record drops from public searches.

For arrests before July 1, 2013, you apply for restriction through the arresting agency in Cobb County. They forward it to the prosecutor, who has 90 days to decide. For arrests on or after that date, contact the Cobb County District Attorney directly. No application to the arresting agency is needed for more recent cases. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, you can also challenge your own criminal history record if it has wrong data. The agency has 60 days to respond to your request.

What Cobb County Criminal Records Include

A criminal history record from Cobb County pulls data from local and state sources. It includes the person's name, date of birth, and physical traits. Arrest data lists the agency that made the arrest, the date, and what charges were filed. Court records show whether the case ended in a conviction, a plea deal, a dismissal, or an acquittal. If the person served time in a Georgia corrections facility, that shows up in the state system as well.

Not every piece of criminal history in Cobb County is open to the public. Restricted records do not appear on public searches. Juvenile records are sealed under most conditions. Federal crimes handled in federal court are not part of the state's GCIC database. Those sit with federal agencies. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, the GCIC can share criminal history records with a defendant's attorney upon written request. In civil cases, criminal history data is only available with the written consent of the person the record belongs to, unless it involves felony convictions.

Cities in Cobb County

Cobb County has several cities where people may need to search for criminal records. Each city within the county falls under the Cobb County court system for felony cases. Local police departments in these cities handle their own arrests and reports, but the records flow into the county system.

Marietta is the county seat with a population of about 63,122. Smyrna has around 57,177 residents. Kennesaw is home to about 37,740 people. All three cities have their own police departments that handle local criminal matters, but felony cases go through the Cobb County Superior Court in Marietta.

Nearby Counties for Criminal History

If you are searching for criminal records near Cobb County, these neighboring counties may have relevant data. Criminal cases sometimes cross county lines, and a person's history could include records from more than one jurisdiction in Georgia.

Fulton County borders Cobb to the east and south. It is the most populated county in Georgia and handles a high volume of criminal cases. Cherokee County sits to the north. Paulding and Douglas counties are to the west, while Bartow County is to the northwest. Each has its own sheriff, court clerk, and criminal record system.