Access Athens Booking Releases

Athens booking releases are managed by the Clarke County Sheriff's Office. Athens and Clarke County merged into a unified government in 1991, so city and county operations run as one. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department handles law enforcement, and the Clarke County Sheriff runs the jail and keeps all booking release records. When someone is arrested in Athens, they are booked into the Clarke County jail, where the sheriff logs the charges, takes a photo, and creates the booking record.

Clarke County Handles Athens Booking Releases

The Athens-Clarke County unified government splits duties between the police department and the sheriff's office. The police department patrols the streets and makes arrests. The sheriff runs the jail. This means if Athens-Clarke County police arrest someone, they take that person to the Clarke County jail for booking. The sheriff's staff processes the intake and creates the booking release record.

Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the sheriff must keep a record of every person held in the jail. This covers all Athens arrests regardless of which agency made the arrest. The Clarke County Sheriff's Office stores these records in its system and makes them available to the public through online tools and open records requests.

Athens is home to the University of Georgia, which means the population swells during the school year. The university has its own police department, and their arrests also go through the Clarke County jail. All booking releases from those arrests are part of the same county system.

For full details on Clarke County booking releases, visit the county page.

Athens-Clarke County Police

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is at 3035 Lexington Road, Athens, GA 30605. You can call (706) 613-3330 to reach them. The department covers all of Athens-Clarke County since the city and county are one jurisdiction. They handle patrols, traffic stops, investigations, and arrests throughout the area.

When ACCPD makes an arrest, officers complete their reports and transport the person to the Clarke County jail. The arrest report stays with the police department. The booking release record is created by the jail. These are separate documents held by separate agencies. For the arrest report, contact ACCPD. For the booking release, go to the sheriff's office.

The Athens-Clarke County government homepage provides links to all county departments, including the police and the sheriff.

Use the government site to find contact details for the police department and sheriff's office.

How to Find Athens Booking Releases

The Clarke County Sheriff's Office has an online tool for searching inmates. You can look up current and recent bookings by name. Each result shows the person's name, charges, booking date, bond amount, and whether they have been released. The search is free.

If the online tool does not show the record you need, file an open records request. Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives you the right to ask for these records. Clarke County must respond within three business days. Copies are $0.10 per page.

Include the person's name and date of birth when you file your request. A booking number or arrest date helps narrow the search. You can submit requests by mail, email, or in person at the sheriff's office. The steps follow O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, which spells out the open records request process.

Phone inquiries work for quick checks. Call the jail and give them the person's name. Staff can tell you if someone is currently in custody and give basic status information.

What Athens Booking Releases Show

Booking release records from the Clarke County jail include the person's name, date of birth, physical description, and booking photograph. They list every charge, the arresting agency, the booking date and time, and any bond conditions. Release records add the date of release and reason, like bond, time served, or case dismissal.

Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 governs booking photographs. The law says how and when these photos can be released to the public. Clarke County follows this statute for Athens bookings. Some records may be withheld under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 if they involve sealed cases, juvenile records, or active investigations where public disclosure could cause harm.

Most booking release records in Athens are public. The exceptions are narrow and spelled out in state law.

Statewide Booking Release Resources

If someone arrested in Athens later went to state prison, search the Georgia Department of Corrections offender search. This tool shows inmates in the state prison system with details on their facility, sentence, and release date. It covers all state prisons in Georgia.

Track inmates through the VINE notification system. Sign up for free alerts when someone is released from the Clarke County jail or any Georgia facility. VINE works around the clock and sends alerts by phone, email, or text.

For state-level open records requests, the GDC Open Records portal and GBI Open Records portal handle requests that go beyond the county level. These portals cover state corrections records and GBI investigative records.

Nearby Cities

Athens sits in northeast Georgia. The nearest large city with its own page is Gainesville in Hall County, about 40 miles to the west. Arrests in Gainesville go through the Hall County jail.