Search Madison County Criminal History

Madison County criminal history records are kept by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Danielsville. The county sits in northeast Georgia and is part of the Northern Judicial Circuit. Criminal records here include arrest logs, court case files, and jail booking data. If you need to look up a criminal record in Madison County, the clerk's office at 91 Albany Avenue holds court filings while the sheriff at 1436 Georgia Highway 98 handles arrest and jail records. You can also use state tools run by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. This page covers how to find criminal history in Madison County and what each source can tell you.

Madison County Clerk Criminal Case Records

The Madison County Superior Court Clerk is at 91 Albany Avenue, Danielsville, GA 30633. You can call (706) 795-6300 with questions. The clerk keeps files on every criminal case that goes through the Madison County Superior Court. Felony charges, bound-over misdemeanors, and appeals all end up in the clerk's system. Each file has the charges, plea details, court dates, and the final result. If you want to know how a case ended in Madison County, this office has the answer.

The Madison County Clerk of Courts office handles access to criminal case documents and other court records filed in the county.

You can go to the clerk's office in person to search case records during business hours. Walk-in requests are taken at the Albany Avenue courthouse. The staff can pull case files by name or case number. If you need copies, the clerk charges a per-page fee. Certified copies cost more but carry the court seal. Some Madison County court records may also be available through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which runs a statewide database. Not every record shows up there, but many do. Records that have been restricted under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37 will not appear in a public search. Only law enforcement can view restricted files.

Madison County Sheriff and Criminal History

The Madison County Sheriff's Office is at 1436 Georgia Highway 98, Danielsville, GA 30633. The phone number is (706) 795-6311. The sheriff handles law enforcement across the county and runs the Madison County Jail. When someone gets arrested in the county, the booking record shows the arrest date, charges at the time of booking, and bond details. These records are part of the criminal history system in Madison County.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office website provides contact details and information on jail operations and arrests.

Arrest data from the Madison County Sheriff goes to the Georgia Crime Information Center. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, local law enforcement agencies must send criminal history data to the GCIC. That means an arrest in Madison County will show in state-level searches too. The sheriff also handles fingerprinting for people booked into the jail. Fingerprints go into the state system and tie the record to a specific person. This is more reliable than a name-only search.

If you need to check whether someone is in the Madison County Jail right now, call the sheriff's office. Staff can tell you if a person is in custody and what charges they were booked on. Booking data gets updated as new arrests come in.

Note: Booking records at the Madison County Jail may take some time to show up in state databases after the arrest.

Criminal Record Restriction in Madison County

Georgia calls it record restriction, not expungement. When a criminal history record is restricted in Madison County, it gets sealed from public view. The record still exists for law enforcement. The public cannot see it.

Several types of cases can be restricted in Madison County. If charges were dropped or dismissed, you may qualify. People who went through a pretrial diversion program and finished it can also apply. Cases where the offense was never sent to a prosecutor get restricted after a waiting period. For misdemeanors, that period is two years. Most felonies take four years. Serious violent felonies need seven years under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37. Petition-based restrictions for misdemeanor convictions have a cap of two misdemeanors and require a four-year crime-free stretch.

The First Offender Act sits in O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60. When a first-time offender in Madison County finishes their sentence under this act, the court discharges them without a formal conviction. The criminal history file then gets restricted. There is also a retroactive First Offender option for people who should have gotten the benefit at sentencing but did not. For Madison County arrests on or after July 1, 2013, the restriction process starts through the prosecuting attorney. Older arrests go through the arresting agency. The GBI restrictions page has the full process.

State Tools for Madison County Criminal History

Beyond the local offices in Danielsville, you can search for Madison County criminal history with state-level tools. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15. It checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across Georgia, Madison County included. You need a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results come back fast. The fee applies even when no record is found.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It shows people currently serving time in state prisons, including those convicted in Madison County. The GDC search does not cover people in the Madison County Jail or those who finished their sentence. It is a narrow tool but it works if you know the person went to state prison.

The GBI FAQ page covers common questions about the process. It explains what records you can ask for, the timeline, and how things work across all Georgia counties. A fingerprint-based search through the GBI gives the most thorough results if you need an official copy of your own record.

How to Search Madison County Criminal History

There are several ways to find criminal history records in Madison County. The right one depends on what you need.

• Visit the Madison County Superior Court Clerk at 91 Albany Avenue in Danielsville for court case files and certified copies
• Call the Madison County Sheriff at (706) 795-6311 for jail booking records and current inmate status
• Use the Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony records that cover Madison County
• Check the GDC offender search for people serving time in state prisons
• File an open records request with the sheriff's office for specific arrest reports

Each source covers a different part of the Madison County criminal history picture. The clerk has court records with charges, pleas, and case results. The sheriff tracks jail bookings, bond amounts, and arrest details. State tools add felony conviction data and corrections records on top of what local offices hold. You may need to check more than one source to get a full view of someone's criminal history in Madison County.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Madison County sits in northeast Georgia and borders several other counties. Cases near a county line can end up in the other jurisdiction. If you cannot find a record in the Madison County system, one of these nearby counties may have it.

Jackson County is to the west, between Madison County and the Atlanta metro area. Clarke County borders to the south and is home to Athens. Oglethorpe County sits to the southeast. Elbert, Hart, and Franklin Counties share parts of the Northern Judicial Circuit with Madison County. Banks County is to the northwest. Each has its own court clerk, sheriff, and criminal record system.