Find Athens 72 Hour Bookings

Athens 72 hour booking records are kept by the Clarke County Sheriff's Office. Athens and Clarke County are consolidated, so city police and the sheriff work under the same government for arrests and bookings.

Athens-Clarke County Police Department

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is at 3035 Lexington Rd, Athens, GA 30605. Call 706-613-3330 for general questions or non-emergency matters. Since Athens and Clarke County are consolidated, the police department covers the entire unified area. There is no separate city police and county police. It is all one agency.

When officers make an arrest, the person goes to the Clarke County jail for booking. The police department handles the arrest itself. The sheriff's office handles the jail and booking process. The booking record will show the arresting officer's agency, so you can tell which unit made the arrest even though the jail is run by the sheriff.

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department website has contact info for different divisions. If you need a police report from an Athens arrest, contact the records section at 706-613-3330.

Athens is a college town with a large student population. Arrest volumes can go up during school events, football game weekends, and the start of each semester. The police department and the sheriff's office both staff up during these times. More arrests mean more bookings, which means the jail can be busier than normal.

Clarke County Sheriff Handles Athens Bookings

The Clarke County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and handles all bookings for Athens-Clarke County. The jail is at 3015 Lexington Rd, Athens, GA 30605. Call 706-613-3250 for booking information. The sheriff's office also posts recent arrests online, which makes it easy to check 72 hour booking records.

The Athens-Clarke County arrests from the last 7 days page shows all recent bookings. This is even better than a 72 hour list because it covers a full week. Each entry shows the name, charges, date of arrest, and the arresting agency. You can scroll through the list or use your browser search to find a specific name.

The 7-day list is free to use. No login or account is needed. It updates as new arrests are processed. If someone was arrested in Athens in the last week, this is the first place to check. For arrests older than 7 days, you may need to contact the sheriff's office directly or submit an open records request.

You can also call the jail at 706-613-3250 and ask if a person is in custody. The staff can give you basic booking info over the phone. For a certified copy or detailed records, you will need to go through the formal request process.

How 72 Hour Booking Works in Athens

O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26 says anyone arrested with a warrant must go before a judge within 72 hours. The 72 hour clock starts at the time of arrest. If someone is picked up late on a Friday, the deadline runs through the weekend. Athens-Clarke County courts hold first appearance hearings on a schedule that aims to meet this rule for every arrest.

For warrantless arrests, O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62 sets a 48 hour window. Athens officers make warrantless arrests for DUI, fights, drug offenses, and other incidents that call for an on-the-spot arrest. The 48 hour rule is strict. If a judge does not hold the hearing in time, the person can seek release.

Athens sees spikes in arrests during certain times of year. Football season and large events at the university bring in more people, and that means more arrests and bookings. The sheriff's office and the courts work to keep up during these busy stretches. The 7-day arrest list on the county website makes it easy to track recent bookings no matter how busy the jail gets.

Public Access to Athens 72 Hour Booking Records

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 is Georgia's Open Records Act. It gives anyone the right to ask for government records. You do not need a reason. The agency has three business days to respond. This law covers booking records, arrest reports, and other documents from the Clarke County Sheriff's Office.

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 puts limits on how booking photos can be shared. Law enforcement cannot give a booking photo to someone who plans to post it on a website that charges a removal fee. You can still get photos through a normal open records request. The sheriff's office will check that the request meets the rules before handing over a photo.

The 7-day arrest list is free. No fee or account is needed. If you need a formal certified copy, contact the sheriff's office at 706-613-3250 and ask about the open records process. Copies may have a small fee. Police reports from Athens-Clarke County PD are available through their records section at 706-613-3330.

Georgia 72 Hour Booking Search Tools

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers anyone sent to state prison. If an Athens booking leads to a conviction and state prison sentence, you can track the person through this free search tool. It shows facility, sentence length, and release dates.

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) manages the state criminal history database. Call 404-244-2639 for background check questions. A formal check may need fingerprints and a fee. The GCIC has records from every county in the state.

The VINE notification system lets you track an inmate after booking. Register for alerts when someone's status changes. VINE covers Clarke County. The phone line is 833-216-6670. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association keeps a directory of every sheriff's office in the state for searches beyond Athens.

Record Restriction and Expungement

O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 allows a person to seek restriction of their arrest record if charges were dismissed, they were acquitted, or the case was not pursued. A restricted record will not appear on most background checks, but law enforcement can still see it.

O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 covers first offender treatment. If someone completed all terms of a first offender sentence, they can petition the court to restrict the record. The petition goes to the Clarke County court where the case was heard. A judge must approve it. There is a filing fee. Not all charges are eligible. Violent felonies generally do not qualify.

Restricted records will not show on the 7-day arrest list or the online inmate search. For older or restricted records, you need to file a formal open records request with the Clarke County Sheriff's Office.

Clarke County Booking Records

For full details on the Clarke County jail, the 7-day arrests page, and all booking search tools, visit our county page.