Find Albany 72 Hour Booking Records

Albany 72 hour booking records are managed by the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office. The county jail on Pine Avenue processes all arrests made by Albany police and other agencies in the area.

Albany Police Department

The Albany Police Department is at 201 W Oglethorpe Blvd, Albany, GA 31701. You can call them at 229-431-2100. Albany PD makes arrests for crimes within city limits, but they do not operate a jail. Anyone arrested by Albany officers gets transported to the Dougherty County jail for booking.

Albany is the largest city in southwest Georgia. It serves as the county seat of Dougherty County. The police department handles everything from property crimes to drug cases to traffic enforcement. When officers make an arrest, the suspect goes straight to the county facility on Pine Avenue. The booking record will show Albany PD as the arresting agency. If you need an incident report from the police, call 229-431-2100. For booking and jail info, you will need to contact the sheriff's office.

The City of Albany website has links to police services and other city departments.

The Albany city website shown above can point you to police records and other public services. For actual booking data, though, you need to go through the county.

Dougherty County Sheriff Handles Bookings

Sheriff Terron K. Hayes runs the Dougherty County jail. The office is at 225 Pine Ave, Albany, GA 31701. Call 229-302-3600 for questions about bookings. Staff at the jail can tell you if someone is in custody, what charges they face, and whether bond has been set.

Dougherty County does not have a widely used public online inmate search tool like some of the larger metro counties. To check on a recent booking, your best option is to call the jail directly. Have the person's full name and date of birth ready. The staff can look up recent bookings and give you current status info. If the person was just arrested, it may take a few hours before they are fully processed in the system.

For written copies of booking records, you may need to file an open records request with the sheriff's office. Georgia law gives the office three business days to respond to such requests.

How the 72 Hour Rule Works in Albany

Georgia law sets strict time limits for how fast someone must see a judge after arrest. Under O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26, if someone is arrested with a warrant, they must have a first appearance within 72 hours. This is the 72 hour booking rule. The clock starts at arrest, not at booking. Weekends count.

For arrests made without a warrant, the window is 48 hours under O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62. This happens often in Albany when officers respond to calls and make on-the-spot arrests. If the hearing does not take place within the required time, the person can petition for release. The Dougherty County courts handle first appearances for Albany arrests. Bond is usually addressed at this hearing.

A first appearance is not a trial. The judge reviews the charges and decides on bail. It is the first step in the legal process after booking.

72 Hour Booking Public Records

Booking records in Georgia are public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, the Georgia Open Records Act. Anyone can request these records from the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office. No reason is needed. The office must respond within three business days.

You can make a request by calling 229-302-3600, visiting 225 Pine Ave in person, or sending a written request by mail. There may be a small copy fee. Booking photos are part of the record, but O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 restricts how agencies can share photos if the requester plans to publish them on a site that charges for removal.

The state corrections search shown above covers prison inmates across Georgia. If an Albany booking led to a state sentence, this tool will show the person's current status.

Statewide 72 Hour Booking Resources

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and covers anyone in a state prison. If a Dougherty County booking ended in a state sentence, you can track the person through GDC. The search shows facility, sentence dates, and release info.

The VINE notification system tracks inmates after booking. Sign up for alerts when someone is released, moved, or has a court date. VINE covers Dougherty County. The phone line is 833-216-6670. It costs nothing to use.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association lists contact info for every sheriff in the state. If you need to check on a booking in a different county, this directory is a quick way to find the right number. The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) handles state-level background checks. Call 404-244-2639 for more info. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 covers how criminal history records are maintained at the state level.

72 Hour Booking Record Restriction

Some arrest records in Georgia can be restricted. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, if charges were dismissed, dropped, or the person was acquitted, they may qualify to have the record restricted. This does not erase it. It limits who can access it, mainly keeping it out of standard background checks.

O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 covers first offender sentences. If someone completed first offender treatment, the conviction can be discharged and the record restricted. Not all crimes qualify. You need to file a petition with the Dougherty County courts. A local attorney or the clerk of court can explain the steps for a specific case.

Record restriction takes time. The court will review the petition and may hold a hearing. If granted, it does not remove the booking from existence, but it limits access going forward.

Nearby Cities

Albany is the main city in southwest Georgia. The nearest qualifying cities with their own booking info pages are listed below.

Leesburg and Dawson are smaller towns near Albany. Arrests in those areas go through their own county sheriff's offices, not Dougherty County.

Dougherty County 72 Hour Booking Records

Albany sits in Dougherty County. For full details on how the county handles bookings, jail procedures, and bond information, visit the Dougherty County page.