Houston County Criminal History

Criminal history records in Houston County are spread across a few offices in the Perry and Warner Robins area, and each one holds a different set of files. The Superior Court Clerk on Perry Parkway keeps case records for felony and misdemeanor matters that go through the county court system. The Houston County Sheriff's Office on Carl Vinson Parkway handles jail bookings and arrest data. If you want to search for criminal history tied to Houston County, you can visit these offices in person or use state tools run by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Getting a full picture of someone's record may take more than one search since no single source has all of it.

Houston County Criminal Records at the Clerk's Office

The Houston County Superior Court Clerk is the primary source for criminal case records in this part of central Georgia. The office is at 201 Perry Parkway in Perry, GA 31069. You can call them at (478) 218-4800 for help with record requests. The clerk keeps files on all criminal cases heard in Houston County Superior Court. This covers felony charges, certain misdemeanor cases bound over from lower courts, and appeals. Each file has the charges, hearing dates, plea details, and the final case outcome. Walk-in requests are taken during business hours at the Perry Parkway location.

If you need certified copies of criminal history documents from Houston County, the clerk's office charges a per-page fee. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are accepted by most agencies and courts. Plain copies cost less but may not work for legal matters. Bring a valid ID if you plan to ask for your own criminal history records at the clerk's window. The staff can help you look up a case by name or case number. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person in Georgia has the right to review their own criminal history record by filing a written request, and the fee is capped at $15 not counting fingerprint costs.

The Houston County Clerk of Courts website provides access to court records and filing information for criminal cases in the county.

Once you pull up a case in the system, you can see the charges that were filed, motions from both sides, and the judge assigned. Restricted records will not show up in a public search. If a case has been sealed under Georgia law, only law enforcement and certain agencies can still view it. Houston County follows the same access rules as every other county in the state since these come from Georgia code, not local rules.

Houston County Sheriff and Criminal History Access

The Houston County Sheriff's Office sits at 202 Carl Vinson Parkway in Warner Robins, GA 31088. Their main line is (478) 542-2125. The sheriff runs the county jail and keeps booking records for all people brought in on criminal charges in Houston County. Booking records show the date of arrest, the charges at the time, and bond info. These records are part of the wider criminal history system. If you need to check on someone held in the Houston County Jail, call the sheriff's office for current inmate data.

The sheriff's office also handles warrant service in Houston County. When a judge issues an arrest warrant, the sheriff is the one who goes out and serves it. That warrant info feeds into the criminal history record too. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, local law enforcement agencies in Georgia must report arrest data to the Georgia Crime Information Center. So an arrest in Houston County shows up in state-level searches as well. The data includes the arresting agency, the date, the charges, and later the court outcome once the case moves through the system in Perry.

Note: Jail booking records at the Houston County Sheriff's Office are updated as arrests come in, but new entries may take a short time to appear in the system.

Criminal Record Restriction in Houston County

Georgia does not call it expungement. The state uses the term "record restriction" for most cases. When a criminal history record gets restricted in Houston County, it is sealed from public view but still sits in the system for law enforcement to see. The rules for who can apply are set at the state level and work the same way in Houston County as they do anywhere else in Georgia.

Several groups may get their Houston County criminal history restricted. If you were arrested in the county and charges were dropped or dismissed, you could qualify. Certain misdemeanor offenders under 21 can apply as well. People who went through a pretrial diversion program in Houston County and completed it are eligible too. First Offender cases get sealed under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37 once the sentence is done. The First Offender Act itself is found in O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60. Under this act, a first-time offender in Houston County who completes their sentence gets discharged by the court without a formal conviction on their record. The criminal history then gets restricted from public searches across the state, including any Houston County records tied to that case.

For arrests that happened on or after July 1, 2013, you start the process by contacting the prosecuting attorney who handled the case in Houston County. For older arrests, the request goes through the arresting agency instead.

State Criminal History Tools for Houston County

Beyond the local offices, state tools can pull up Houston County criminal history. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across the whole state, including Houston County. You need a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex to run it. Results come back fast. The $15 fee applies even if the search turns up no record at all.

The GBI service page explains how the Georgia Bureau of Investigation handles criminal history record requests across the state, including records from Houston County.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free to use. It shows people who are currently in a GDC state prison. This can include people convicted in Houston County who are serving time at a facility elsewhere in Georgia. The GDC tool does not list people in the Houston County Jail or those who have already finished their sentence. For more detail on how criminal history records work in Georgia, the GBI FAQ page answers common questions about the request process and what to expect.

Houston County Court System and Criminal Cases

Houston County is part of the Houston Judicial Circuit. Criminal cases in the county flow through a few different courts depending on how serious the charge is. Superior Court handles all felony cases. State Court deals with misdemeanor charges and some traffic offenses that carry criminal penalties. Magistrate Court handles preliminary hearings for felony cases and can issue arrest and search warrants. Each court keeps its own set of records, and all of them feed into the Houston County criminal history system.

The district attorney for the Houston Judicial Circuit prosecutes criminal cases in the county. When someone gets arrested in Houston County, the case goes to the DA for review. They decide if charges get filed, if a plea deal makes sense, or if the case goes to trial. All of these steps become part of the criminal history record. The DA also plays a role in record restriction requests for cases that happened after July 1, 2013.

How to Search Houston County Criminal History

There are several ways to look up criminal history records in Houston County. The right path depends on the type of record you need.

• Visit the Houston County Superior Court Clerk at 201 Perry Parkway in Perry for court case records and certified copies
• Call the Houston County Sheriff at (478) 542-2125 for jail booking records and inmate information
• Use the Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction data that includes Houston County
• Check the GDC offender query to find people serving time in state prisons
• Contact the GBI for a formal fingerprint-based criminal history report

Each source covers a different piece of the criminal history picture in Houston County. Court records from the clerk show charges, plea deals, and case results. The sheriff's office tracks jail bookings and bond status. State tools add felony conviction data and corrections info on top of what the local offices hold. You may need to check more than one source to put together a full picture of someone's criminal history in the Houston County area. The clerk's office in Perry is the best starting point for most people since it has the most complete court records for the county.

Criminal History in Houston County Cities

Houston County includes Warner Robins, Perry, Centerville, and a few smaller towns in central Georgia. Warner Robins is by far the largest city in the county. It sits next to Robins Air Force Base, which has shaped the area for decades. Perry is the county seat and home to the courthouse where most criminal case files are kept. Both cities have their own police departments that handle local arrests. Those arrest records get sent to the state criminal history system through the GCIC. If you need criminal record data tied to a specific city in Houston County, you can start with that city's police department or use the county and state resources on this page.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Houston County shares borders with several other Georgia counties in the central part of the state. Criminal cases near the county line can sometimes end up in a neighboring jurisdiction. If you do not find what you need in the Houston County system, these nearby counties may have the record you are looking for.