Find Seminole County 72 Hour Booking Records

Seminole County 72 hour booking records are managed by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office in Donalsonville. This southwest Georgia county sits near the Florida state line and has no online inmate search tool, so all booking inquiries go through the sheriff's office.

Seminole County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Heath Elliott heads the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. The office address is 208 Court St, Donalsonville, GA 39845. Call 229-524-5115 for all booking, arrest, and jail questions. Staff can confirm if someone is in custody, list the current charges, and tell you the bond amount. This is the single contact point for jail inquiries in Seminole County.

Seminole County sits at the bottom of the state, right where Georgia meets Florida. Lake Seminole covers a portion of the county, and the area draws fishermen, boaters, and hunters throughout the year. That seasonal traffic adds to the workload for the sheriff's office, especially on weekends and holidays when the lake is busy. All arrests in the county, whether they happen in Donalsonville, out on the lake, or along the rural roads, are processed at the Seminole County jail.

There is no online inmate search. You cannot check on a Seminole County booking from your computer. The best option is to call 229-524-5115. During business hours, staff can answer your questions about who is in the jail and what they are charged with. After hours, dispatch takes calls and can provide basic status information. If you need a written copy of the booking record or arrest report, go to the office at 208 Court St in Donalsonville during regular hours. Copies may come with a small printing fee.

72 Hour Booking Process in Seminole County

Georgia law sets clear time limits on how long someone can be held before seeing a judge. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26 says that a person arrested on a warrant must appear before a judicial officer within 72 hours. This is the origin of the "72 hour booking" term. The countdown starts when the arrest is made, not when the person arrives at the jail.

Arrests without a warrant have a shorter window. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62 requires a probable cause hearing within 48 hours. In Seminole County, warrantless arrests happen during traffic stops, boating incidents on Lake Seminole, domestic disputes, and other situations where deputies act without a pre-existing warrant. The 48 hour deadline puts the magistrate court under pressure to schedule fast, but in a county this size the docket is rarely backlogged.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association keeps a directory of every sheriff in the state:

Use this directory to confirm the current sheriff's name and office phone for Seminole County or nearby counties.

First appearances take place at the courthouse in Donalsonville. The magistrate judge explains the charges and decides on bond. Weekend arrests can push the hearing to Monday, which may land close to the 72 hour mark. The court does its best to meet every deadline. If the 72 hours runs out without a hearing, the person in custody can ask for release. This is rare in Seminole County given the small caseload and the court's awareness of the time limits.

Seminole County Public Records

Booking records in Seminole County are public under Georgia law. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 is the Georgia Open Records Act. Anyone can request government records, and that includes arrest reports, booking data, and charge details. No reason is required. The agency must respond within three business days.

Call 229-524-5115 or go to the sheriff's office at 208 Court St in Donalsonville. Basic questions about who is in the jail are usually answered over the phone at no charge. For printed copies of records, there may be a small fee. You can also submit a written request by mail if you prefer.

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 covers booking photos in Georgia. This law says a law enforcement agency cannot release a booking photo to someone who will post it on a website or publication that charges a fee for removal. The photo is still part of the file. You can request it through the open records process. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office will review the request and decide whether to release the photo based on the stated purpose.

Georgia 72 Hour Booking Resources for Seminole County

Statewide tools extend your search past the Seminole County jail. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search lets you look up anyone who has been sentenced to state prison. If a Seminole County arrest resulted in a conviction and the person was transferred to a state facility, this search shows the location, sentence length, and release dates. It is free to use.

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) runs criminal history checks through the GBI. Call 404-244-2639 for questions. A GCIC background check pulls records from all Georgia counties, giving you a wider view than a single Seminole County booking. This is the right path when you need a complete criminal history on someone.

The GDC offender search page is shown below:

This tool only covers people in state prison. Someone still in the Seminole County jail waiting on trial will not appear in this database.

The VINE notification system is a free service that alerts you when an inmate's status changes. Sign up to receive calls, texts, or emails about releases, transfers, or court dates. The VINE number is 833-216-6670. It works in Seminole County and across most of Georgia. This is the best way to stay informed without having to call the jail repeatedly.

72 Hour Booking Record Restriction in Seminole County

Some booking records in Seminole County can be restricted after the case ends. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 is the relevant statute. If charges are dropped, dismissed, or the person is acquitted, they can petition for record restriction. A restricted record will not appear on most background checks. It stays in the system but is hidden from public view.

The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 is another option. A judge can sentence a person as a first offender when there are no prior felony convictions on record. If the person finishes the sentence cleanly, the record is sealed. A Seminole County booking that went through the first offender track may not show up in future public searches. To start the restriction process, contact the Seminole County Clerk of Superior Court in Donalsonville. There are forms and fees involved, and it takes several weeks before the restriction fully takes effect across state databases.

Restricted records do not disappear. Law enforcement still has access. Some employers and licensing boards can see them as well, depending on the type of check they run. For the general public, however, a restricted booking record in Seminole County will not come up in standard searches.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Seminole County in the far southwest corner of Georgia. If an arrest happened near the county line, the booking could be in one of these neighboring jails instead.