Atlanta Booking Releases

Atlanta booking releases are handled by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, since city police transport all arrestees to the county jail for processing. As Georgia's capital and largest city, Atlanta sees a high volume of arrests each year. The Atlanta Police Department makes the arrests, but the Fulton County jail is where booking and release records are created and stored. Parts of Atlanta also fall in DeKalb County, so some arrests on the east side go through the DeKalb County jail instead.

Fulton County Handles Atlanta Booking Releases

In Georgia, city police departments do not run their own jails for long-term holds. When the Atlanta Police Department arrests someone, they transport that person to the Fulton County jail for booking. The county sheriff's office then creates the booking record, logs the charges, takes a booking photo, and processes the person into the jail system. This means all booking release records for Atlanta arrests are kept by Fulton County, not the city.

Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the sheriff in each county must keep a record of every person held in the jail. This law applies to all arrests made in Atlanta. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office stores these records in its jail management system, which covers every facility the county runs. You can look up booking releases through the county's search tools or by filing a records request.

Atlanta does run the Atlanta City Detention Center at 254 Peachtree St SW. This facility has been used for short-term holds and municipal court cases. You can reach it at (404) 865-8001. But most felony and serious misdemeanor bookings go through the main Fulton County jail on Rice Street. If you are looking for a booking release record, start with Fulton County.

For full details on how to search Fulton County booking release records, visit the county page.

Atlanta Police Department

The Atlanta Police Department is the main law enforcement agency in the city. Their headquarters sits at 226 Peachtree St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. You can call them at (404) 614-6544. The department has multiple zones that cover different parts of the city, and each zone station processes arrests before transport to the county jail.

When APD officers make an arrest, they complete their paperwork and then take the person to the Fulton County jail. The booking process starts at the county level. APD does not keep its own booking release records in the same way the sheriff does. If you need arrest report info from the police side, you can file an open records request with APD directly. But for booking and release data, Fulton County is the source.

Keep in mind that some parts of east Atlanta sit in DeKalb County. If the arrest took place on the DeKalb side, the booking release would be at the DeKalb County jail instead. Knowing the exact location of the arrest helps you search the right county.

How to Find Atlanta Booking Releases

Start by searching the Fulton County inmate lookup tool online. This free tool lets you search by name or booking number. Results show the person's full name, booking date, charges, arresting agency, and release date if they have been let go. The system runs all day and night, so you can check at any time.

If the online tool does not show what you need, you can file an open records request. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, Georgia's Open Records Act gives you the right to ask for booking release records. The county must respond within three business days. Copies cost $0.10 per page. You can send your request to the Fulton County Sheriff's open records office by email or mail.

For requests, include the person's full name and date of birth if you have it. The more details you give, the faster the staff can find the right record. A booking number speeds things up a lot if you know it. You do not need to give a reason for your request.

What Booking Releases Show

A booking release record from the Fulton County jail will list the person's name, date of birth, and physical description. It shows the date and time of booking, all charges filed, the arresting agency (which for Atlanta arrests will say APD or Atlanta Police), and any warrant numbers tied to the case. When the person is released, the record gets updated with the release date and method, such as bond, time served, or case dismissal.

Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 addresses booking photographs. This statute sets rules on how law enforcement can share mugshots. Fulton County follows these rules when handling photo requests for Atlanta bookings. Some records may have parts redacted under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 if they involve sealed cases or active investigations.

Statewide Booking Release Resources

If someone was arrested in Atlanta and later sent to a state prison, you can look them up through the Georgia Department of Corrections. The GDC offender search tool shows current inmates in the state system. This is helpful when a person was booked in Fulton County but has since moved to state custody.

The GDC offender search database lets you look up inmates who have been transferred to state prison after a Fulton County booking.

Search results show the person's current facility, sentence length, and projected release date.

You can also sign up for alerts through VINE, which sends you a notification when an inmate is released or moved. This works for the Fulton County jail and all other Georgia jails. For state-level open records requests, use the GDC Open Records portal or the GBI Open Records portal.

Nearby Cities

Several cities near Atlanta also route their booking releases through county jails. If the arrest happened in one of these cities, check that city's page for details on which county handles their records.