Search Jefferson County Criminal History

Criminal history records in Jefferson County are held by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Louisville, Georgia. Jefferson County is part of the Middle Judicial Circuit and has a population near 15,700. The clerk on East Broad Street keeps case files from Superior Court and State Court, while the sheriff holds arrest and booking data from the county jail. You can search these records through local offices in Louisville or by using state tools run by the GBI. This page walks through each source and how to get what you need from the Jefferson County criminal record system.

Jefferson County Superior Court Clerk

The Jefferson County Superior Court Clerk is at 202 East Broad Street in Louisville, GA 30434. You can call (478) 625-7922 for help with record requests. The clerk keeps files on all criminal cases heard in Jefferson County Superior Court. That means felony charges, appeals from lower courts, and certain misdemeanor matters. Each case file holds the charges, court dates, plea info, and the final result.

Certified copies cost a per-page fee. Plain copies are less but some agencies will not take them. If you go in person, bring a valid ID. Staff can look up cases by name or case number. The office also has e-filing for criminal and civil cases. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person can check their own criminal history by filing a written request. The cost is $15 not counting fingerprint fees. This rule applies across all Georgia counties.

The Middle Judicial Circuit covers Jefferson County along with Washington, Emanuel, Toombs, and Candler counties. Cases in Jefferson County go through the judges assigned to this circuit. The district attorney for the Middle Circuit handles all felony cases in Louisville. If you need to talk to the DA about a record restriction request for an arrest after July 1, 2013, that office is the place to start.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is in Louisville. The main phone number is (478) 625-3151. The sheriff runs the county jail and keeps booking records for everyone brought in on criminal charges. Booking records show the arrest date, charges at booking, and bond info. If you need to check on an inmate in the Jefferson County jail, call the sheriff's office.

Warrant service falls under the sheriff too. When a judge signs a warrant, the sheriff handles the arrest. That 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. So an arrest in Jefferson County gets sent to the GCIC database. The data includes who made the arrest, the date, the charges, and later the court outcome once the case moves through the system. This means Jefferson County criminal history shows up in state-level searches, not just at the local office in Louisville.

Record Restriction in Jefferson County

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

There are a few ways to get a Jefferson County criminal record restricted. If charges were dropped or the prosecutor chose not to move the case forward, that record can be restricted. People who finished a pretrial diversion program are eligible too. First Offender cases get restricted when the person completes their sentence under the act. O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37 lays out the full rules for who can request restriction and the steps involved. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 lets a first-time offender in Jefferson County avoid a formal conviction if the court grants that status. Once the sentence is done, the record gets restricted from public view.

For arrests on or after July 1, 2013, the process starts with the DA in the Middle Judicial Circuit. For older arrests, you go through the arresting agency. The time it takes can vary a lot based on the case type and how fast the office responds.

State Tools for Jefferson County Criminal Records

You do not have to drive to Louisville to check criminal history tied to Jefferson County. Georgia runs statewide 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 Department of Corrections offender search is free. It covers people in a state prison right now. If someone was convicted in Jefferson County and sent to a GDC facility, they show up there. The tool does not list people in the Jefferson County jail or people who 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.

GCIC and Jefferson County Records

The Georgia Crime Information Center is the state clearinghouse for criminal history data. Every arrest in Jefferson County gets reported to the GCIC by local law enforcement. The center keeps a master record that ties together arrests, charges, court results, and corrections data from across the state. When you run a Georgia Felon Search, the results come from this database.

A fingerprint-based check through the GBI gives you the most complete picture. You submit your prints, and the GBI matches them against the GCIC database. This kind of check is the most thorough. It pulls records from all 159 counties and catches cases where different names were used. The cost for a personal criminal history through the GBI is set at $15 under state law. Many people in Jefferson County use this option when they need a certified copy of their own record for court or other purposes.

How to Search Jefferson County Criminal History

There are a few ways to look up criminal history in Jefferson County. The best path depends on what you need and how fast you need it.

• Visit the Jefferson County Superior Court Clerk at 202 East Broad Street in Louisville for court case records and certified copies
• Call the Jefferson County Sheriff at (478) 625-3151 for jail bookings and arrest data
• Run a Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction records that include Jefferson 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 Jefferson County. The sheriff's office is the place for arrest and booking data. State tools pull in records from all over Georgia, not just Jefferson County. Most people find that checking the clerk's office first and then running a state search covers things well. If you need your own record, the GBI fingerprint check is the best option you can use.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Jefferson County shares borders with several other Georgia counties. Criminal cases near the county line may end up in a different jurisdiction. If you cannot find what you need in the Jefferson County system, check these nearby counties.