Search Athens Recent Arrests
Recent arrests in Athens are managed by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office. Athens and Clarke County share a consolidated government, which means one system handles all arrests in the area. Around 130,000 people live here. The police department makes most of the arrests, while the sheriff runs the jail and keeps booking records. You can look up recent arrest records through state search tools, court databases, and by reaching out to the sheriff or police directly. This page covers the main ways to find arrest data in Athens.
Athens Quick Facts
Athens Police and Sheriff's Office Recent Arrests
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department handles law enforcement for the whole consolidated area. The main office is at 3035 Lexington Road, Athens, GA 30605. Call 706-613-3330 to reach the police department. Officers make arrests, write reports, and bring people to the county jail for booking. The police department is the primary agency that deals with calls for service and arrests in Athens on a day-to-day basis.
The Clarke County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and keeps all booking records. Sheriff John Williams leads the office at 325 E Washington Street, Suite 100, Athens, GA 30601. The phone number is 706-613-3250. When you need to find out if someone is in custody or want copies of an arrest record, the sheriff's office is the place to call. They hold the booking data for everyone brought in after an arrest in Athens. Walk-in visits are accepted during business hours.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department website has info on how the department works, community programs, and contact details for different divisions.
This page is a good starting point if you need to reach a specific unit within the Athens police about a recent arrest.
| Police Department |
3035 Lexington Road Athens, GA 30605 Phone: 706-613-3330 |
|---|---|
| Sheriff's Office |
325 E Washington St, Suite 100 Athens, GA 30601 Phone: 706-613-3250 |
| Sheriff | John Williams |
| Government | Consolidated (Athens-Clarke County) |
How to Look Up Athens Recent Arrest Records
Call the sheriff's office at 706-613-3250 for the fastest way to check on a recent arrest in Athens. Give the person's full name and date of birth. Staff will look them up and let you know if they are in custody, what the charges are, and the booking date. If you need a written copy, ask about the open records request process. A form and a small copy fee may be needed. In-person visits at the sheriff's office on Washington Street are accepted during business hours.
State databases also cover Athens. The Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI keeps criminal history data from every county in Georgia. A formal background check through GCIC pulls arrest records from Clarke County and all other counties. The fee is $15 for a criminal history record. The Georgia Felon Search tool costs $15 per search and gives you felony conviction data from across the state. If someone was arrested in Athens and later convicted of a felony, they show up in this system.
The Clarke County Sheriff's Office website has details on jail operations, arrest procedures, and records requests.
Use this site to find out how to contact the sheriff about arrest records in Athens or to learn about the jail.
What Athens Recent Arrest Records Include
Every arrest in Athens creates a booking file at the Clarke County jail. The file holds the person's name, date of birth, and physical traits. A booking number links the file to that specific arrest. The date and time of booking are recorded along with the charges. The arresting agency is noted, which in Athens is usually the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.
Under O.C.G.A. § 17-4-27, all law enforcement agencies in Georgia must keep arrest records open to the public. The name, address, and age of each person arrested are part of these public files. You do not need to explain why you want the records. Bond amounts, court dates, and release info get added as the case moves along. Checking back on an Athens arrest record later may show more detail than what was there on booking day.
A standard Athens arrest record will list:
- Full name, date of birth, and physical details
- Booking number, date, and time
- Charges at the time of arrest
- Arresting agency name
- Bond amount, court date, and release info when set
Georgia Law on Athens Arrest Records Recent Arrests
Georgia law keeps most arrest records public. This applies to every booking at the Clarke County jail that serves Athens. The core facts of a recent arrest are open for anyone to view. You do not have to give a reason. The sheriff's office must share the records when asked.
There are limits. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 spells out the exceptions to the open records rule. Active investigation details, some witness info, and certain personal data can be kept from public view. But the initial arrest report is always open, even during a pending case. The Clarke County Sheriff's Office follows these rules when it handles records requests for Athens arrests. If a part of the file is exempt, staff will tell you which law applies.
Booking photos have special rules. O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 puts limits on how mugshots get published. The law targets websites that post arrest photos and then charge money to remove them. The sheriff's office in Athens can still give out booking photos through a formal request. But the rules control what you do with those images after you get them.
People whose cases were dropped or dismissed in Athens may file for record restriction. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, a person can ask to have their arrest record removed from public search results. The record stays in the system but only shows up for law enforcement and judicial officials. The $25 processing fee goes to the GBI. Contact the sheriff's office or the court in Clarke County to start the process.
Court Records Tied to Athens Arrests
When an arrest in Athens leads to charges, a court case opens. Court records add context to the booking data. They track what happened after the person was brought in. Two state portals let you search these records from home.
The Georgia E-Access portal covers court records from Superior Court, State Court, and Magistrate Court in Clarke County. Search by name or case number. The system shows case type, filing dates, hearings, and outcomes. The re:SearchGA tool is another option. It covers courts across the state and lets you filter by county, date, and case type. Both tools work well when you want to see what happened after a recent arrest went to court in Athens.
The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers people serving time in state prisons. If an Athens arrest ended with a felony conviction and a prison sentence, this tool shows the inmate's current status, facility, and expected release date. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory has contact info for every sheriff in the state if you need to check with a nearby county about a related case.
Note: Court records from Athens may take a few business days to appear in state systems after the arrest.
Clarke County Arrest Records
Athens is part of the consolidated Athens-Clarke County government. All arrest records go through the Clarke County Sheriff's Office. The county page has more detail on the sheriff, jail operations, search tools, and how Georgia law applies to arrest records in the area. For a complete look at the county system, check out the full Clarke County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are close to Athens and have their own pages with local arrest record info. Arrests in each city go through their own county sheriff's office. If you are not sure where someone was booked, check the arresting agency on the file.