Find Montgomery County Criminal History

Montgomery County criminal history records are managed by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Mount Vernon, the county seat in southeast Georgia. This is one of the smaller counties in the state, with a population near 9,000. Criminal case files, arrest data, and jail booking logs all run through these two offices. The clerk holds court records for felonies and bound-over misdemeanors, while the sheriff handles arrests and the county jail. State-level tools from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also include Montgomery County data. This page lays out each source and how to use it for criminal history searches.

Montgomery County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is in Mount Vernon, GA 30445. Call (912) 583-2531 to reach them. The sheriff handles all law enforcement for the county and runs the Montgomery County Jail. Every booking creates a record with the arrest date, charges, bond amount, and release status. These records are a core part of the criminal history system in Montgomery County.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, the sheriff must report all arrest data and fingerprints to the Georgia Crime Information Center. The GCIC is the statewide database managed by the GBI. This means any arrest in Montgomery County enters the state system, no matter how small the county is. The data flow works the same here as it does in the largest counties in Georgia.

You can call the sheriff's office to check on someone held in the jail. Staff can tell you if a person is in custody and what they were booked on. For copies of arrest reports, you file an open records request with the office. There is a small copy fee. Reports connected to active cases may not be fully released until the case closes.

The sheriff also handles fingerprint-based background checks. You bring valid ID, get printed, and the request goes to the GCIC. Results come back with your full Georgia criminal history. This is the most thorough method for checking your own record.

Montgomery County Superior Court Clerk Records

The Montgomery County Superior Court Clerk is in Mount Vernon, GA 30445. The phone number is (912) 583-2363. The clerk keeps all criminal case files from the Montgomery County Superior Court. Felony cases make up most of the docket. Misdemeanors bound over from lower courts end up here too. Each file includes the indictment, motions, pleas, hearing dates, and the final judgment.

Walk-in requests are handled during business hours at the courthouse in Mount Vernon. Staff can look up cases by name or case number. Copies have a per-page fee. Certified copies cost more but carry the court seal for official use. Under Georgia law, the clerk reports case outcomes to the GCIC. A Montgomery County conviction should show up in a state-level search once the data moves through the system.

If you need older case files, call ahead. The clerk may need extra time to locate records that have been moved to storage. Staff can also confirm if a case has been restricted from public access, though they will not share details of a restricted file.

Record Restriction in Montgomery County

Georgia calls it record restriction, not expungement. A restricted record is sealed from the public. It still exists in the system. Law enforcement retains access. The public does not.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, several types of cases can qualify for restriction. Charges that were never referred to a prosecutor can be restricted after a waiting period. For misdemeanor arrests, the wait is two years from the arrest date. Most felony arrests need four years. Serious violent felonies take seven. If charges were dismissed or the person was acquitted, the timeline is shorter. The local DA gets ten days to object after an acquittal. No objection means the record gets sealed.

Montgomery County arrests on or after July 1, 2013, start the restriction process through the District Attorney. Older arrests need you to go through the arresting agency first, which is usually the Montgomery County Sheriff. The review process involves forms and takes time, especially in a small county where staff handles many roles.

First Offender Act in Montgomery County

The First Offender Act at O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 is a major factor in how criminal history works in Montgomery County. This law lets first-time offenders avoid a formal conviction. The judge sentences the person under First Offender status. They complete probation, jail, or both. When all terms are met, the court enters a discharge. That discharge restricts the record from public view.

In Montgomery County, these cases go through the Superior Court in Mount Vernon. After discharge, the case drops from public searches in the county system and the GCIC. A retroactive option also exists. People who could have qualified at the time of sentencing but were not given First Offender status can petition the court to apply it after the fact. Not every crime qualifies. Serious offenses are excluded. An attorney or the local DA can help determine if a specific case is eligible for this path.

State Tools for Montgomery County Criminal History

State-level search tools cover Montgomery County alongside the rest of Georgia's 159 counties. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across the state. You need a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results come back right away. The fee applies even if no record is found. This tool only covers felony convictions. Misdemeanors and pending charges from Montgomery County will not show up here.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It shows people who are in a state prison right now. Someone convicted in Montgomery County and sent to a GDC facility would appear here. People in the Montgomery County Jail or those who already served their sentence will not show up. It is a narrow tool but useful if you know the person went to state prison.

The GBI FAQ page answers common questions about how to get criminal history records in Georgia. It covers fees, processing times, and what information is available to the public. The GCIC database is the backbone of the system, and Montgomery County data feeds into it through the sheriff's reporting process.

How to Search Montgomery County Criminal History

There are a few ways to find criminal records in Montgomery County. The right option depends on what you need.

• Visit the Montgomery County Superior Court Clerk in Mount Vernon for court case records
• Call the clerk at (912) 583-2363 for case lookups
• Contact the Montgomery County Sheriff at (912) 583-2531 for arrest and booking records
• Run a Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony records
• Use the GDC offender search for people in state prison

The clerk has charges, pleas, and case results. The sheriff has arrest and booking data. State tools add felony conviction data and prison information. For the full picture, you may need more than one source.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Montgomery County sits in southeast Georgia and borders several other counties. If you do not find a record in Montgomery County, one of these neighbors may have it.

Toombs County is to the east near Lyons. Wheeler County sits to the south. Laurens County borders to the northwest near Dublin. Treutlen County is to the north. Emanuel County lies to the northeast, and Tattnall County is to the southeast. Each has its own clerk and sheriff, but all report data to the same GCIC statewide system.