Lee County Booking Releases
Lee County booking releases are processed by the Lee County Sheriff's Office, based in Leesburg. This southwest Georgia county sits next to Dougherty County and the Albany metro area. The sheriff runs the county jail and keeps all booking and release records on file. Lee County is smaller in population, so the jail handles a moderate number of bookings each year. You can get booking release information by contacting the sheriff's office or by using state-level tools that cover all Georgia counties.
Lee County Quick Facts
Sheriff's Office and Jail Records
The Lee County Sheriff's Office maintains all booking release records for the county. The office is located in Leesburg and can be reached by phone during normal business hours. The sheriff oversees the jail, which holds inmates awaiting trial and those serving short sentences. Every arrest that results in a jail booking gets recorded in the system.
Georgia law is clear on what the sheriff must keep. Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, every county sheriff has to maintain a record for each person held in the jail. The log includes the inmate's name, booking date, charges, and release date. Lee County complies with this rule for every single booking. Whether someone is held for an hour or several months, a record exists.
For questions about current inmates, call the jail. Staff can tell you if someone is being held and what their charges are. For past booking releases, you may need to submit a more formal request, especially if the records are more than a few weeks old.
Searching for Booking Releases
Getting Lee County booking release records starts with the sheriff's office. Call or visit to check if a specific person has been booked or released. Smaller counties like Lee don't always have full online search portals, so direct contact tends to be the fastest way. Have the person's full name ready and a date of birth if you know it.
You can also use the VINE victim notification system to check inmate status in Lee County. VINE covers all Georgia counties and lets you search for an inmate by name. If you find a match, you can sign up for alerts. You will get a call, email, or text when the person's status changes. The service is free and runs all day, every day.
VINE lets you track inmate custody changes in Lee County and across all Georgia counties.
This free service sends real-time updates when an inmate is released, transferred, or has any change in status in Lee County.
If you are looking for someone who served state time after a Lee County booking, the GDC offender search can help. It shows all inmates in the state prison system, along with their sentence details and expected release dates. This tool is free and open to anyone.
Open Records Process
Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, Georgia's Open Records Act, you have the right to request booking release records from Lee County. The law applies to all government agencies, including the sheriff's office. You do not need to explain why you want the records. Just put your request in writing and send it to the sheriff's office in Leesburg.
The county has three business days to respond to your request. They must either give you the records, tell you they need more time, or explain why the records are exempt. The first 15 minutes of staff search time is free. After that, they can charge a reasonable fee for the time spent pulling records. Copies are $0.10 per page. Most standard booking release requests in Lee County are simple and get filled without issues.
If your request is denied, you have the right to challenge that decision. The Open Records Act lets you go to court if you believe a denial was not proper. For routine booking releases, though, denials are uncommon.
Details in Booking Records
Lee County booking release records contain a standard set of data. You can expect to see the inmate's full name, date of birth, physical description, booking date, charges, arresting agency, and bond amount. The release date and type of release are also part of the record. If the person was transferred to another facility, that shows up too.
Booking photos follow rules set out in O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18. This law controls when and how mugshots can be shared. The Lee County Sheriff's Office handles photo requests under these guidelines. Some restrictions may apply based on the case outcome.
Georgia law also lists exceptions to public access. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, records related to ongoing law enforcement investigations, juvenile matters, or sealed cases may be held back. Most booking releases for adults in Lee County are public documents and can be obtained through the standard process described above.
Statewide Booking Release Resources
Beyond Lee County, state tools give you a wider view. The GDC offender search covers everyone in the Georgia prison system. The GDC Open Records portal handles formal requests for state-level corrections records. The GBI Open Records portal is the place to go for records from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
These state resources work well alongside Lee County's own records. If someone was arrested in Lee County but later moved into the state system, you can track the full timeline by checking both sources. All of these tools are free to search, though copies of records may cost money depending on what you request.
Nearby Counties
Lee County borders several other counties in southwest Georgia. If the person you are searching for was arrested outside Lee County, you will need to check the right county. Each one keeps its own booking release records.