Atlanta, Georgia Arrest Records: How They Work and How to Look Them Up

If you live in Atlanta, were recently arrested, or are trying to look up someone’s Atlanta, Georgia arrest records, it can be confusing to know where to start. Different agencies keep different types of records, and the process is not always obvious.

This guide breaks down, in plain language, how arrest records work in Atlanta, who keeps them, how to search for them, and what your options may be if you’re concerned about what shows up in your name.

What Is an Arrest Record in Atlanta?

An arrest record is generally a record that someone was taken into custody by law enforcement. In and around Atlanta, that can mean:

• Arrests made by the Atlanta Police Department (APD)
• Arrests made by county sheriff’s offices (such as Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, or Clayton County Sheriff’s Office)
• Arrests made by state or federal agencies operating in the area

Key things to understand:

• An arrest record is not a conviction. It only shows that a person was arrested, not that they were found guilty.
• Arrests typically generate:
  • An incident or offense report by the arresting agency
  • Booking information if the person was taken to jail
  • Court records if charges were filed

When people talk about “Atlanta arrest records,” they are often mixing together:

• Police/incident reports
• Jail and booking records
• Court and case records
• State-level criminal history (rap sheet)

Knowing which of these you need will help you find the right office or database.

Who Maintains Arrest Records in the Atlanta Area?

Because Atlanta spans multiple counties and includes several law enforcement agencies, arrest-related information can be spread across several offices.

Key Agencies Involved

1. Atlanta Police Department (APD)
Handles arrests within the City of Atlanta city limits.

• Main headquarters:
  226 Peachtree Street SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303

APD maintains incident reports, accident reports, and some arrest-related records for cases they handle.

2. County Sheriff’s Offices and Jails

Most people arrested in or around Atlanta are booked into a county jail, depending on where the arrest occurred and the jurisdiction:

• Fulton County Sheriff’s Office / Fulton County Jail
  901 Rice Street NW
  Atlanta, GA 30318

• DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office / DeKalb County Jail
  4415 Memorial Drive
  Decatur, GA 30032

• Cobb County Sheriff’s Office / Cobb County Adult Detention Center
  1825 County Services Parkway
  Marietta, GA 30008

• Clayton County Sheriff’s Office / Clayton County Jail
  9157 Tara Boulevard
  Jonesboro, GA 30236

These offices typically keep:

• Inmate and booking records
• Mugshots (in many cases)
• Jail in/out information (custody status, release dates)

3. Local Courts in the Atlanta Area

Once charges are filed, records move into the court system. Depending on the type of case:

• Municipal Court of Atlanta – handles many city ordinance violations, traffic offenses, and some misdemeanors within city limits.
  150 Garnett Street SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303

• Fulton County State Court – handles many misdemeanors and traffic offenses in Fulton County

• Fulton County Superior Court – handles felony cases in Fulton County

Other counties around Atlanta (DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, etc.) have their own State and Superior Courts that keep case records related to arrests in those jurisdictions.

These courts maintain:

• Case dockets
• Court dates
• Dispositions (guilty, not guilty, dismissed, etc.)
• Sentencing information, if applicable

4. Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC)

The Georgia Crime Information Center, run by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), is the state’s central repository for Georgia criminal history records, sometimes called a “rap sheet.”

GCIC records can include:

• Arrests from across Georgia
• Charges and case outcomes
• Sentencing information

This is the closest thing to a statewide view of a person’s arrest and criminal history in Georgia, but it is not public in the same way as local court records. Access is regulated.

Are Atlanta Arrest Records Public?

In Georgia, much of the information related to arrests is public, but access and format can vary:

Generally public:

• Basic jail and inmate lookup information
• Many court records, including case dockets and outcomes
• Many police incident reports

Not automatically public:

• Complete state criminal history reports (GCIC) – usually require fingerprints and may only be available to the person themselves, law enforcement, certain employers, or others authorized by law
• Certain sensitive records (for example, juvenile records, some sealed or restricted cases)

While a lot of information can be accessed, how easy it is to find depends on:

• The county where the arrest occurred
• Whether the case is open or closed
• Whether it was adult or juvenile
• Whether any part of the record was restricted (Georgia’s version of record “sealing” in some circumstances)

How to Look Up Recent Arrests and Jail Inmates in Atlanta

If you’re checking on someone who was just arrested or you think is currently in jail in the Atlanta area, the county jail is usually your best starting point.

1. Fulton County (often relevant for Atlanta proper)

Most of the City of Atlanta lies in Fulton County. If someone was arrested in this area, they may be at:

Fulton County Jail
901 Rice Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30318

Fulton County typically offers:

• An online inmate search to find:
  • Full name
  • Booking date
  • Charges
  • Bond amount, if any

You can also contact the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office by phone to ask about custody status, visitation rules, or how to post bond.

2. Other Nearby Counties

If the arrest occurred in an Atlanta-area suburb or on the outskirts of the city, the person might be in:

• DeKalb County Jail (Decatur)
• Cobb County Adult Detention Center (Marietta)
• Clayton County Jail (Jonesboro)

Each sheriff’s office usually provides:

• A public inmate lookup system, or
• A non-emergency number you can call to ask about an inmate

When calling, have as much information as possible:

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Approximate date of arrest
• Location of the arrest, if known

How to Get Atlanta Police Arrest or Incident Reports

If you need detailed arrest or incident reports from the Atlanta Police Department, such as for insurance, employment documentation, or your own records, you generally go through APD’s records unit.

Atlanta Police Department – Central Records Unit
Often based at or near headquarters:
226 Peachtree Street SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Common ways to request reports:

• In person at the records window
• By mail with a written request
• In some cases, online or email requests, depending on current procedures

Information you should typically provide:

• Name of the person involved
• Date and approximate time of the incident or arrest
• Location (street or neighborhood)
• Type of incident (for example, DUI arrest, theft, assault)
• Report number, if you have it

Note: Some records may be limited or redacted if the case is still under investigation or involves certain sensitive information.

Court Records Related to Atlanta Arrests

If your goal is to understand what happened after the arrest—for example, whether someone was convicted, acquitted, or had charges dismissed—you will usually need court records.

Common Atlanta-Area Courts for Arrest-Related Cases

Below is a simplified overview:

Most of these courts provide ways to:

• Search case information (by name or case number)
• Check upcoming court dates
• View the status and outcome of cases

If you are unsure which court handled the case, you can:

• Start with where the arrest occurred (county)
• Check that county’s State Court and Superior Court systems
• If it involved a city ordinance or city police, also check the Municipal Court of Atlanta

Getting Your Own Georgia Criminal History (Including Atlanta Arrests)

If you want to see everything on your record in Georgia, including arrests from Atlanta and other parts of the state, you are usually looking for your GCIC criminal history.

How It Typically Works in Georgia

• Georgia criminal history is maintained by the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC).
• Private individuals usually cannot pull a GCIC report on another private person without proper authorization.
• To obtain your own record, you typically have to:
  1. Provide fingerprints
  2. Show ID
  3. Pay a fee

Many people start the process at:

Atlanta Police Department or another local police department
or
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office or another sheriff’s office

These agencies often submit fingerprints and request the GCIC record on your behalf, then provide you with a copy. Procedures can vary, so it’s wise to call ahead and ask:

• Whether they offer GCIC record requests
• What ID and payment are required
• What their hours are for fingerprinting and record requests

Can Atlanta Arrest Records Be Removed, Sealed, or Restricted?

In Georgia, some people may qualify for record restriction (sometimes called expungement, though Georgia uses different terminology). This can affect how arrest and case information appears in certain official searches.

Important points:

• Record restriction does not always erase the fact that an arrest happened, but it can limit the visibility of some information in official criminal history checks.
• Eligibility depends on:
  • The type of offense
  • The outcome of the case (for example, dismissed, nolle pros, acquittal)
  • Prior record and other factors

Common pathways that may lead to restriction (depending on circumstances and law at the time):

• Case was dismissed or not prosecuted
• The person was acquitted (found not guilty)
• Certain older cases under specific conditions, sometimes through record restriction petitions

If you think you may qualify:

• Contact the clerk of the court where your case was handled (for example, Fulton County Superior or State Court, or Municipal Court of Atlanta) and ask about record restriction procedures.
• Consider speaking with a Georgia-licensed attorney familiar with criminal and record restriction law for individualized guidance.

What Shows Up on Background Checks in Atlanta?

People often ask whether an Atlanta arrest will show up on a background check.

In practice, background checks may pull from:

• Court records (for example, Fulton County Superior Court dockets)
• Jail and booking records
• Public online inmate searches
• State criminal history (GCIC), when legally authorized

Some key realities:

• Arrests may appear even without convictions, depending on the type of check.
• Private background check companies sometimes compile data from multiple sources, and information may not always be complete or perfectly up to date.
• Even if charges were dropped, older arrest records can sometimes still appear unless properly restricted or updated.

If you are worried about what a potential employer, landlord, or licensing board might see, it can be helpful to:

1. Pull your own Georgia criminal history (through local law enforcement and GCIC).
2. Check local court records in Fulton and any other counties where you’ve had cases.
3. Talk with an attorney if there are errors or if you believe you may qualify for record restriction.

Practical Tips for Navigating Atlanta Arrest Records

Here are some focused, Atlanta-specific tips to keep you oriented:

• Start with the county
  If you know where the arrest occurred (Midtown, Buckhead, East Atlanta, etc.), figure out whether that area is in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, or Clayton County, then check that county’s sheriff and courts.

• For very recent arrests
  🔎 Try the county sheriff’s inmate lookup first (for example, Fulton County Jail on Rice Street) to confirm someone is in custody and see basic booking information.

• For detailed reports
  📄 Contact the Atlanta Police Department Central Records Unit or the arresting agency’s records division for incident and arrest reports.

• For case outcomes
  ⚖️ Use the relevant court:

  • Municipal Court of Atlanta (for many city-level cases)
  • Fulton County State or Superior Court (for county-level misdemeanors and felonies)
  • Equivalent courts in DeKalb, Cobb, or Clayton if the arrest occurred there

• For your full Georgia record
  📝 Request your GCIC criminal history through APD, the Fulton County Sheriff, or another local law enforcement agency, following their fingerprinting and ID requirements.

• Keep documentation organized
  If you are dealing with multiple arrests or cases, keep a folder with:

  • Copies of arrest reports
  • Case numbers
  • Court dockets and disposition orders
  • Any documents related to record restriction or dismissals

When to Consider Legal Help in Atlanta

While you can look up many arrest records yourself, you may want to consult a Georgia-licensed attorney if:

• You believe you were wrongfully arrested and want to explore your options.
• You are applying for a job, housing, or a professional license and are worried how your Atlanta arrest record will affect you.
• You think you may qualify for record restriction and need help with the process.
• You find errors in your criminal history or court records.

An attorney experienced in Georgia criminal law and record restriction practice can interpret what your records mean, explain your options under current Georgia law, and help you navigate local Atlanta agencies and courts more confidently.

By understanding which Atlanta-area agency holds which type of record—police reports, jail bookings, court cases, or statewide history—you can more quickly find the information you need and take informed next steps.