Dalton Booking Release Records
Dalton booking releases are managed by the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county jail. Dalton is the county seat of Whitfield County with a population near 35,000. Located in northwest Georgia along Interstate 75, the city sits about 30 miles south of the Tennessee border. The Dalton Police Department makes arrests within city limits, and arrested individuals go to the Whitfield County Jail where the sheriff's office creates and maintains all booking release records.
Dalton Quick Facts
Whitfield County Manages Booking Releases
The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office runs the jail that processes all Dalton arrests. When city police bring someone to the jail, county staff handle the intake. They log the person's information, photograph them, and record all charges. This data becomes the booking release record. The county stores it in its jail management system and keeps it on file for years.
Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the Whitfield County Sheriff is required to maintain records of every person held in the jail. This law covers names, charges, dates of booking and release, and other standard details. These records are public and can be requested by anyone under Georgia's open records laws.
Dalton is the largest city in Whitfield County by a wide margin. Most of the county's booking activity comes from Dalton arrests. The jail also handles bookings from other parts of the county and from agencies like the Georgia State Patrol when they make arrests in the area.
See the full county page for more on Whitfield County booking releases and how to file records requests.
Dalton Police Department
The Dalton Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city. Their office is at 501 West Waugh Street in Dalton, GA 30720. Call (706) 278-9085 for non-emergency questions. Officers patrol the city, investigate cases, and make arrests. After an arrest, the person is transported to the Whitfield County Jail.
The arrest report comes from Dalton police. The booking release record comes from Whitfield County. These are two separate documents. If you need both, contact each agency separately. Dalton PD can tell you how to get copies of police reports. The sheriff's office handles booking release records.
| Agency | Dalton Police Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 501 W Waugh St, Dalton, GA 30720 |
| Phone | (706) 278-9085 |
Dalton is sometimes called the "Carpet Capital of the World" because of the local manufacturing base. The city draws workers from surrounding counties and even from across the state line in Tennessee. This means the Dalton police sometimes arrest people who live outside the area. Their booking releases still go through the Whitfield County system.
How to Find Booking Releases
The Whitfield County online inmate search is the fastest way to check. This tool shows current and recent inmates with their charges, booking dates, and status. Search by name. It is free and works around the clock. The system covers everyone booked into the Whitfield County Jail, including all Dalton arrests.
If the online search does not show what you need, file an open records request under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70. Send it to the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office. Include the person's name and any other identifying information. The county must respond within three business days. Copies cost $0.10 per page under Georgia law.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains records that may tie into cases from Dalton and Whitfield County.
The GBI works on cases across the state, and some of those cases may involve people originally booked in Dalton.
Phone calls to the Whitfield County Jail are another option. Staff can tell you if a person is in custody or has been let go. For paper copies of booking release records, you need a written request. In-person visits to the sheriff's office in Dalton work too since the county seat is right in the city.
What Booking Releases Include
Booking release records from Whitfield County for Dalton arrests contain the standard set of jail data. Each record has the person's full name, date of birth, physical description, and all charges filed. The arresting agency is listed. For Dalton arrests, that is the Dalton Police Department. The booking number, intake date and time, bond information, and release date are all recorded.
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, some records may not be available if they fall under legal exemptions. Active investigations and sealed court orders can restrict access. Booking photos may be part of the file, and O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18 governs how those photos can be shared. Whitfield County follows these state rules when handling requests.
Statewide Booking Release Search Resources
State databases give you wider coverage beyond Whitfield County. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search lets you look up people in state prison. If someone booked in Dalton was later transferred to state custody, this tool tracks them.
The VINE notification system covers Whitfield County and all other Georgia counties. Sign up for free alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. For state-level records, the GDC Open Records portal and the GBI Open Records portal both accept online requests.
Because Dalton is close to the Tennessee border, some people arrested in the area may also have records in Tennessee. Georgia's booking release system only covers what happened in Whitfield County. For cross-state matters, you would need to check Tennessee records separately.
Nearby Cities
Dalton is in the far northwest corner of Georgia. Arrests in these nearby cities go through their own county jail systems.