Access Towns County 72 Hour Booking Records

Towns County 72 hour booking records are handled by the Towns County Sheriff's Office in Hiawassee. This is a small mountain county with no online inmate search, so you will need to call or visit the sheriff's office to ask about recent arrests.

Towns County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Anthony Coleman heads the Towns County Sheriff's Office. The office is at 48 River St Suite F, Hiawassee, GA 30546. You can reach them at 706-896-4444. This is the main number for all jail and booking questions. Staff at the office can tell you if a person is in custody, what they were charged with, and what their bond looks like.

Towns County sits in the far northeast corner of Georgia, up in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the North Carolina state line. The county does not have a large jail. It is a small facility that handles local arrests. Because the population is low, the booking volume is much lighter than in metro counties. That usually means faster answers when you call. There is no online way to search for inmates here. You have to pick up the phone.

All arrests in Towns County end up at this jail. That covers deputy arrests, Hiawassee city police arrests, and anything the Georgia State Patrol processes in the area. The booking record will note the arresting agency, the charge, the time of arrest, and bond details. If the arrest happened at Lake Chatuge or along one of the mountain highways, it still goes through this same office.

After hours, dispatch answers the phone. They can check the jail roster and give you basic details about who is in custody. For more detailed records requests, call back during office hours.

How 72 Hour Booking Works in Towns County

Georgia law sets time limits for how long someone can be held before seeing a judge. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26 requires a first appearance within 72 hours for warrant arrests. That is the rule behind the term "72 hour booking." The clock begins when the arrest happens, not when the person arrives at the jail.

Warrantless arrests have a tighter deadline. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62 sets a 48 hour window for those cases. If a deputy arrests someone at the scene of a crime without a warrant, the hearing must come faster. This applies in Towns County just like everywhere else in Georgia. The booking process at the jail is the same either way.

The Towns County courthouse in Hiawassee handles first appearance hearings. Because the county is small, the judge may not always be on site. Hearings get scheduled based on the court calendar, but the 72 hour deadline still applies. Weekend arrests can push the hearing to Monday morning. If the deadline is about to pass, a judge will be brought in to hold the hearing. Missing the window gives the arrested person grounds to request release, though this is uncommon in Towns County.

Public Access to Towns County 72 Hour Booking Records

Booking records in Towns County are public under Georgia law. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, the Open Records Act, lets anyone request government records including arrest and booking data. You do not need to explain why you want the information. The sheriff's office must respond within three business days.

Call 706-896-4444 or go to the office in person to make your request. Basic info about current inmates is usually given right away. If you want written copies of arrest reports or booking sheets, the office may charge a small fee per page. Ask the staff what the rate is when you make your request.

Booking photos fall under a separate rule. O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 stops law enforcement from giving booking photos to anyone who would post them on a website that charges for removal. The photo itself remains part of the public record. A standard open records request for a booking photo will be reviewed by the sheriff's office before anything is released.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search tracks people who have been sentenced to state prison. If a Towns County booking leads to a state prison sentence, the person will show up in this database. The tool is free to use and shows location, sentence length, and expected release date.

The GDC search does not cover people who are still in the Towns County jail. For current inmates, always call the sheriff's office.

State Resources for Towns County Bookings

Several Georgia state tools can help when you are looking for someone connected to a Towns County arrest. The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) handles criminal background checks. Call 404-244-2639 for information about the process. A GCIC check will show arrests and convictions from any county in Georgia, giving you a full picture that goes beyond just Towns County.

The VINE notification system lets you track an inmate and get alerts when their status changes. You can sign up for calls, texts, or emails. The VINE phone number is 833-216-6670. This service is free and covers Towns County. If someone is released from the jail, VINE will let you know right away.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association has a directory of every sheriff's office in the state. This is helpful if you need to check with Union County or Rabun County about a possible arrest near the Towns County line.

Towns County borders North Carolina. If an arrest happened near the state line, the person may have been taken to a North Carolina facility instead. Always confirm the jurisdiction before you start searching.

72 Hour Booking Record Restriction in Towns County

Georgia allows some booking records to be restricted after a case ends. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 covers this. If charges are dropped, dismissed, or the person is acquitted, they can apply to have the record restricted. Restricted records do not show up on standard background checks. The record still exists, but only law enforcement and certain agencies can see it.

The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 is another path. A judge may sentence someone as a first offender if they have no prior felony convictions. Complete the sentence without trouble, and the conviction gets sealed. A Towns County booking that ends in a first offender sentence may not appear on future searches.

To file for restriction, start with the court that handled the case in Hiawassee. The clerk's office can provide the forms and explain the fees. Expect several weeks before the restriction takes effect across all state databases. Even with a restriction, certain employers and licensing boards can still access the record.

Nearby Counties

Towns County shares borders with just two other Georgia counties, plus the North Carolina state line. If someone was arrested in this part of the state and you are not finding them in the Towns County system, check with these neighbors.