Find Columbia County Criminal History

Criminal history records in Columbia County come from the Superior Court Clerk, the Sheriff's Office, and local law enforcement across the Evans area. Columbia County sits along the Georgia side of the Augusta metro region and has grown fast over the past two decades. The clerk's office on Ronald Reagan Drive holds criminal case files from the county court system, while the sheriff on County Camp Road keeps jail bookings and arrest data. You can search for criminal history tied to Columbia County through in-person visits to these offices or by using statewide tools run by the GBI. A full record check may need more than one source since each office holds a different part of the file.

Columbia County Criminal Records at the Clerk's Office

The Columbia County Superior Court Clerk is where most people start when they need criminal case records in this part of Georgia. The office is at 640 Ronald Reagan Drive in Evans, GA 30809. Call (706) 312-7500 for help with record requests. The clerk keeps files on all criminal cases heard in Columbia County Superior Court, and that means felony charges, appeals from lower courts, and certain misdemeanor matters that get bound over. Each case file holds the charges, court dates, plea info, and the final result.

Certified copies of criminal history documents from Columbia County cost a per-page fee at the clerk's office. Certified copies carry the official seal. Plain copies are cheaper but some agencies won't accept them. If you go in person, bring a valid ID. The staff can look up cases by name or case number. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person has the right to check their own criminal history record by filing a written request. The fee for that is capped at $15 not counting fingerprint costs. This applies across all Georgia counties, Columbia County included.

The Columbia County Clerk of Courts website shows how to access criminal case records and court filings in the county system.

When you find a case in the system, you can see the charges filed, any motions from either side, and which judge was assigned. Records that have been sealed or restricted under Georgia law will not show up in a public search. Only law enforcement and certain state agencies can still view those files after restriction.

Columbia County Sheriff and Criminal History

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is at 2273 County Camp Road in Evans, GA 30809. The main number is (706) 541-2800. The sheriff runs the Columbia County Detention Center and keeps booking records for everyone brought in on criminal charges. These booking records are a key part of the criminal history system. They show the arrest date, the charges at booking, and bond status. If you need to check on someone in the Columbia County jail, call the sheriff's office for current inmate data.

Warrant service is another part of the sheriff's job in Columbia County. When a judge signs a warrant, the sheriff handles the arrest. That warrant data goes into the criminal history record. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, all local law enforcement in Georgia must report arrest data to the Georgia Crime Information Center. An arrest made in Columbia County gets sent to the statewide GCIC database. The data includes who made the arrest, the date, the charges, and eventually the court outcome once the case works its way through the system in Evans. This means Columbia County criminal history data shows up in state-level searches too, not just at the local office.

Criminal History Restriction in Columbia County

Georgia uses "record restriction" instead of expungement. A restricted criminal history record in Columbia County gets sealed from public view. It still exists in the system. Law enforcement can still see it. But the general public cannot pull it up through a standard search.

There are several ways to get a Columbia County criminal history record restricted. If charges were dismissed or the prosecutor chose not to move forward with the case, that record can be restricted. People who completed a pretrial diversion program in Columbia County are eligible. First Offender cases get restricted when the person finishes their sentence under the act. O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 is the First Offender Act. It lets a first-time offender in Columbia County avoid a formal conviction if the court grants that status. Once the sentence is done, the record gets restricted from public searches across the state. Young offenders under 21 who were convicted of certain misdemeanors can also apply for restriction of their Columbia County criminal history.

For arrests on or after July 1, 2013, the process starts with the prosecuting attorney in Columbia County. For older arrests, you go through the arresting agency instead. The timeline can vary depending on the type of case and how fast the DA's office responds.

State Tools for Columbia County Criminal Records

You do not have to drive to Evans to check criminal history tied to Columbia County. Georgia runs statewide search tools that cover all 159 counties. The Georgia Felon Search lets you check the GCIC database for felony convictions. It costs $15 per search. You need the person's first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results come back right away. The fee applies even when the search finds no record.

The Georgia Felon Search portal is one of the main ways to check for felony records in Columbia County and the rest of the state.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It covers people currently in a state prison. If someone was convicted in Columbia County and sent to a GDC facility, they would show up here. The tool does not list people in the Columbia County Detention Center or people who already served their time. For more on how criminal history requests work in Georgia, the GBI FAQ page has answers to common questions about what you can get and how long it takes.

Columbia County Courts and Criminal Cases

Columbia County is in the Columbia Judicial Circuit. The circuit covers Columbia County alone, which is not common in Georgia since many circuits cover two or more counties. This means the judges and district attorney focus only on Columbia County cases. Superior Court in Evans handles felony charges. State Court deals with misdemeanor offenses and certain traffic crimes. Magistrate Court handles preliminary hearings and can issue warrants.

The district attorney for the Columbia Judicial Circuit is the one who decides whether to file charges after an arrest in the county. They also handle plea deals and take cases to trial when needed. Every step in this process gets added to the criminal history record for that person. The DA's office in Evans also handles record restriction requests for arrests that happened after July 1, 2013, in Columbia County. If you need to start that process, reach out to their office first.

Note: Columbia County's single-county judicial circuit means there is less overlap with other counties when it comes to case assignments and DA resources.

How to Search Columbia County Criminal History

There are a few ways to look up criminal history in Columbia County. Which path you take depends on the type of record you need and how fast you need it.

• Visit the Columbia County Superior Court Clerk at 640 Ronald Reagan Drive in Evans for court case records and certified copies
• Call the Columbia County Sheriff at (706) 541-2800 for jail bookings and inmate data
• Run a Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction records that include Columbia County
• Check the GDC offender search to find people in state prisons
• Contact the GBI for a formal fingerprint-based criminal history report

Court records from the clerk give you the most detail on how a case played out in Columbia County. The sheriff's office is the place for arrest and booking data. State tools are useful for a wider view that pulls in records from across Georgia, not just Columbia County. Most people find that checking the clerk's office in Evans first and then running a state search covers the main bases. If you need your own record, the GBI fingerprint-based check is the most thorough option available.

Criminal History in Columbia County Cities

Columbia County includes Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, and several smaller communities in the Augusta metro area. Evans is the county seat and the place where the courthouse and clerk's office are located. Martinez has over 33,000 people and sits along the main corridor between Evans and Augusta. Both areas have seen steady growth. Local police departments handle arrests in their jurisdictions, and those records feed into the state criminal history system through the GCIC. If you need criminal record info tied to a city in Columbia County, you can start with the local police or use the county and state tools listed on this page.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Columbia County sits on the western edge of the Augusta metro area and shares borders with several other Georgia counties. Criminal cases near the county line may end up in a neighboring jurisdiction. If you cannot find what you need in the Columbia County system, these nearby counties may have the record.