Search Columbia County Booking Releases

Columbia County booking releases are kept by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, with its seat in Evans, Georgia. This fast-growing county in the Augusta metro area handles a high volume of bookings through its detention center. The Sheriff's Office processes arrests from multiple agencies, including the Columbia County Sheriff's deputies and local municipal police departments. All booking and release records are stored in the county's jail management system and are accessible through official channels.

Columbia County Sheriff Booking Releases

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office runs the county detention center and keeps all booking release records. The main office is at 4780 Hereford Farm Road in Evans. You can call (706) 541-2800 for questions about jail records and bookings. The detention center operates 24 hours a day and processes a steady flow of arrests from across the county.

Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the sheriff must maintain a record of every person in the jail. The record must include the person's name, booking date, charges, and release date. Columbia County follows this law and stores all booking data in its jail management system. With a large and growing population, the county processes more bookings each year, and the records go back for many years.

The county is part of the Augusta Judicial Circuit. Court proceedings that affect booking status, like bond hearings and sentencing, go through the circuit court system.

How to Search Booking Releases

Columbia County offers an online inmate search tool through the Sheriff's Office website. This tool lets you look up current and recent inmates by name. Results typically show the inmate's name, charges, booking date, bond amount, and custody status. The tool is free and available at any time.

If you need records that are not in the online system, call the detention center at (706) 541-2800. Staff can search the full database, which includes older records. Give them the person's name and any dates you know. They can usually give you an answer quickly.

You can also visit the Sheriff's Office at 4780 Hereford Farm Road in Evans. The staff will check the system for you. For formal copies or older records, you may need to file an open records request in writing.

The GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center maintains statewide criminal records that may connect to Columbia County bookings.

The GCIC processes criminal history information across Georgia, including data that ties back to Columbia County jail bookings.

Open Records for Columbia County Booking Releases

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives anyone the right to request booking release records from Columbia County. You don't need a reason. The law is clear that public records belong to the public.

Submit your written request to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at 4780 Hereford Farm Road, Evans, GA 30809. Be specific about what you need. Include names, dates, and case numbers if you have them. The county must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time is free, and copies cost $0.10 per page.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the county must make records available during business hours. If they deny a request, they must state why. Most booking release records are fully public.

What Booking Releases Contain

Columbia County booking release records include the inmate's full name, date of birth, physical description, charges, booking date, arresting agency, warrant numbers, bond amount, and release date. The records capture the entire process from arrest to release.

Booking photographs may also be part of the file. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18, Georgia law sets rules for how these photos can be shared. Columbia County follows state guidelines on booking photo requests.

Some records may not be available. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 lists exemptions to the Open Records Act. Records tied to active investigations, juvenile cases, or sealed court orders may be held back. The basic booking and release data for adult arrests is almost always public.

Statewide Booking Release Resources

State databases can supplement what Columbia County keeps locally. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers people serving state sentences. Use it if someone was booked in Columbia County and later sent to state prison.

The VINE notification system is free and tracks custody changes across all Georgia counties. Sign up for alerts to get notified when someone in Columbia County or elsewhere is released from custody.

For state-level requests, the GDC Open Records portal and the GBI Open Records portal handle records that involve state agencies or cross county lines.

Cities in Columbia County

Columbia County includes several growing communities. Booking releases for arrests in these areas all go through the Columbia County Sheriff's Office detention center.

Other communities in Columbia County include Grovetown, Harlem, and Appling. Arrests in these areas are processed at the county detention center.

Nearby Counties

If you need booking releases from outside Columbia County, these neighboring counties each maintain their own jail records.