Find Fayette County Criminal History

Fayette County criminal history records are held by the Superior Court Clerk and the Fayette County Sheriff's Office in Fayetteville. The county is south of Atlanta with a population of about 114,000. Searching for criminal records in Fayette County starts with knowing which office has the type of file you need. The clerk's office at 1 Center Drive holds court case records. The sheriff's office on Johnson Avenue maintains arrest and jail booking data. You can also use state-level search tools run by the GBI to check for criminal history tied to Fayette County without driving to the courthouse.

Fayette County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Fayette County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement in the unincorporated parts of the county. Their office is at 155 Johnson Avenue, Fayetteville, GA 30214. The main phone number is (770) 461-6353. The sheriff runs the Fayette County Jail and manages patrol, criminal investigations, and court security. When someone gets booked into the jail, a record is created with the charges, bond amount, booking date, and release status. These booking records are a core part of the criminal history system in Fayette County.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the Georgia Crime Information Center, which stores criminal history data from every county in the state. The GBI FAQ page explains how to get records and what the process looks like across Georgia.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, all law enforcement agencies in Georgia are required to report arrest data to the GCIC. That means every arrest in Fayette County ends up in the state criminal history database. The sheriff's office can also process fingerprint-based record checks if you need your own criminal history file. You can get fingerprinted at the sheriff's office and submit the request from there. The fee for a personal record check is capped at $15 under state law, not counting fingerprint costs. If you need to check on someone held in the Fayette County Jail, call the sheriff's office for current booking data.

Note: Fayette County jail booking records may take a short time to update after a new arrest is processed by the sheriff's office.

Fayette County Criminal Records Clerk

The Fayette County Superior Court Clerk is the main source for criminal case records that move through the court system. The office is at 1 Center Drive, Fayetteville, GA 30214. You can reach them by phone at (770) 716-4290. The clerk holds files on all criminal cases handled in Fayette County Superior Court. That covers felony charges, some serious misdemeanor cases, and appeals from lower courts. Each file has the charges, court dates, plea data, verdict, and sentence information.

Walk-in requests are taken at the clerk's office during regular business hours. You can search the case index by name or case number. There is a per-page fee for copies. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and cost more, but most legal uses call for the certified version. Some Fayette County court records may be available through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which runs a statewide court records database. Not everything from Fayette County is online, but the cooperative authority pulls data from local clerks across Georgia and puts it in one searchable system.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person has the right to request their own criminal history record. The Fayette County clerk works with the Georgia Crime Information Center to pull the full record when someone files a written request for their own file. This process is the same across all Georgia counties, but it starts at the local level in Fayette County through the clerk's office or the sheriff's office.

Criminal History Restriction in Fayette County

Georgia does not use the word expungement. The state calls it record restriction. When a Fayette County criminal history record is restricted, it gets sealed from public searches. It still exists in the system. Law enforcement has access. The public does not.

Several types of cases can qualify for restriction in Fayette County. If charges were dropped or dismissed, that record can be restricted. Certain misdemeanor offenders under 21 may apply as well. People who completed a pre-trial diversion or intervention program in Fayette County are eligible. For cases that were never sent to a prosecutor, misdemeanors take two years before restriction happens. Most felonies take four years. Serious violent felonies need seven years. Acquittals get restricted quickly if the prosecutor does not object within ten days of the verdict.

The First Offender Act plays a role in Fayette County criminal history too. Under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60, a first-time offender who completes their sentence can be discharged without a formal conviction on record. The judge in Fayette County Superior Court decides at sentencing whether to grant First Offender status. Once the sentence is done, the criminal history record from that case gets restricted from public view. This is one of the more common ways records get restricted in Fayette County and across the state.

For arrests in Fayette County on or after July 1, 2013, the restriction process goes through the Fayette County District Attorney. Older arrests require contact with the arresting agency. The GBI FAQ page covers which cases qualify and how to get started with the restriction process.

State Search Tools for Fayette County

You can check criminal history tied to Fayette County without going to Fayetteville. Georgia has state-level tools that pull data from all 159 counties. The Georgia Felon Search checks the GCIC database for felony convictions statewide. It costs $15. You need the person's first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results come back right away. The fee applies even if no record turns up. A felony conviction from Fayette County would show up in the results since local court data feeds into the state system.

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

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free to use. It shows people who are currently in a GDC prison facility. If someone was convicted in Fayette County and sent to state prison, they would appear in this search. The tool does not cover people held in the Fayette County Jail or those who already served their time. It is a limited tool but helpful if you know the person was sent to a state facility after a Fayette County case.

You can also reach the GCIC directly. Mail a request to P.O. Box 370808, Decatur, Georgia 30037-0808. Or call (404) 244-2639 to set up an appointment. Walk-in visits are not accepted. For questions about criminal history data from Fayette County or anywhere in Georgia, email gacriminalhistory@gbi.state.ga.us.

What Fayette County Criminal Records Show

A criminal history record from Fayette County has multiple types of information. It shows the person's name, date of birth, and physical description. Arrest data lists which agency made the arrest, the date, and the charges at the time. Court outcomes show whether the case ended with a conviction, dismissal, plea, or acquittal. Prison time at a state facility also appears on the record.

Not all records are public. Restricted criminal history records do not show up in public searches of Fayette County data. Juvenile records are sealed in most cases under Georgia law. Federal crimes that went through federal courts are not part of the state GCIC system. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, the GCIC can share criminal history data with a defendant's attorney when a written request is made. In civil matters, criminal history is only available with the person's written consent unless the record involves a felony conviction. Fayette County follows these state rules.

How to Look Up Fayette County Criminal History

There are several ways to find criminal history records tied to Fayette County. The best choice depends on what you need and how quickly you want it.

• Go to the Fayette County Superior Court Clerk at 1 Center Drive in Fayetteville for court case records and certified copies
• Call the Fayette County Sheriff at (770) 461-6353 for jail booking data and arrest records
• Use the Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction checks
• Search the GDC offender database for people currently in state prisons
• Visit the GBI FAQ page for guidance on the criminal history process in Georgia

Each source gives you a different piece of the criminal history picture in Fayette County. Court records from the clerk show charges, pleas, and case outcomes. The sheriff has arrest and booking data. State tools add felony convictions and corrections info. For a full view of someone's criminal history connected to Fayette County, checking more than one source may be needed. Both the clerk's office and the sheriff's headquarters are in Fayetteville, making it easy to visit both in one trip if you go in person.

Criminal History in Fayette County Cities

Fayette County has one city. Peachtree City has about 40,758 residents and its own police department that handles arrests within city limits. Arrest records from Peachtree City feed into the state criminal history system managed by the GBI. Felony cases from the city go through Fayette County Superior Court in Fayetteville. If you need criminal records from a Peachtree City arrest, the Fayette County Superior Court Clerk and Sheriff's Office are your main contacts for court-level records.

Fayetteville is the county seat but its population is below the 25,000 mark. Other smaller towns in Fayette County include Tyrone and Brooks. Criminal cases from these places still go through the Fayette County court system and are kept on file at the clerk's office in Fayetteville.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Fayette County borders several other Georgia counties south of the Atlanta metro area. Criminal cases near the county line may have been processed by a neighboring jurisdiction. If you cannot find a record in the Fayette County system, try checking one of these nearby counties.

Clayton County is to the east and handles a large volume of criminal cases. Coweta County borders Fayette to the west. Spalding County is to the south. Henry County sits to the southeast. Fulton County is to the north and includes part of the city of Atlanta. Each county has its own court clerk, sheriff, and criminal record system that operates independently from Fayette County.